The Media Accountability Project  

On March 10, 2025, CJPME media analyst Anthony Issa submitted a formal letter to Global News BC1, condemning its incomplete and misleading coverage of the mass killings of Alawite civilians in Syria’s coastal regions. Global’s original report failed to mention that over 1,300 Syrians (mostly civilians) had been executed by HTS-backed security forces, as documented by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

Following CJPME’s intervention, Global News issued a follow-up report on March 11, finally acknowledging the staggering civilian death toll.

Here is a transcript of the broadcast:

“Syria's interim government has signed a deal with a Kurdish-led group. Syria’s defence minister says it has ended a military operation on the west coast that triggered the worst violence since the fall of the Assad regime. it says loyalists of the former president have now been neutralized. More than 1,300 people, mostly civilians, have died since Thursday.”

This update represents a major step toward correcting Global News' previous omissions, demonstrating the power of media pressure in holding Canadian outlets accountable for their coverage of war crimes.

This outcome highlights the critical role of CJPME in pushing Canadian media toward more rigorous reporting on the Middle East. By challenging misleading narratives, we ensure that crimes against civilians in Syria and beyond do not go ignored or misrepresented.

CJPME will continue to push for fair, accurate, and transparent coverage of the Middle East.

"Referencing them as loyalists is inaccurate and contributes to a sectarian narrative that pits different religious communities in Syria against each other without evidence of such being the case."

"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."

"Just today, Israel has launched airstrikes targeting Syrian air defense systems, naval ships, military warehouses, and infrastructure in and around Damascus. These are not hypothetical “opportunities,” but active and ongoing military strikes. Framing them as such minimizes the reality of Israel’s current violations of Syrian sovereignty and presents its military actions as a strategic move, rather than an ongoing invasion."