Voice of Urdu – International News in English & Urdu

CBC Bars Journalists From Calling 9/11 Attacks Terrorist — AI-generated representative image: A newsroom setting reflecting editorial policy discussions at a Canadian broadcaster.

Editorial Team

Canada's public broadcaster renews terminology guidance in internal memo ahead of the September 11 anniversary

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has instructed its journalists not to refer to the September 11 attacks as "terrorist," according to reports from the Toronto Sun and the National Post. The guidance was reportedly circulated in a confidential memo by Basem Boshra, CBC Senior Director of Journalistic Standards and Public Trust, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

The reported directive has drawn attention because it touches on how a national public broadcaster characterizes one of the defining events of the early 21st century. CBC has defended the memo as a routine reminder of longstanding editorial policy rather than a new position, but the timing, coinciding with the anniversary and strained Canada-US relations, has amplified public and media scrutiny.

Internal Guidance and Official Response

The Toronto Sun reported on Wednesday that Boshra circulated a confidential memo instructing reporters and editors not to "refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks." The memo reportedly stated: "The hijackings led to passenger jet crashes in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and Manhattan. The World Trade Center (WTC in second reference) was destroyed."

A CBC spokesperson pushed back against the characterization of the guidance, insisting that "it is wholly inaccurate to state our journalists have been urged to declare that this was not a terrorist act." The spokesperson described the memo as a routine reminder of CBC policy on the terms "terrorist" and "terrorism," which journalists may use when attributed to government officials, authorities, experts, or politicians.

Background on the Attacks and CBC Policy

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. According to the official account, 19 Al-Qaeda hijackers seized four passenger airliners, crashing two into the World Trade Center towers in New York City and a third into the Pentagon outside Washington, DC. The fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew attempted to wrest control from the hijackers.

The attacks prompted then-US President George W. Bush to launch the "war on terror" and send American troops into Afghanistan, beginning a conflict that would last two decades.

CBC News editor in chief and general manager Brodie Fenlon has previously explained that the broadcaster "does not itself designate specific groups as terrorists, or specific acts as terrorism." Fenlon argued that the terms are so politically and emotionally loaded that they "can end up being impediments to our journalism."

Trade Tensions Coincide With the Guidance

The reported guidance emerged as relations between Canada and the United States have deteriorated amid an escalating trade war. On Tuesday, Ottawa announced retaliatory tariffs of up to 50 percent on around 700 American products after US President Donald Trump imposed a new round of duties on Canada and threatened further punitive measures.

The National Post also reported on the guidance and sought comment from CBC News. The broadcaster's response emphasized that its journalists are not being directed to deny that the attacks constituted terrorism, but rather to follow established standards for when and how such terminology may be used.

What Comes Next

CBC has confirmed that its editorial policy on the terms "terrorist" and "terrorism" remains unchanged, with journalists permitted to use the language when it is attributed to officials, authorities, experts, or politicians. No formal change to the broadcaster's journalistic standards has been announced, and CBC has not indicated any further action beyond reiterating its existing guidelines.

US Removes Syria From State Sponsors of Terrorism List

Washington ends the decades-old designation after a 45-day review, leaving Cuba, Iran and North Korea on the sanctions list.

news

Qatar PM Visits Tehran to Revive US-Iran Dialogue Talks

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to meet Iranian officials as regional powers push to de-escalate tensions and reopen Strait of Hormuz negotiations.