On March 10, 2025, CJPME media analyst Anthony Issa submitted a formal letter to Global News BC1, condemning its incomplete and misleading coverage of the mass killings of Alawite civilians in Syria’s coastal regions. Global’s original report failed to mention that over 1,300 Syrians (mostly civilians) had been executed by HTS-backed security forces, as documented by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Following CJPME’s intervention, Global News issued a follow-up report on March 11, finally acknowledging the staggering civilian death toll.
Here is a transcript of the broadcast:
“Syria's interim government has signed a deal with a Kurdish-led group. Syria’s defence minister says it has ended a military operation on the west coast that triggered the worst violence since the fall of the Assad regime. it says loyalists of the former president have now been neutralized. More than 1,300 people, mostly civilians, have died since Thursday.”
This update represents a major step toward correcting Global News' previous omissions, demonstrating the power of media pressure in holding Canadian outlets accountable for their coverage of war crimes.
This outcome highlights the critical role of CJPME in pushing Canadian media toward more rigorous reporting on the Middle East. By challenging misleading narratives, we ensure that crimes against civilians in Syria and beyond do not go ignored or misrepresented.
CJPME will continue to push for fair, accurate, and transparent coverage of the Middle East.