The Media Accountability Project  

Israel is a settler colonial project built on an apartheid system and the suffering of Palestinians — whether Jew, Muslim, or Christian — to not see otherwise is a complete whitewashing of reality.

"Mr. Lofaro’s reporting is devoid of any pro-Palestinian or
Palestinian perspectives whether from SSMU, the McGill encampment or of any
Palestinian advocacy groups. It only features the viewpoints of pro-Israel groups without
offering a platform to pro-Palestinian advocates. This omission creates an imbalance and
fails to present the full scope of the issue, leaving readers with a limited understanding of
the situation."

"While you write that “keffiyehs have become somewhat of a political flashpoint in Ontario in recent weeks” and mention the debates at Queen’s Park and the motions to reverse the ban, you could have mentioned that MPP Sarah Jama was asked to remove her keffiyeh at Queen’s Park and that she defied the order to do it."

"Given that the article is about the encampments at American universities, it would make your article more balanced to describe the subject of their protests in their terms. At the minimum, Columbia University’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment's clearly stated demands should be reported at the beginning of the article."

"Gaza is being destroyed presently. And yet, protest signs are treated by the AP as more worthy of context than the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza."

Earlier in the article, you write that Hamas broke through the “Israel-Gaza fence” on Oct. 7. Originally built by Israel in 1994, the tall, multi-layered fence surrounding the Strip has been widely viewed as an immobilizing measure that “brutally reinforced boundary that allows very few people in or out of the Strip.” This structure of separation should be referred to as Israel’s apartheid or separation wall.

Shortly after CJPME sent this letter alerting the journalist at The Coast of two factual errors in her recent article, she agreed to make all the requested edits. Prior to our letter, the article stated that Hamas broke through the “Israel-Gaza fence” on Oct. 7. The article has sense been updated to read “Israel-Gaza boundary” and links to an informative article CJPME referenced in the original letter, which explains why this boundary is referred to as an “apartheid wall.” Later in the article, the journalist had previously written that Israel’s attacks on Gaza have “left 22,000 dead.” Due to the inaccurate death toll and the passive language, the journalist agreed to change it to “…over 33,000 Palestinians killed.”

CJPME appreciates The Coast’s prompt response to our complaints.

It was refreshing to read an article that gave voice and space to U of O doctor, Dr. Yipeng Ge, and his thoughts on how the equation to antisemitism is a form of anti-Palestinian racism, as his case was heavily covered in the media.  

"Overall, your article provides very little critical analysis of the antisemitism report you describe in your story. It comes across as a platform for pro-Israel groups who want to undermine the credibility and character of people who support Palestinian liberation and criticize Israel."

You fail to mention anti-Palestinian racism, which should have been pointed out since Palestinians are the main group concerned by free speech over the Israel-Hamas war. Simply writing “hate crimes targeting Arab communities” erases the separate Palestinian identity and is a form of anti-Palestinian racism.