The Media Accountability Project  

At the end of February, the Executive Director of Spheres of Influence—a non-profit digital publication dedicated to highlighting underreported global issues and amplifying marginalized voices—reached out to one of our media analysts, Lynn Naji, for a written interview.

The piece, titled "Exposing the Narrative: The Fight for Fair Reporting on Palestine," explores some of the most common patterns of bias in Canadian media coverage of Palestine, particularly the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Lynn reflects on CJPME’s media advocacy, how public pressure can help shift narratives, and some of the challenges involved in pushing for fair and accurate reporting.

The interview closes with a reflection on the ethical responsibilities of journalists working within institutions that suppress Palestinian voices:

“Journalists who recognize the bias in their institutions but continue complying with editorial restrictions must ask themselves difficult questions. If a newsroom actively silences Palestinian voices, at what point does self-preservation become complicity?”

You can read the interview here.

"Too often, mainstream coverage relies on passive voice—phrases like “more than 48,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza”—which misleads readers into believing Palestinian deaths occurred in a vacuum. This erasure numbs the public to Israel’s ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity, reducing Palestinian deaths to mere statistics and shielding Israel from scrutiny and accountability."

"My key concern with the news report is that the impression of whom is to blame for the resumption of Israel’s military assault on Gaza is Hamas. The article emphasizes Israel’s claim that Hamas refused a ceasefire extension. However, the reality is that Israel broke the ceasefire by conducting airstrikes and killing hundreds of unprotected civilians, many of whom were children."

"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."

"The Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy urges journalists to “avoid using misleading and inaccurate terminology,” as such language can create a narrative “far-removed from reality” and can, in some cases, be used deliberately to whitewash Israel’s crimes." 

"As Malcolm X, Edward Said, and Franz Fanon warned, colonial powers and their institutions perpetuate systems that vilify the oppressed while glorifying their oppressors. This framing not only enables Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians but also erases the immense suffering of civilians under its brutal occupation."

"Given that Amnesty International has concluded that Israel is committing genocide in the occupied Gaza Strip, please refrain from using the term “war.” It is neutral and fails to capture the intent behind Israel’s genocidal campaign in the occupied Gaza Strip, which is not merely war, but deliberately destroying Palestinians to further their settler-colonial agenda, covered under the guise of Judaism."

On December 18, 2024, media analyst Lynn Naji wrote to The Globe and Mail regarding their headline, which read: "Mediators intensify Israel-Hamas ceasefire efforts; medics say strikes kill at least 20 Palestinians." The airstrikes in question were conducted by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), yet the headline removed the onus from Israel, absolving it of accountability for the deaths of at least 20 Palestinians in occupied Gaza.

Journalistic integrity and fairness, as outlined by the Canadian Association of Journalists, demand that the responsible party be clearly identified, especially when documenting acts of genocide. CJPME questioned why the article itself assigned responsibility to Israel while the headline did not. CJPME asked theGlobe and Mail to correct their headline to ensure that Israel is held accountable for the killing of over 20 Palestinians.

The next day, The Globe and Mail amended their headline to correctly state: "Israeli strikes kill at least 20 Palestinians as mediators intensify Gaza ceasefire efforts."

This is an important step toward ensuring that headlines in western media do not absolve Israel of its war crimes and crimes against humanity, and that they hold Israel fully accountable for its genocidal campaign in occupied Gaza.

At CJPME, we remain committed to challenging the media regarding their one-sided and unfair coverage of Palestine.

"Would you refer to it as a “war” if Russia was doing this to a largely defenceless Ukraine? I don’t think so. In fact world humanitarian groups are now referring to the situation in Gaza as a genocide. This is no longer debateable to anyone but Israeli apologists. I strongly urge you to refer to this carnage as a genocide from now on."

"As you well know, journalistic integrity and fairness, as outlined by the Canadian Association of Journalists, demand that the responsible party be clearly identified, especially when documenting acts of genocide. I am sure you understand the profound impact headlines have on readers. Why does the article itself assign responsibility to Israel while the headline fails to do so?"