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After criticism, CBC changes policy that said not to label 9/11 attacks 'terrorism'
The broadcaster said it will drop a long-standing attribution rule after criticism from U.S. and Canadian officials over its 9/11 wording.
On Friday, CBC/Radio-Canada announced a policy change allowing journalists to describe the Sept. 11 attacks as "terrorism" without requiring direct attribution, senior director Basem Boshra said in a blog post.
Earlier this week, Toronto Sun columnist Warren Kinsella reported on an internal memo instructing staff not to refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as "terrorist attacks," prompting backlash from political officials.
FBI Director Kash Patel warned that agencies failing to reject this "bastardization of history" would "no longer have friend in this FBI," while U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra added the stance "significantly endangers" security partnerships.
Editor-in-Chief Brodie Fenlon previously noted that CBC's neutral language policy mirrored practices at organizations like the BBC and Reuters to avoid "loaded with meaning, politics and emotion" terminology that could impede journalism.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree stated the government "has always recognized 9/11 as the deadliest terrorist attack in history," while Culture Minister Marc Miller called the original guidance a "welcome change" to "pedantic and foolish" direction.