The Media Accountability Project  

"Such framing can easily mislead readers into viewing peaceful demonstrations in the same light as violent acts, blurring the line between legitimate political expression and criminal behavior. This conflation undermines the integrity of the protest movement and fails to provide the nuance necessary for fair and balanced reporting. It also contributes to the narrative that Palestinians and their supporters are violent, which is overwhelmingly not the case."

CJPME's ongoing advocacy efforts have led to a significant, though partial, success with CBC regarding its coverage of Ottawa’s Capital Pride's statement. Following Media Analyst Anthony Issa's complaint, CBC Managing Editor Nancy Waugh acknowledged that the original article incorrectly paraphrased Capital Pride's letter, specifically omitting key language regarding Israel's actions in Gaza. While the CBC did not include the full condemnation of Israel, including Capital Pride’s reference to a "plausible risk of genocide," they did modify the article to more clearly attribute the language condemning the October 7 events as "terrorism" to Capital Pride statement directly.

This correction, although limited, remains a notable victory in CJPME's media advocacy, as CBC has admitted, in part, to the need for clearer attribution and more precise reporting. 

CJPME will continue to push for the inclusion of better reporting and fairer media coverage of organizations in solidarity with Palestine.

"You don’t mention that McGill students were participating in a Walkout protest sponsored by McGill’s Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights. To fail to provide this context is an alarming oversight and it should be promptly added to your article if you hope to meet standards of fairness."

"In a media landscape where pro-Palestinian voices are often silenced or distorted, your inclusion of pro-Palestine voices is both refreshing and profoundly appreciated. Your article rightfully highlights the students' demands for justice—demands that call for divestment from corporations complicit in supporting Israel, cutting academic ties with Israel, and condemning the ongoing genocide of Palestinians."

On August 6, 2024, CJPME sent a letter to the editor (LTE) to The Telegram in response to Heidi Matthews’s August 3 opinion piece: “A disregard for students’ human rights.”

In her opinion piece, Matthews defended the student protest encampments, and CJPME sent a letter in support.

The LTE was published on August 20, 2024, in the Telegram.

You can read the LTE here.

It is always encouraging to see CJPME’s LTEs published, especially when it concerns the issue of pro-Palestine encampments, which has been unfairly and inaccurately reported on in Canadian media. 

Re: “ A disregard for students’ human rights” (The Telegram, Saturday, August 3, 2024 by Heidi Matthews)

"The United Nations defines 'terrorism' as criminal acts against civilians with the purpose to 'intimidate a population or compel a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing an act.' If indeed Hamas or unidentified gunmen have stolen aid, it would not be for any political purpose, but rather to feed starving people.  As such, the characterization of such attacks being by nature 'terror' would be inaccurate." 

"While there are positive aspects in your article, it is highly unfortunate that you relegate pro-Palestine perspectives to the very last few paragraphs. This unfair placement not only undermines the balance of the article but also risks perpetuating a prejudicial narrative. As The Sudbury Star should know, many readers may only engage with the beginning of the article and never reach the end, leaving them with incomplete and skewed reporting."

"I take issue with the following sentence: 'Jewish groups, including B’nai Brith Canada, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Hillel Ontario, and the Windsor Jewish Federation.' These organizations are pro-Israel institutions with a vested interest in opposing the pro-Palestinian student BDS deals with their universities. This context is omitted from your article, leading to an incomplete and biased presentation of their involvement. I recommend that you clearly identify these groups as pro-Israel to provide readers with a more accurate understanding of their perspectives and motivations."

"The Lancet is a reputable medical journal that sets incredibly high standards for publishing. It has been cited by the Montreal Gazette twice in the past year, which speaks to the outlet’s perception of this medical journal as credible, reliable, and reportable. To refer to the findings as “controversial” seems out of place and inappropriate. Please remove the word “controversial” from your article. Further, your description of The Lancet’s findings is largely incomplete."