The Media Accountability Project  

Please join us in criticizing this piece written by the Associated Press and published by CTV News. CTV News has been under fire for its biased coverage of Palestine.

"Skewed language that piles up on Iran (whose officials are called “hard-line,” while United States officials are not) or reproduces false patterns of blame (“a series of attacks and ship seizures attributed to Iran have raised tensions,” with no reference to Israeli or Western affronts) erodes your credibility."

The term “Palestine territories” was used, but we recommend using the widely accepted “Occupied Palestinian Territories” instead. When speaking about the adverse impact that Israel’s military occupation has on children, this is an especially important nuance to capture. Additionally, the region is described as a “warzone,” but this phrasing obscures the asymmetrical nature of the situation, in which Israeli military violence disproportionately impacts Palestinians, especially children. In 2022 alone, Israeli forces and settlers killed 36 children with live ammunition.

"I commend you for rightfully highlighting the criticism of Israel’s 'questionable democratic credentials' due to their treatment of Palestinians. This is an important critique, one backed effectively by a 200+ page Amnesty International report titled 'Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel system of domination and crime against humanity.' Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians is necessary context for understanding the nature and quality of Israel’s democratic institutions, and this should be included in all coverage of Israel’s judicial reforms."

As a professional journalist reporting on armed conflict, you have an obligation to be skeptical of official reports from an armed aggressor. The Israeli military’s-vague allusion to a person with an“explosive device” should have immediately triggered doubt in your mind as to the transparency of the Israeli military’s account.The DCIP report, on the other hand, also points out that Al-Aydi was shot by a sniper–something the AP/CTV story ignored. The general public deserves much better journalism on such reports.