A directive allegedly issued to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) journalists instructs them not to refer to the September 11 attacks as 'terror attacks,' according to a leaked memo. The guidance reportedly advises reporters to describe the events by stating that 'the hijackings led to passenger jet crashes in Washington, DC, Pennsylvania and Manhattan,' and that 'the World Trade Center (WTC in second reference) was destroyed.'
Basem Boshra, identified as the senior director of journalistic standards and public trust at CBC News, is reported to have sent the memo to staff. The reported directive has drawn criticism from taxpayers and Canadian lawmakers, who argue that not labeling 9/11 as a terror attack dishonors victims and first responders.
In response to inquiries, CBC's director of public affairs, Kerry Kelly, stated that it is "wholly inaccurate to state our journalists have been urged to declare that this was not a terrorist act." She explained that the CBC regularly sends reminders about adherence to its "longstanding language guidance regarding the terms 'terrorist' and 'terrorism.'" Kelly added that the CBC prefers to use these words with attribution to credible sources, a practice she noted is shared by many leading journalistic organizations globally.
Kelly indicated that the memo served as a "reminder" of the broadcaster's established practice of exercising "extreme caution before using the words terrorist and terrorism" and to use them with "attribution." She referenced a blog post from October 2023 by CBC general manager and editor-in-chief Brodie Fenlon, in which he stated that the broadcaster does not designate groups or acts as terrorist.
Fenlon's blog post explained that the terms "terrorist" and "terrorism" are "so loaded with meaning, politics and emotion that they can end up being impediments to our journalism." He argued that using these terms can lead to "virtually endless questions about consistency and impartiality in our coverage of various attacks around the world." Fenlon suggested that journalists should "generally avoid" referring to specific incidents as terrorist acts unless they are directly quoted as such. He specifically mentioned that the CBC prefers to refer to the events of September 11, 2001, as 'the September 11 attacks.'
Despite the explanations provided by CBC officials, the reported directive has angered segments of the Canadian public. Rachael Thomas, Conservative MP for Lethbridge, Alberta, called the CBC "absolutely shameful" and accused the broadcaster of attempting to "redefine terrorism in a way that downplays the atrocity of 9/11." She stated on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that 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." Thomas asserted that "trying to sanitize or rewrite that history is deeply offensive and does a disservice to everyone who was affected by the attacks."
Mike Fegelman, director of Honest Reporting Canada, a non-profit organization that monitors Canadian media for bias, urged that the CBC be held accountable for what he described as "recurring failures." He tweeted that "accountability has to move up the chain" if such issues persist, adding, "A public broadcaster should help Canadians understand reality, not rewrite ordinary language until terrorism becomes something too delicate to name."
The CBC receives significant public funding, with approximately 70 percent of its total budget coming from federal funds. In the 2026/27 fiscal year, the broadcaster is slated to receive $1.38 billion in federal funds, with the remaining 30 percent generated through advertising, subscription fees, and content licensing.