The Media Accountability Project  

"Every mention of an Israeli death is stated in active voice and Hamas is named as the perpetrator, whereas Palestinian deaths are mentioned in passive voice without assigning blame to Israel."

On December 3, 2024, CJPME media analyst Lynn Naji sent a letter to the Montreal Gazette regarding their one-sided article titled: “Quebec to probe rising tension at Dawson and Vanier over Israel-Gaza conflict.”

CJPME argued that the article does not provide sufficient context to understand why students at CEGEPs have been protesting on campuses.

Students have been striking in solidarity with the Palestinian movement in Canada. This includes a strategy of academic boycotts, walkouts and demonstrations against Israel's system of apartheid, its ongoing genocide in occupied Gaza and its brutality in the West Bank. The currentacademic boycott movement is also0an extension of the student encampments that occurred over the summer. CJPME argued that the article falls short of providing this necessary context.

Second, the article frames the pro-Palestine protests in a negative light. CJPME argued that the reporting would have been far more balanced had the Gazette included quotes from the student associations involved in the strike, or from an expert on Montreal’s history of student activism.  This would have offered a fair, balanced, and more nuanced reporting.

The following day, the article was updated to include the death toll resulting from Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and quoted CJPME, debunking the harmful stereotypes that these protests are violent and disruptive.

This added context marks a significant win for CJPME’s Media accountability team which has been pushing for this contextualization of pro-Palestine protests by the Gazette for months. CJPME remains committed to holding Canadian media accountable and pressuring them to stop perpetuating harmful stereotypes surrounding pro-Palestine activism.

"This framing represents a one-sided reporting on the pro-Palestine protests happening. Generally, these protests are peaceful, yet they are often framed negatively, particularly by those seeking to discredit the movement. Though you mention that “spokespeople for Dawson and Vanier did not respond to requests for comment,” this does not absolve you from putting good faith effort to talk to students who are actually leading the pro-Palestine protests in CEGEPs."

"Toronto Sun reporter Bryan Passifiume fails to meet basic journalistic standards by sidelining diverse Jewish-Canadian perspectives. His coverage of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union's (OPSEU) decision to select Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) for antisemitism training amplifies pro-Israel voices while excluding balanced viewpoints."

"I request that the Canadian Press update their article with context from IJV Halifax’s statement, providing a more balanced representation of Jewish Canadian perspectives on Ms. Jakeman’s public tweets. I believe it is also critical that the Canadian Press make it clear that she was pressured to step out of the race after a mounted campaign by pro-Israel groups."

"While your article provides some valuable information, it lacks the above context regarding Sinwar’s leadership in Hamas and the critical perspectives necessary for readers to understand the broader implications of Sinwar's death beyond a Western viewpoint. This omission results in a heavily skewed and unbalanced narrative."

"You quote Zeid’s remark that “this conflict did not start on October 7th” without providing any context. A concerning trend we’ve been observing in Canadian media is the tendency to begin the timeline on October 7th, failing to acknowledge that for decades, Israeli settlers have looted Palestinian land, attacked civilians, and forcibly expelled Palestinians from their homeland."

While these issues are certainly important, the broadcast failed to mention the alarming rise of anti-Palestinian racism, including attacks on Arab institutions and mosques in Montreal. It is also problematic that the segment interviewed representatives from the pro-Israel group Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), yet provided no corresponding Palestinian voices to offer balance or convey the equally important concerns of the Arab Canadian community.

CJPME is extremely disappointed by this editorial decision by the CBC as the suffering of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza following October 7, is a crucial part of this ongoing story, yet it is almost entirely absent from your coverage.

"These kinds of exclusions, when repeated, become dehumanizing, as the implicit message is that Palestinian and Lebanese civilians who are victims of Israeli attacks don’t matter and can be ignored. Meanwhile, Israeli deaths are framed as more deserving of coverage, receiving more focus and emotional weight. This selective empathy has no place in reporting."