The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reversed a directive Friday that had advised its journalists to avoid describing the September 11, 2001, attacks as terrorism. The reversal followed public objections from U.S. and Canadian officials regarding an internal memo sent earlier in the week by Basem Boshra, CBC’s senior director of journalistic standards and public trust.
The original guidance, first reported by The Toronto Sun, instructed staff members to "not refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks." Boshra stated that the broadcaster generally follows a practice of attributing terms like "terrorist" and "terrorism" to specific sources rather than using the labels directly in news descriptions.
In a statement issued Friday, Boshra announced that the CBC would adjust its language guidance to clarify that direct attribution is not required when describing the events of 9/11 as terrorism. He stated the change was made to remove an "impediment to clarity and public understanding." The decision occurred as the 25th anniversary of the attacks approaches.
The scale of the dispute is underscored by the current geopolitical climate between the two nations. The controversy coincides with a significant trade conflict involving $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, which are currently subject to 50 percent tariffs imposed by the U.S. government. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has responded by matching those tariffs "dollar for dollar," creating a high-stakes environment for bilateral relations where even internal media style guides have become points of international friction.
For the average citizen, this development reflects the concrete ways in which diplomatic tensions can influence media standards and historical terminology. While the immediate change is to the CBC’s internal editorial handbook, the broader context involves ongoing trade disputes that may affect the prices of goods and services in both countries. What happens next depends on the progression of the U.S.-Canada trade war and upcoming 9/11 anniversary events, including a scheduled speech by President Trump at the Pentagon. Additional tariffs threatened by the U.S. administration and executive orders, such as the renaming of Lake Ontario, suggest that further policy shifts in the region remain possible.