9/11 attacks no longer 'terrorist': Canada’s CBC faces backlash over new wording
Photo: New York during the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 (Library of Congress)
Canadian public broadcaster CBC has drawn up internal guidelines for journalists ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The memo explicitly advises staff against referring to the events as "terrorist attacks," according to the Toronto Sun.
Instead, journalists at the national broadcaster are permitted to describe the facts and consequences of the assault on the US. The approach has already drawn criticism from Canadian politicians.
The internal CBC memorandum, which surfaced among journalists at other Canadian outlets, recommends noting that the hijackings led to crashes in Washington, Pennsylvania, and Manhattan, and that the World Trade Centre was destroyed.
What CBC explains
The memorandum was initialled "BB." The Toronto Sun identified the author as Basem Boshra, CBC News's senior director of journalistic standards and public trust. A copy of the document was also obtained by other Canadian media outlets.
CBC stated that the guidance is consistent with the company's long-standing editorial policy on the use of the words "terrorist" and "terrorism."
CBC public relations representative Carrie Kelly explained that the broadcaster prefers to use such terms only with attribution - specifying to whom they belong.
According to her, the journalists' task is to report the facts of crimes accurately and in detail, convey the scale of the violence, quote victims, and cite assessments from officials and experts.
CBC believes that journalists themselves should not designate specific groups as terrorist or particular acts as terrorism.
Kelly stated that they're witnesses.
The company justifies this stance by arguing that the words "terrorist" and "terrorism" are too heavily laden with political and emotional baggage, and in CBC's view, may impede journalistic work.
CBC has already faced controversy over this policy
The broadcaster's editorial approach has previously drawn criticism. Questions were raised, in particular, regarding CBC's coverage of the attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023.
That year, CBC editor-in-chief and general manager Brodie Fenlon said journalists should exercise extreme caution before using the words "terrorist" or "terrorism."
Canadian politicians criticise CBC
Conservative Party MP Rachael Thomas called the broadcaster's guidance disgraceful.
She stated that refusing to call the attacks an act of terrorism is disrespectful to the victims, their families, survivors, and first responders.
CBC, for its part, insists that the company does not deny the facts of the attacks themselves, but merely adheres to an editorial principle under which journalists should not use the terms "terrorist" and "terrorism" as their own characterization of an event.
What happened on September 11, 2001
The attacks of September 11, 2001, rank among the deadliest terrorist attacks in US history. On that day, 19 hijackers seized four passenger airliners.
Two planes struck the World Trade Center towers in New York. A third hit the Pentagon near Washington, while the fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew attempted to overpower the hijackers.
Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the attacks.
What is known about relations between the US and Canada
They have deteriorated significantly amid Trump's imposition of tariffs on Canadian goods. Canada responded with dollar‑for‑dollar counter‑tariffs.
Trump also personally renamed Lake Ontario, which separates the two countries, as Lake America. Canada responded with dignity to the US president's gesture, pointing out that the lake bore its name long before either Canada or the US existed.
