CBC News explains why they can’t call Hamas ‘terrorists’

Brodie Fenlon
Brodie Fenlon, the editor in chief of CBC News, says he has received hundreds of letters from both Jewish and Palestinian readers complaining about CBC's coverage of the current Hamas attacks on Israel. (Ellin Bessner photo)

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There’s been a lot of attention paid this week to the way some major news organizations are covering the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel, which was launched on Oct. 7. The CBC, in particular, has come under scrutiny because it is a government-funded body to the tune of more than $1 billion a year.

Twelve days ago, a CBC internal memo was sent to staff right after the attack happened, reminding journalists not to use the word “terrorists” or “terrorism” without attribution, when writing their stories. The memo was leaked to the public, sparking a barrage of complaints. This week, the federal Conservatives demanded CBC brass appear in front of a parliamentary committee to explain why their news teams have been advised to use more neutral language when describing the murderous massacre of 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals.

The CBC says it is not alone in insisting its team not call the Hamas gunmen terrorists: the BBC doesn’t either. They don’t want to be seen to be taking sides, even while showing the gruesome carnage in as clear and accurate detail as they can.

The CJN Daily‘s host, Ellin Bessner, spoke to Brodie Fenlon, the editor-in-chief of CBC News, to find out what’s behind the controversial wording policy of militants vs terrorists, and whether it should change.

What we talked about

  • Read the CBC blog by Brodie Fenlon, editor-in-chief of CBC News, explaining the reasoning why they won’t call Hamas terrorists.
  • Learn more about the show of solidarity by Canadian leaders at the CIJA Antisemitism: Face It, Fight It conference, in The CJN.
  • How the conflict is impacting Jewish students on university campuses, in The CJN.

Credits

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer.Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here.