The Media Accountability Project  

"In October of this year, I complained to CBC about not clearly stating that Gaza is occupied. Editors rejected the complaint. I asked CBC's Ombudsman to look at the case. He said he can not make decisions about omissions. How will CBC address these concerns?"

"Smotrich’s statements advocating, say, the starvation of 2 million Gazans, is inconvenient for Western politicians—including in Canada— who justify Israel’s atrocities as an act of self-defence. They ignore the fact that most people in Gaza have already been the victims of dispossession and displacement, as well as being blockaded in what’s been described as the world’s largest open-air prison."

"In the interest of fairness, the article should have framed the situation more accurately, by presenting the Israeli supporters as the primary instigators of the violence—attacking buildings with Palestinian flags, shouting racist slogans, and engaging in other provocative acts."

"I see a dearth of solid reportage on Israel and Palestine in Canadian media, and I know that pro-Israel groups such as Honest Reporting Canada attack journalists who report critically or even simply provide accurate information on Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, or on its policies and practices toward Palestinians."

"Israel has been illegally occupying the Palestinian territories for decades, in tandem with its settler violence and indiscrimately killing in the occupied West Bank - not to mention the expansion of its ongoing genocide from occupied Gaza to Lebanon. The world must be made aware of Israel’s blatant violations of international law, and it is through articles like yours that people can begin to understand the full scope of Israel’s genocidal agenda in the Middle East."

"Neglecting this context minimizes the voices of Arab communities in North America. Unfortunately, this oversight, whether intentional or not, is part of a broader media trend in Canada including at the CBC. Canadian media is increasingly erasing Arab narratives and their impact on civil society in Canada and the US."

"The article claims that Hamas's operation on October 7 “killed about 1,200 people.” This is incorrect. According to Haaretz, 1,105 individuals were killed. This included 851 civilians (including 59 from the police force and 13 from the emergency services) and 368 IDF soldiers."

After months of advocacy, CBC News published a recent article acknowledging that while the Gaza Ministry of Health does not explicitly differentiate between combatants and non-combatants, the majority of Palestinians killed during Israel’s ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza are women and children.

For months, CJPME media analysts have expressed concerns about media outlets stating that the Gaza Ministry of Health "does not distinguish between combatants and civilians." This framing is misleading, as it casts unnecessary doubt on the extent of civilian deaths. The data confirms that the overwhelming majority are civilians (women, children, and elderly). The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) uses the Gaza Ministry of Health (MoH) and makes clear distinctions between men, women, children, and the elderly in its reports. Below is a graph from UNOCHA, last updated on October 7th, that illustrates these distinctions:

Unlike other outlets, CBC News has shown a willingness to engage with our journalistic ethics concerns and adjust its reporting accordingly. This represents a significant step forward in achieving more accurate and responsible journalism.

The article usefully juxtaposes Israeli claims with remarks from the UN that attacks on first responders has reduced aid to “a trickle.” Too often Israeli claims are taken at face value, allowing them to get away with what are later revealed to be outright lies.

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.