The Media Accountability Project  

"My quick search yielded coverage by UN News, based on the proceedings of the Human Rights Council morning session on 16 June 2008, in reference to a report focused on the closure of Gaza and its impact on the enjoyment of human rights, where Arbour (who was United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at the time) said 'Actions taken by Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas during the reporting period continued to violate international human rights and humanitarian law.'" Continue reading

Most problematic is the lack of any attempt to contextualize why there might be discomfort for Israel supporters on campus, if the alleged polling is true. The article entirely omits Israel's appalling violence over the last two and half years, deemed a genocide by international experts, human rights organizations including those inside Israel.   Continue reading

As it stands the broadcast does not inform viewers of any prior ceasefire violations, nor does it critically examine Israel’s role in undermining the ceasefire. This omission contributes to the dehumanization of victims and does not meet the standard of full, fair, and proper presentation of the news as outlined in the Canadian Association of Journalists’ Ethics Guidelines and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Code of Ethics. Continue reading

The claim that the war re-ignited on March 2 is therefore misleading, as the Israeli forces had already been conducting near-daily airstrikes in southern Lebanon for fifteen months. Framing the timeline in this way effectively marginalizes southern Lebanese communities, erases the past year and a half of constant bombardment from the narrative, and treats the south as though it is not part of Lebanon. Continue reading

The Toronto Star has a responsibility to provide rigorous, contextual, and impartial journalism. This article falls short of that standard. I therefore urge you to amend the title of the piece to reflect a more balanced and evidence-based account of the killing of the Palestinian teenager, specifically attributing Israel in the headline Continue reading

We understand that this does not constitute a breach of the core pillars of responsible journalism; however, in the interest of accuracy, and in light of the international legal consensus regarding Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza, we kindly ask that you amend the article by replacing “critics” with language that reflects the weight of international legal and human rights consensus, including UN experts.  Continue reading

In sum, the segment fails to meet basic journalistic standards of accuracy, fairness, and balance. It presents serious and unverified allegations as fact, blurs the line between opinion and reporting, and promotes narratives that risk stigmatizing Palestinian advocacy and Muslim communities. Continue reading

"Both the journalists and the outlet deserve thanks for this comprehensive and informative news piece." Continue reading

Good journalism should strive to present a balanced and contextualized picture of armed groups. This includes not only describing their military actions, but also situating them within their historical context and specifying how they define themselves. In this respect, the article makes a meaningful effort, reflecting strong journalistic standards of fairness and balance. Continue reading

I hope this context is helpful in understanding some of the flaws in the argument posed here by Matthew Lau. I am certainly not arguing CBC isn't biased. They are. But it seems to me that they are mostly biased in the exact opposite way that Matthew Lau suggests. I'll save that argument for my own op-ed submission, perhaps! Continue reading