Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Tells Journalists Not To Refer To 9/11 As Terrorist Attacks

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) instructed its journalists not to describe the coordinated September 11, 2001, attacks by al-Qaida against the American people as “terrorist attacks.”

The guidance was offered in a memo earlier in the week reminding employees of the state-funded media outlet to “not refer to September 11 attacks as terrorist attacks,” clarifying that it was referring to “the hijackings [that] led to passenger jet crashes in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and Manhattan,” according to the Toronto Sun. (RELATED: EU Invites Canada’s Prime Minister To State Of The Union Amid Rift With Trump)

The guidance was the continuation of a long-standing CBC policy, which had been reiterated in 2023 after another memo was leaked instructing its writers not to refer to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which left over 1,000 dead and 250 taken hostage, as a terrorist attack.

“Attribution of the word ‘terrorist’ has been our policy for decades — mirrored by other news organizations such as the BBC, AP, AFP and Reuters, among many others,” CBC’s general manager and editor-in-chief, Brodie Fenlon, said at the time.

Fenlon continued, saying that the CBC’s job is to “bear witness” to atrocities, but that they are not in the business of designating “specific groups as terrorists, or specific acts as terrorism” in fear that those labels are loaded with meaning, politics and emotion.

Other examples listed as an “attack” and not a “terrorist attack” include a January 2011 suicide bombing at a Moscow airport, the London bombings in July 2005, the train bombings in Madrid in March 2004, according to Fenlon.

Now, approaching the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack where nearly 3,000 Americans were killed, the memo was sent to CBC staff and then leaked again.

It sparked a response from Canadian legislators on both sides of the aisle.

Liberal Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather said that September 11 was a terrorist attack and that the CBC has referred to it as one in the past. He added that “rational leadership at the CBC should ensure it continues to do so.”

The country’s Conservative Party said that the outlet is “shamefully choosing to downplay the horror of that day,” before pointing out that CBC receives $1.6 billion in funds from the Canadian government each year.

“They should deliver unbiased news — not rewrite history,” the party concluded.

Conservative Party MP Rachael Thomas called the guidance “absolutely shameful,” accusing the outlet of trying to sanitize or rewrite history.

“The CBC is choosing to redefine terrorism in a way that downplays the atrocity of 9/11. Refusing to call it an act of terrorism dishonors the victims, their families, the survivors, and the first responders who witnessed the horrors of that day.” (RELATED: ‘Good With Kids’ Pet Adoption Sites Market Brutish Pit Bulls As Family Friendly)