CBC-TV has issued a correction after facing criticism for its handling of a segment on the war in Gaza, which included a debate over the term "genocide."
Blacklock's Reporter says Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), an anti-Israel advocacy group, claimed the correction followed a campaign that generated thousands of complaints about alleged bias in the Crown broadcaster’s coverage.
“This statement represents a significant step forward in holding media organizations to account for their coverage of Palestinian narratives,” the organization said.
“Such an admission by our public broadcaster is rare.”
The controversy centered on a January 19 CBC News Network interview in which host Natasha Fatah spoke with a Palestinian Canadian woman whose brother had been killed.
During the conversation, the guest referred to the conflict as “genocide.”
“I just want to acknowledge, and you certainly are not alone in this, you used the word ‘genocide’ as many people have in this conversation about what has taken place over the course of this war,” Fatah responded.
“You of course know that we cannot use that word to describe what is happening. It is before the International Criminal Court. But the devastation, whatever it is called, is immense, immense in Gaza and certainly everyone recognizes that.”
CJPME accused Fatah and CBC of marginalizing Palestinian perspectives.
“Following this shameful segment, our Media Accountability Project team issued a media alert on the broadcast, calling out the CBC for reprimanding a Palestinian on air for the words she used reflecting her lived experience,” the group stated.
The CBC posted its correction on its website but did not disclose the number of complaints received.
According to a June report by former CBC Ombudsman Jack Nagler, the broadcaster received 4,785 complaints regarding its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war in the weeks following Hamas terrorists’ October 2023 attacks on Israel.
Criticism of CBC’s Middle East reporting has also surfaced in Parliament.
Conservative MP Rachael Harder and other members of the Commons heritage committee faulted the broadcaster for its refusal to describe Hamas as a terrorist organization, despite its designation as such by Canada since 2002. Instead, CBC used terms like "militants."
“Right now, there is a war taking place in Gaza,” Harder said during a hearing. “The CBC has determined to cover it from one angle.”
CJPME called the correction a victory for accountability in media coverage but underscored its dissatisfaction with CBC’s editorial approach, accusing the broadcaster of “dehumanizing and marginalizing” Palestinian voices.