The Controversy of the non-use of 'terrorist' in some mainstream media outlets to describe Hamas
Jafar Bhamji
10-17-2023
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On October 7th Canadian Broadcast Corp) employee George Achi instructed reporters to not to describe 2005 as the end of Israel occupation of Gaza.
“'Please do not describe 2005 as "the end of the occupation" as Israel has maintained control over airspace, seafront, and virtually all movement into or out of the area," the email said.
'Our description should be fact-based, referring to the end of permanent Israeli military presence on the ground.'
This is a great development to the informed public that takes the time to call out biased reporting in the media.
Since making the announcement George Achi has been under constant attack by pro Israeli propaganda machinery.
The leaked email was first made public by American based organization StopAntisemitism on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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The CBC did confirmed the legitimacy of the email to DailyMail.com, stating “In his role as Director of Journalistic Standards and Public Trust for CBC News, George Achi was reminding journalists in the heat of a breaking story of our long-standing language and journalistic guidance on covering the Middle East.”
“CBC News attributes the words "terrorist" and "terrorism" to authorities, politicians and other officials who use these terms. There is no ban on these words,' said the spokesperson.
'However, we ourselves avoid declaring specific groups terrorists, in line with the policies of many reputable news organizations and agencies around the world.'
The CBC added: 'The focus of our news coverage is on describing exactly what happened in detail, as we have with all that has transpired this weekend. Our approach has been consistent and ensured CBC’s journalism over decades of conflict in the Middle East lives up to our commitment to accuracy, balance and fairness.”
MP Ken Hardie also reached out to cbc on the non-use of 'terrorist' in some mainstream media outlets to describe Hamas asking for clarification.
CBC in a long lengthy reply stated, ” Terrorism generally implies attacks against unarmed civilians for political, religious or some other ideological reason. But it's a highly controversial term that can leave journalists taking sides in a conflict.”
Conservative MP Rachael Thomas and Ontario MP Melissa Lantsman disagree.
Leon Mar, a spokesperson for CBC News, said the corporation's journalists are on the ground in the region "risking their safety in order to tell Canadians what is happening there.
"They are the very best at what they do and the quality and accuracy of their journalism stands among the best in the world."
Mar said the corporation is aware that "some members of Parliament believe they have a role in determining how journalists do their work."
"It is worth remembering that the independence of CBC/Radio-Canada's journalism from the government and Parliament is protected in law, in the Broadcasting Act," Mar said.
What next
The employee that leaked the email should be fired. This is not a whistle blower trying to save the planet. The employee is siding with the propaganda to cover up the Israeli genocide taking place by the Israeli occupied apartheid regime.
As reader we need to support such actions that are trying to shed some truth in the conversation with regards to Israel Palestine occupation. Reach out to CBC in support of their policy shift towards bring a fair coverage from ground zero Gaza.
George Achi can be reached out on X formely twitter at Https://twitter.com/geoachi
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