The Media Accountability Project  

CBC’s About That segment refuses to call Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide or acknowledge that Trump’s proposed plans for the remaining survivors in the strip amounts to ethnic cleansing. While the video mentions forced displacement and mass killing, it avoids framing them as part of Israel’s deliberate policy to permanently remove Palestinians from their land.

On January 30, 2025, CJPME media analyst sent a letter of complaint to CBC News regarding their article, originally sourced from Reuters, which describes Israel’s release of Palestinian “detainees” as “prisoners.” Following CJPME’s advocacy efforts, CBC News adjusted its headline to more accurately reflect the legal status of Palestinians held in Israeli detention cells, referring to them as “detainees.” It is important to note however that While CBC changed their headline, Reuters did not.

Altough this small revision appears at the onset to be a  a minor linguistic issue, this inconsistency from the CBC and Reuters reinforces the inaccurate narrative that all Palestinians in Israeli custody are convicted criminals.In reality, many are being arbitrarily detained, often without due process, which means they cannot  be considered “prisoners”  according to the normal definition.

Why does this distinction matter?

Many Palestinians in Israeli custody are held under administrative detention, a practice that violates international human rights law—specifically, Article 9(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a legally binding UN treaty ratified by Israel in 1991:

Article 9(1): “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedures as are established by law.”

Administrative detention allows Israeli authorities to detain Palestinians indefinitely without charge or trial, based on secret evidence not disclosed to the detainee or their lawyer. According to Amnesty International:

“Israel has systematically used administrative detention as a tool to persecute Palestinians, rather than as an extraordinary and selectively used preventative measure.”

This means that many Palestinian detainees are not prisoners in the conventional sense.

While CBC’s headline change is a positive step, inconsistencies remain, as the article still alternates between “detainees” and “prisoners.”

Nevertheless, this remains an important step, highlighting CJPME’s role in holding CBC accountable for using precise and consistent language that upholds journalistic standards and accurately represents Israel’s detention practices.

"It is as if Reuters is randomly choosing which term to use each time. This inconsistency is not a minor linguistic issue—it reinforces the inaccurate narrative that all Palestinians in Israeli custody are convicted criminals, when in reality, many are held without charge or trial and cannot be considered “prisoners” according to the normal definition."

"This framing uncritically repeats the Israeli military’s narrative of a counterterrorism operation without questioning its proportionality or compliance with international law. For instance, the article whitewashes the Israeli military’s actions by blindly repeating their justifications for “raids” through the claim that they are targeting "militants" despite there being supporting evidence indicating otherwise. Furthermore, the article barely includes any Palestinian perspectives which contributes to this one-sided reporting that heavily relies on the claims made by an occupying force."

"HRC is far from neutral. Journalists who report factually on Israel—or anyone critical of Israel’s ongoing genocide in the occupied Gaza Strip, its apartheid policies, settler violence in the occupied West Bank, or raids on Palestinian territories—are often targeted by HRC’s intimidation tactics and smear campaigns."

"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?"

On Jan. 20, 2025, during a CBC broadcast on the ceasefire in Gaza, Anchor Natasha Fatah dismissed the term genocide during a CBC News interview with Palestinian-Canadian Israa Alsaafin, who was mourning her brother's death in Gaza. This response exemplified CBC’s editorial choices that actively dehumanize and marginalize Palestinian perspectives. When Ms. Alsaafin shared how her brother was killed in what she described as a genocide, the anchor responded by stating that “‘war’ is more appropriate” and asserting that “we [CBC reporters] cannot use that word [genocide] to describe what is happening.”

Following this shameful segment, CJPME’s MAP team issued a media alert on the broadcast calling out the CBC for reprimanding a Palestinian on air for the words she used reflecting her lived experience. 

The broad grassroots pushback against this broadcast pressured the CBC to issue a formal correction:

“On Jan. 20, during an interview on CBC News Network, a guest used the word genocide to describe the actions of Israel in Gaza. As part of her response, our host stated, "we cannot use that word to describe what is happening…" In fact, CBC News does not prohibit specific words in our reporting, but instead requires precise attribution and reporting on the debates that shape public policy, including debates about language. This was not made clear in this instance and the host's comment left an inaccurate representation of CBC standards.”

This statement represents a significant step forward in holding media organizations accountable for their coverage of Palestinian narratives. Such an admission by our public broadcaster is rare. By raising concerns about the dismissal of the term genocide and the lack of empathy during a critical interview, CJPME and its allies successfully compelled CBC to publicly address the issue. While the CBC's response falls short in many ways, it is a win in the battle for better media coverage nonetheless.

Such corrections must be accompanied by proactive steps to include diverse voices and uphold ethical journalism standards, ensuring that Palestinian suffering and narratives are fairly represented by the CBC.

"When Ms. Alsaafin shared how her brother was killed in what she described as a genocide, the anchor responded by stating that “‘war’ is more appropriate” and asserting that “we [CBC reporters] cannot use that word [genocide] to describe what is happening.” MAP responders can review the transcript of this exchange or watch the full video."

"A CBC News article on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire downplays Israel’s genocidal intent in occupied Gaza and omits key context. It fails to mention Gaza as a territory occupied by Israel. The article profoundly misrepresents Hamas policies, as well as Israel's relationship with the Palestinian Authority."

"As said by the late Malcolm X, whose philosophy inspires me deeply: “So early in life, I had learned that if you want something, you had better make some noise.” Guided by his call to speak out, I raise my voice now out of profound frustration with media outlets such as the CBC that fail to hold Israel accountable. This lack of accountability is evident in your headline that uses language that does not mention Israel as the Zionist entity committing genocide in the occupied Gaza Strip."