CJPME Secures Correction from Radio-Canada on Reporting about Majdal Shams
On September 26, 2024, following a complaint from CJPME Media Analyst Fatima Haidar, CJPME learned that Radio-Canada corrected inaccuracies in a video interview with a Middle-East analyst discussing the deaths of Druze children in Majdal Shams. The original report incorrectly referred to the Druze victims as Israeli citizens and failed to clarify that Majdal Shams is located in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which is internationally recognized as Syrian territory.
In response to CJPME’s intervention, Radio-Canada updated the caption, noting that the victims' citizenship could not be confirmed and adding Israel's claim that Hezbollah was responsible for the attack. However, Radio-Canada omitted Hezbollah’s denial, leaving a one-sided narrative that fails to meet journalistic standards of balance and accuracy.
While, CJPME appreciates Radio-Canada’s partial correction, the current webpage for the video calls for further improvements in ensuring accurate and unbiased reporting on such sensitive issues. CJPME will continue pushing Radio-Canada for an updated caption that full reflects the narrative of the situation.