The Media Accountability Project  

A recent Globe and Mail article omits essential context about Israel’s systematic targeting of UNRWA infrastructure, Trump’s genocidal intentions to ethnically cleanse Palestinians in Gaza, and the erasure of the Nakba.

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.

"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?"

"This sustained bombardment has left Syria defenseless, effectively shaping the country for a new administration that lacks the means to resist. Yet, your article presents these aggressive actions as strategic, failing to report on Israel’s destructive, unlawful and occupying encroachment on Syria."

"This feature on Canadian forces’ work in the West Bank omits the context of occupation and apartheid, undermining the accuracy and balance of the coverage. The headline and content fail to refer clearly to the West Bank as occupied. The article mentions occupation only in a photo caption, overlooking a critical aspect of international law which views Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories as illegal."

"As a member of a Christian family with close relatives living in northern Lebanon with no ties to Hezbollah, I find it troubling that your article homogenizes all Lebanese communities as aligned with this militant group. This generalization is both inaccurate and fuels an outdated Orientalist view that fails to recognize Lebanon’s complex society."

"I am baffled by the editorial angle taken in this article. Ms. Woolf should have included perspectives from more third-party groups and Albanese herself. The omission of these perspectives disregards the principles of balance and diversity as outlined in the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) guidelines."

On October 7, 2024, CJPME sent a letter to The Globe and Mail to address a factual inaccuracy in the article titled, “Hundreds gather on Parliament Hill to honour victims of Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.”

The article stated that “1,400 people, including civilians, medics, and fighters of the militant group Hezbollah, have been killed,” in Lebanon. However, according to the most recent data from the Lebanese Health Ministry, as cited by Middle East Eye, the number of those killed by Israeli attacks in Lebanon since last October has risen to 2,083, with an additional 9,869 wounded.

On October 8, CJPME learned that The Globe and Mail clarified that the death toll of 1,400 only applies to the period "since September." This correction demonstrates progress in our ongoing efforts to ensure better reporting and fairer media coverage.

On October 7, 2024,  CJPME sent a letter to The Globe and Mail and Canadian Press (CP) to address concerns about the misleading language used in the CP article titled: “Events, protests to be held across Canada to mark one year since Oct. 7 attacks, Israel-Hamas war.”

In the article, the journalist referred to Israel’s year-long campaign of genocide as a “counter-offensive.” CJPME argued that labeling Israel’s genocidal actions as a “counter-offensive” is not just misleading; it is an egregious euphemism that journalists should avoid, especially since the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the world’s highest court, has indicated that Israel's actions could plausibly constitute genocide.

In the first edit of the article, the phrasing was changed to “the attack triggered a retaliatory Israeli offensive.” In a subsequent revision, CP altered the entire paragraph, stating that the events triggered a “region-wide conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as well as Iran and other allies.”

These changes represent a step forward in our advocacy efforts to hold outlets accountable and emphasize the importance of accurate reporting and pushing the narrative on the escalations in the region to a higher standard.

"This is not merely an Israeli “counter-offensive.” It has been a year of genocide. Name it genocide, or at very least, please do not perpetuate Israel’s euphemistic language that downplays a year of brutal attacks on Gaza."