The Media Accountability Project  

"Newman weaponizes feminist language to attack Iran’s domestic policies to justify why Canadian support for Israeli military aggression."

"In presenting only Israel’s view of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and in not questioning the legality of Israel’s actions, the segment legitimizes Israel’s and the U.S. 's escalatory military action against Iran, without criticism. The segment would have benefited from expert analysis and more balanced, factual reporting, as laid out in a recent CJPME fact sheet."

On June 13, 2025, CJPME Media Analyst Anthony Issa submitted a letter of concern to CBC about its coverage of Israel’s military attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, which lacked essential legal and geopolitical context. The article uncritically presented Israel’s claim that Iran posed an imminent nuclear threat, while excluding perspectives from international watchdogs and experts skeptical of Israel’s accusations towards Iran.

In response, on June 19, CBC published a follow-up article titled “Israel says Iran is close to a nuclear weapon. Others doubt it” by Chris Brown. This article introduced significant clarifications that align with CJPME’s call for evidence-based reporting. Notably, it quoted the Arms Control Association, which stated: “There was no imminent threat that Iran was weaponizing its nuclear program before Israel's attack began.” The group warned that military action could backfire by pushing Iran to weaponize its nuclear program and escalate tensions into a regional war.

The article also emphasized that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had not found credible evidence that Iran’s enriched uranium was being diverted for military use. Director Rafael Grossi explicitly stated, “We cannot say that we at the IAEA have enough credible elements which would be pointing directly at this.”

In a major step toward balanced reporting, the article also drew attention to Israel’s longstanding nuclear arsenal, its refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), its exemption from IAEA oversight, and raising critical questions of double standards over Israel's nuclear regime.

CJPME thanks the CBC and Chris Brown for following up on its coverage, This editorial shift reflects a deeper commitment to factual accuracy, transparency, and accountability in Canadian journalism.

"Whether inadvertent or on purpose, closing the segment in this way further serves to legitimize Israel’s actions - yet Israel has derailed the U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations that were actively underway at the time of their military action against Iran, killed Ali Shamkhani, a senior Iranian official tasked with overseeing the negotiations, and interrupted the ongoing dialogue and verification being undertaken by the IAEA with Iran."

"This is the press, an irresponsible press. It will make the criminal look like he's the victim and make the victim look like he's the criminal. If you aren't careful the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." Malcolm X. 1964

"I urge your newsroom to correct your reporting on the escalations between the two countries. Future coverage must include balanced sourcing, critical context, and the perspectives of those most affected by the violence, particularly Iranian civilians. Failing to do so makes your coverage an opinion piece and not a credible journal article."

"I ask that the CBC revisit this story with a follow-up that identifies the illegality of attacking nuclear facilities under international law, acknowledges how these attacks disrupted active diplomatic negotiations, critically examines commentary from ideologically driven think tanks such as RUSI, and incorporates perspectives from nuclear non-proliferation experts whose analysis prioritizes diplomacy and de-escalation."

"This kind of framing is not neutral. It echoes Israeli talking points without scrutiny and risks justifying unlawful acts of aggression under the guise of self-defense. But worse yet, this language violates basic journalistic standards. If CHCH wants to present Israel’s attacks as “preemptive” despite the ample evidence to the contrary, it must do so with clear attribution. There is no attribution in your report. The notion that the strike was “preemptive” is stated as a fact."

"Yet your article fails to report any of this context, instead focusing solely on Israeli fears while legitimizing unlawful and escalatory military action. This reflects a deeply imbalanced narrative and enables the erosion of international norms prohibiting attacks on civilian nuclear infrastructure."

"These phrases unfortunately read as near-celebrations of Israeli attacks that have caused, for instance in the context of Lebanon with the pager attacks and Nasrallah’s assassination, a high number of civilian deaths and injuries. This language also colours these potential war crimes as a triumph of Israeli ingenuity rather than profound human tragedy, intentional or not."