A leaked memo to CBC journalists last week ordered them not to call the 9/11 al-Qaida attacks "terrorism" in forthcoming coverage of next month's 25th anniversary. It prompted backlash within Canada and beyond.

Not long after Toronto Sun journalist Warren Kinsella broke the story on Aug. 27, the head of the FBI, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, CSIS, two Canadian cabinet ministers and several politicians all condemned the CBC's internal journalistic guidelines for 9/11 coverage, especially since 24 Canadians were among the 2,977 people who were murdered in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania by the Islamic terrorist attacks.

It didn't take long for the CBC to issue a clarification. On Aug. 28, the CBC issued an update to its policy, but just for 9/11: journalists can now call what happened on that historic day "terrorism" and they can call the hijackers "terrorists". But the rules still remain for newer conflicts: journalists have to attribute the T-word designation to governments, experts or other sources, rather than using the label themselves.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, many Jewish viewers and groups have been lobbying the CBC; its oversight body, the CRTC; and the federal government to allow journalists to call Hamas "terrorists", and what they did on Oct. 7 as "terrorism". After all, Canada designated Hamas a banned terrorist group in 2002. But the federally funded broadcaster insists it needs to use neutral language in covering modern conflicts.

CBC News' editor-in-chief and general manager, Brodie Fenlon, came on The CJN's North Star podcast on Oct. 19, 2023, to explain why their policy exists. On today's episode, we're bringing you that conversation with host Ellin Bessner.

Related stories

  • Read the CBC’s clarification Aug 28, 2026, of the use of “terrorism” in 25th anniversary stories about Sept. 11, after uproar over an internal memo which was leaked to journalist Warren Kinsella last week.
  • Hear why Toronto businessman Evan Kosiner complained to CBC’s ombudsman and the CRTC in 2023, for not calling Hamas “terrorists” after Oct. 7, on North Star.

Credits

  • Host and writer: Ellin Bessner ( @ebessner )
  • Production team: Zachary Kauffman (senior producer), Izzie Helenchilde (producer and video editor), Michael Fraiman (executive producer), Alicia Richler (editorial director)
  • Music: Bret Higgins

Support our show

Rss Apple Podcaster
Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör The CJN Podcasts. Innehållet i podden är skapat av The CJN Podcasts och inte av, eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.