The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Canada's national public broadcaster, has instructed its journalists not to refer to the September 11, 2001 attacks as “terrorist attacks,” according to multiple media reports. The Toronto Sun reported Wednesday that CBC Senior Director of Journalistic Standards and Public Trust Basem Boshra circulated a confidential memo to that effect ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people [1].
Details of the Memo
According to reports, the memo instructed staff not to “refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks” [1]. The reported guidance text said: “The hijackings led to passenger jet crashes in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and Manhattan. The World Trade Center (WTC) was destroyed” [1]. The Toronto Sun and the National Post reported on the guidance, which comes as the 25th anniversary of the attacks approaches [1]. The attacks prompted the U.S. 'war on terror' and a two-decade conflict in Afghanistan [1].
CBC's Response
A spokesperson for the CBC said that “it is wholly inaccurate to state our journalists have been urged to declare that this was not a terrorist act” [1]. The spokesperson described the memo as a routine reminder of broadcaster policy on the terms 'terrorist' and 'terrorism,' which journalists may use when attributed to government officials, authorities, experts, or politicians [1]. CBC News editor-in-chief Brodie Fenlon has previously said the broadcaster “does not itself designate specific groups as terrorists, or specific acts as terrorism,” arguing that such terms are “politically and emotionally loaded” and can become “impediments to our journalism” [1].
Context of the Attacks and Policy
According to the official account, 19 Al-Qaeda hijackers crashed two planes into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and a fourth in Pennsylvania after passenger resistance [2]. The reported guidance is part of a longer-standing CBC policy on using loaded terms, which the broadcaster argues could be an “impediment” to journalism [1]. Previously, in October 2023, a leaked email allegedly from CBC's director of journalistic standards, George Achi, reportedly instructed reporters not to refer to anyone in the Israel-Palestine conflict as 'terrorists' [3]. This pattern of editorial policy has led critics to express concern, and a former CBC journalist resigned over the broadcaster's coverage and language [4].
Broader Context and Reactions
The reports come amid deteriorating Canada-U.S. relations, with Ottawa announcing retaliatory tariffs on about $20 billion worth of American goods on Tuesday, following new U.S. duties [5][6]. The escalating trade war has included threats and counter-threats between the two governments [7]. Critics of the CBC's policy have expressed concern about the implications for reporting on terrorism, while the broadcaster maintains that its stance is a matter of journalistic neutrality [8]. The full memo and internal responses have not been publicly released [1].
References
- The Daily Bell. "New CBC Edict: Don’t call 9/11 "terrorist attacks"." August 27, 2026.
- Cobbs Hoffman Elizabeth. "American Umpire."
- NaturalNews.com. "Leaked Canadian Broadcasting Corporation email orders reporters NOT to refer to anybody in Israel-Palestine conf". October 15, 2023.
- NaturalNews.com. "I resigned from Canadas largest broadcasting corporation over its complicity in Israels genocide". October 18, 2024.
- NTD. "Canada Announces Retaliatory Tariffs on $20 Billion Worth of US Goods". August 25, 2026.
- Antiwar.com. "Canada Retaliates to US Tariffs Amid Trade Spat". August 25, 2026.
- BBC News. "Carney faces crucial test after walking away from Trump's deal". August 22, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. "TED Talk parody shows how easily the public is brainwashed by authoritative-looking performance and formulas". April 10, 2017.
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