CBC reverses policy on labeling 9/11 attacks 'terrorism'
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- CBC makes 9/11 terrorism language policy exception.
Canada’s public broadcaster announced Friday that it will make an exception to its long-standing editorial policy and allow journalists to describe the Sept. 11, attacks directly as "terrorism" without requiring external attribution.
The decision by CBC/Radio-Canada follows widespread condemnation from American and Canadian officials after reports surfaced detailing an internal staff memo sent ahead of the upcoming 25th anniversary of the attacks. The guidance reminded newsroom staff to avoid using the word "terrorism" unless quoting official sources, prompting accusations of historical revisionism.
In a blog post published late Friday afternoon, Basem Boshra, CBC’s senior director of journalistic standards and public trust, acknowledged that a leaked excerpt of the network's language policy had generated legitimate public concern.
"We are doing so to remove what has unfortunately (and unintentionally) become an impediment to clarity and public understanding," Boshra stated regarding the policy exception. "At the same time, as new acts of politically or ideologically motivated violence occur in our world, we will continue to follow the journalistically sound practice of attributing causes and motivations to officials and experts."
US, Canadian officials criticize guidance
The controversy began after Toronto Sun columnist Warren Kinsella reported on the internal directive instructing CBC News staff not to refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks without attribution.
The revelation drew fierce condemnation from political and law enforcement leaders in Washington. FBI Director Kash Patel posted on social media that any institution refusing to reject the directive was insulting the memory of the victims, while a group of House Republicans publicly questioned Ottawa over the policy.
US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra endorsed Patel's criticism, warning that failing to confront terrorist ideologies threatens cross-border security partnerships.
Within Canada, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree issued a statement reaffirming that Ottawa "has always recognized 9/11 as the deadliest terrorist attack in history," while Culture Minister Marc Miller praised CBC's policy reversal, describing the original guidance as "pedantic and foolish."
CBC defends policy
Addressing the controversy, Boshra clarified that the broadcaster had never denied that the 2001 attacks were acts of terrorism, emphasizing that CBC News has historically reported on the event's motivations as established by law enforcement, governments, and independent commissions.
CBC spokesperson Kerry Kelly reiterated that the network exercises "extreme caution" regarding political terminology, pointing out that attribution-based reporting policies are standard practice across major international wire services and public broadcasters, including The Associated Press, Reuters, and the BBC.
While the exception will apply specifically to reporting on the Sept. 11 attacks, the broadcaster confirmed that its broader journalistic standards governing attribution for new acts of political violence will remain in effect.
