The Media Accountability Project  

Unfortunately, mainstream media outlets in Canada have a history of being reluctant to use the word "Palestine." Some never use the word at all, opting instead to only talk about “Palestinians” while erasing their connection to their land, using phrases like “lands Israel occupied” or even referring to Palestinian land as “modern-day Israel.”

"The article effectively highlighted the troubling double standard: why are symbols like the Pride flag and the Star of David permitted, while a simple watermelon pin—widely recognized as a symbol of Palestinian identity and resistance—is not allowed?"

"Malcolm X pointed out that law enforcement often serves to uphold the status quo and protect systems of power, rather than ensuring true safety and justice for individuals, especially those from marginalized communities. This reflection on institutional racism remains sadly relevant today, and your article courageously provided Bahnan with the platform to address the systemic issues surrounding police and to challenge the dangerous naivety in assuming that the police are always there to serve and protect, particularly marginalized communities."

Why is this not enough? Why is Palestinian testimony being treated as secondary?  

"The definition has been interpreted to label even the slogan “Free Palestine” as antisemitic, setting a deeply troubling precedent that suppresses pro-Palestinian activism. Including this context is essential for readers to critically assess the claims made in your article – and its omission risks Bradford Today endorsing a flawed and highly politicized interpretation of antisemitism."

"I appreciate Mr. Assaly’s decision to also spotlight this incident amid coverage of other racist statements made by Tony Hinchcliffe at the rally. Rather than leaving his APR remarks unaddressed as well as the awful statement made by Rudy Giuliani ignored, Mr. Assaly took the time to thoroughly expose all of the harmful statements made that day."

On October 21, 2024, CJPME sent a letter to CBC News requesting a revision to its problematic coverage of anti-Palestinian racism in an article published on October 20, 2024.

CBC had referred to B.C. Conservative candidate Brent Chapman’s racist comments about Palestinians as “alleged” and “seen as racist,” minimizing the hateful nature of his statements. Chapman’s remarks, which included offensive and dehumanizing stereotypes, were clear examples of anti-Palestinian racism. CJPME called for more accurate and direct reporting, urging CBC to remove such euphemisms. We emphasized that, while qualifiers may be appropriate in cases of legitimate doubt, they were entirely inappropriate in this instance of unequivocal hate speech.

Following sustained advocacy from CJPME, CBC acknowledged the concerns raised and confirmed that the article was updated to explicitly state that Chapman’s remarks constitute anti-Palestinian racism. The terms “alleged” and “seen as racist” were removed from the article.

This is an important step toward ensuring that anti-Palestinian racism is accurately recognized and reported in Canadian media, without the use of language that unnecessarily casts doubt on the seriousness of hate speech against Palestinians.

CJPME remains committed to holding media outlets accountable for biased coverage and advocating for responsible journalism that upholds fairness and accuracy.

"It is hard to imagine CBC reporting on other clear-cut cases of hate in this way. Of course, in instances where there is some reason for skepticism, using the language of “alleged” and qualifying the racism makes some sense, but that is not at all the case here and seems entirely inappropriate."

"By giving CIJA this platform without offering any balanced representation from Palestinian or Muslim voices, your segment reinforces harmful stereotypes against Palestinians - framing anyone resisting Israel’s apartheid policies as a threat."

This selective reporting is heavily editorialized with its combined use of hearsay and anonymous quotes, compromising the accuracy and fairness of the piece. The article also perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Arabs and Palestinians and conflates anti-Zionism with antisemitism.