MAP Alert: Alex Pierson says Palestinian lives worth less than Israelis on radio

"In one of her first questions to the guest, Pierson laments that Palestinians are treated by some people as equal to Israelis."


Media outlet to be critiqued

First, an update! Thanks to the help of our MAP Responders, CBC clarified the statements made by Natasha Fatah live on air. CBC explained that journalists are not forbidden from saying "genocide," as long as the assertion is properly attributed, a fair journalistic practice.

You can read our impact statement here

Before our next alert, it's worth noting that we've filed a number of informal and formal complaints against 640 Toronto, an AM radio station affiliated with Global News and owned by Corus Entertainment. Our last complaint about the station, focused on Ben Mulroney, went fairly viral on Instagram and other social media. Today we'll be demanding accountability from Alex Pierson, another leading voice on the station.

In solidarity,

Jason Toney, CJPME


A CJPME Media Researcher has launched a media alert for the following article. Please submit a quick response to the media, even if it’s just a sentence or two:

Title of Piece: Alex Pierson Show: “After over 1 year hostages are being released… But is the trade-off worth it?”

Media Outlet: Global News Radio 640 Toronto
Click here to access the piece on-line.

Comments of the CJPME Media Researcher:
(Note: Please do not copy and paste the material below as the content to your message to the media - put all comments in your own words):

Using the “newsertainment” format, hosts and guests on 640 Toronto spew hateful rhetoric day after day. Anti-Palestinian racism has become commonplace on the station. It must be challenged.

  • Right at the beginning of the segment, Pierson describes videos of the first release of Israelis by Hamas after the ceasefire agreement. The video shows crowds of ordinary Palestinians, as well as Hamas fighters, as 3 Israeli women are led to a Red Cross vehicle. Pierson refers to this as a “disgusting scene” with “all these terrorists” and calls it a “feeding frenzy.” Again, she is referring to a video that features what appear to be mostly Palestinian civilians.
  • Pierson claims that for every Israeli 3 hostages being released, “90 hardened Palestinian terrorists and criminals are being exchanged.” This is not only racist framing, but it’s entirely untrue. Many Palestinians who will be released are held in administrative detention by Israel, meaning they have not even been accused of a crime nor have they been tried. Many Palestinians who will be released are also children. Pierson continues to double down on this rhetoric and claims all Palestinians to be released “are not good people and terrorists in many cases.”
  • In one of her first questions to the guest, Pierson laments that Palestinians are treated by some people as equal to Israelis: “It’s often portrayed that the [Israeli] hostages being released, whether they’re dead or alive, are almost the same value as those [Palestinians] being released from Israeli jails and that has been conflated and normalized.” This is obviously dehumanizing and racist language that portrays Israelis as inherently superior to Palestinians.
  • Her interview with guest Hillel Fuld includes many disturbing comments, including Fuld making dehumanizing and threatening comments towards Palestinians. While it is harder to hold radio show guests to account, Pierson makes no effort to challenge his harmful comments.

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The CJPME Media Centre Team
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