The federal Conservatives have called for an investigation into the CBC after a leaked memo showed the state broadcaster instructing reporters to avoid referring to Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Instead of referring to Hamas as the terrorist organization that it is, a leaked email reveals that CBC journalists were specifically told to call the terrorists “Hamas militants.”
The CBC’s directive came after several shocking videos posted on X depicted Hamas soldiers brutalizing Israeli civilians.
“Hamas has killed babies, beaten & raped Israeli women, and holds hundreds hostage. The CBC told its reporters to refrain from calling Hamas terrorists. This news outlet receives $1.2B/year from taxpayers. Conservatives are demanding this issue be investigated at committee,” said MP Rachel Thomas on Sunday.
Despite Hamas being a designated terrorist organization in Canada, CBC’s director of journalistic standards sent a memo to all staff, telling them the issue is politicized and a matter of opinion, not fact.
The CBC has been in lockstep with the Trudeau Liberals in the past, but in this case, even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau strongly condemned the attacks by Hamas — and called them terrorists.
CBC responds
The CBC responded to criticism on Monday by claiming the leaked email was taken out of context.
“We have since been asked multiple times why CBC News would ‘ban’ the use of the word ‘terrorist.’ The answer is clear: we most certainly do not ban it,” CBC editor Brodie Fenlon said.
Fenlon added, “But CBC News does not itself designate specific groups as terrorists, or specific acts as terrorism, regardless of the region or the events, because these words are so loaded with meaning, politics and emotion that they can end up being impediments to our journalism.”
A recent poll indicates that 4 in 10 Canadians believe the CBC is state propaganda.
