The Media Accountability Project  

"I’m concerned that the framing of this story is unfair. The pro-Palestine protest that occurred at the Halifax Pride parade is described as being “disrupted” in the headline. The story itself frames the protesters as being at the centre of “pushing and shoving.” While you quote one of the protesters speaking broadly, it you quote two people who opposed the protest to frame the narrative about what happened."

"In terms of improving the coverage, I would simply have suggested, first, that Mr. Carpenter seek a direct quote from a representative of the protesting group. Second, I would have suggested that Mr. Carpenter seek a supportive comment from another player. He quotes a bystander, who questions the group’s tactics, but Carpenter does not seek comment/input from other groups which would be supportive."

To make your article less one-sided, I ask you to add context about Gaza and the West Bank and add voices from the Pro-Palestinian protesters so that their intentions are clearly stated and not further mischaracterized.

"Ultimately, Israel has been committing a terrible offense to humanity these past eight months in Gaza, resulting in massive demonstrations around the world.  The protestors outside May’s office are yet one more example.  Please do not whitewash Israel’s criminal brutality in your coverage."

What is the National Post’s policy regarding Tweets in its articles? You share tweets that contain inflammatory and racist remarks by users with a history of racism. For example, the tweet from @l3v1at4an accuses people wearing keffiyehs of “pretending to be terrorists.” This is not a unique comment from this account but part of a long history of anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia. Including such content without context to bolster a journalist's argument is an alarming and seemingly bad-faith tactic.

"Whether this is a deliberate exclusion, or the result of inadequate research, it is poor journalism. This article is misleading as written and must be edited immediately to maintain minimum standards of objectivity."

Bernstein falsely accuses the speech of being hateful and based on lies, which is simply not true. Dr Gem Newman's speech was fact-based. This is concerning and hurtful coming from a Professor from the valedictorian’s own faculty. Bernstein should side with his students instead of smearing and dismissing them.

"For whom is the English term “most commonly associated with attacks by Palestinian terrorist groups on public venues?” Certainly, that is one perspective, but how is the Canadian Press determining that is the most common one among the world’s English-speaking population? This is an absurd, unfair, and indefensible position — there is no evidence for such a supposition. Indeed, the term “intifada” encompasses a wide range of sentiments."

To:

Andrea Baillie, Editor-in-Chief, Canadian Press

Tim Cook, Assistant Managing Editor, Canadian Press

Dan Taylor, Managing Editor, CTV News

Dear Andrea Baillie, Tim Cook, and Dan Taylor,

I am writing to express concern about the Canadian Press article, “Police order B.C. woman who praised Hamas not to protest for 5 months, says her group,” published on May 2 in CTV News Vancouver.

I take foremost issue with the framing of your article. There is a lack of background information on the situation in Palestine before October 7. History did not start on October 7, yet the only piece of context you provide is that “the attack killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, setting off Israel’s offensive in Gaza that the Health Ministry there says has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians.”

It is not fair to start your time frame with October 7 as the protester’s comments are only comprehensible within a larger context. For readers to understand that context, it is essential to mention Israel’s longstanding occupation of Palestinian land. The Institute for Middle East Understanding recommends the following:

Always include the context of Israeli military occupation and apartheid, and when covering Gaza, the siege and blockade.

It’s impossible to comprehend what’s happening in Palestine/Israel without understanding that Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza live under a more than 54-year-old Israeli military occupation, Palestinians in Gaza live under a nearly 15-year long siege, and that all Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories live under an apartheid system that is designed to subjugate and dispossess them. This critical context should be included in all coverage.

On one hand, under international law, Israel is recognized as an occupying power over the Occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. It has obligations as an occupying power, such as protecting civilians, which negates its supposed right to self-defence.

Gaza has been under air, sea, and land blockage since 2007. During the past year, Israel’s military had consistently nightly raided Palestinian villages. Before October 7, 80% of Gazans relied on international aid, two-thirds lived below the poverty line and 45 % were unemployed. Before October 7, Israel attacked Gaza in four cases: in 2008-2009, in 2012, in 2014, and 2021. Members of the international community, including the UN, and human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, recognize Israel as an apartheid state.

On the other, Palestinians have a right to resist an occupying power through armed struggle under international law (Protocol 1 of the Geneva Conventions and General Assembly resolution A/RES/38/17 (22/11/1983)).

Please include context about Gaza before October 7 since it is misleading for your readers to think that October 7 happened in a vacuum and that Israel has no responsibility even before October 7, but especially since then.

I hope CTV News Vancouver and Canadian Press will add essential piece of context before October 7 and keep it in mind and mention it in future reporting about Gaza.

Sincerely,

Fatima Haidar,

Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East