The Media Accountability Project  

"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?"

"Why does CBC repeat Israeli propaganda in the subheading when the article exposes it as baseless? Journalistic accuracy depends on clearly differentiating between assertions and facts. If an assertion has not been independently verified, journalistic integrity demands it be reported as the spokesperson’s opinion or perspective, rather than as an established fact. Given that the article directly debunks this claim, the subheading should unequivocally reflect this skepticism."

Mr. Parry then answered by providing the Israeli defence of its crimes with zero context, with no skepticism that challenged the Israeli narrative, nor any mention of anti-war Israeli human rights groups that supported the conclusion of Amnesty International’s report. His reporting was one-sided, unfair, unbalanced, out of context, and thus, unethical.

CBC's reporting on Gaza’s growing lack of humanitarian aid excludes the fact that Israel's blockade of the strip has denied the passage of basic goods like diapers. Israel’s role as the occupying power means it has the legal responsibility to ensure the safe delivery of aid.

"I would like to remind the Toronto Star that my concerns stem from a place of good intention in order to hold journalists and Canadian media accountable in their reporting of Israel-Palestine and raise awareness about harmful stereotypes that vilify Arabs. I look forward to hearing your thoughts."