The Media Accountability Project  

"The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered the Israeli government to ensure the “unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance” to Palestinians in Gaza, well over one year ago. Israel’s use of starvation as a method of warfare amounts to collective punishment, which is prohibited under the Fourth Geneva Convention."

The Globe and Mail is complicit in dehumanizing Palestinians through one-sided, pro-Israel coverage. This rare piece by Hasan Jaber breaks that pattern by amplifying a Palestinian voice from within the besieged Gaza Strip, laying bare the psychological torment and deprivation of basic life necessities due to Israel’s siege. 

On May 8, 2025, CTV News published an Associated Press article titled “Leading aid group shuts down its soup kitchens across Gaza over Israel’s blockade.” While the piece highlighted Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war, it also relied on biased language and framing that violated journalistic standards.

CJPME volunteer Nikki Mutch submitted a detailed media accountability letter raising serious concerns about the use of the term “extremists” to describe Hamas, contrasted with euphemistic descriptions of Israeli military actions.

As a result of this letter, the AP/CTV team removed the word “extremist” from the article. This is a meaningful editorial correction that directly aligns with CJPME’s call for accurate, fair, and balanced reporting. It also signals that media outlets are paying attention to public pressure and ethical accountability.

CJPME commends this correction and will to challenge anti-Palestinian bias in Canadian media.

"The article cites Israel’s justification for the blockade without challenge. This framing is blatantly misleading. Hamas agreed to release all remaining hostages as part of a phased ceasefire deal—a deal Israel violated in order to continue its military assault on Gaza."

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.

"As your story reported, Israel’s brutal military assault in Gaza and the denial of humanitarian aid is having dire consequences for pregnant women, their fetuses and their newborns. The consequences are not only on the individuals in the present but will impact the demographics and health of the Palestinians for generations."

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."