CBC releases policy change after controversy about refusing to refer to 9/11 as ‘terrorist attacks’

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation announced an internal policy change Friday, explaining why it had previously told reporters and editors to refrain from describing the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as “terrorist attacks.”

The memo was authored by Basem Boshra, CBC News’ senior director of journalistic standards and public trust, and surfaced ahead of the attacks’ 25th anniversary. The directive was first reported by Toronto Sun columnist Warren Kinsella, who said it was addressed to CBC News staff.

“Do not refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks,” the memo said.

The memo instead described the events as hijackings that led to passenger jet crashes in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and Manhattan. It also said the World Trade Center was destroyed.

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CBC released a memo Friday addressing the controversy that erupted as the 25th anniversary of the terror attack, headlined, “How and why CBC News will adjust its 9/11 language guidance.”

“CBC News finds itself once again in a swirl of confusion about how our journalists use the words ‘terrorist’ and ‘terrorism,’ this time about the al-Qaeda attacks on New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001,” it said.

“The confusion stems from the leak of an excerpt from our internal language guide that was published and amplified by a number of outlets without full context or explanation. It has caused significant concern, anger and hurt for many people who believe CBC News seeks to minimize or obscure the horror of that day and who was behind it,” Boshra continued.

“That is the last thing we want to do. And our reporting on 9/11, through thousands of stories over the past 25 years, is an unflinching account of the devastating attacks by al-Qaeda, the hunt and prosecution of those responsible, the thousands of lives that were lost on that day and the incalculable loss and grief experienced by so many others as a result.

“And we intend to mark the forthcoming 25th anniversary of 9/11 with extensive, special coverage that will continue to respectfully and thoughtfully reflect on the monumental nature of this tragedy.

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“CBC’s reporting on terrorism, wherever it occurs, has always been guided by the principle of attribution, and like other major news organizations, it has been our practice for decades,” he explained. “The reason for the extreme care around the use of the words ‘terrorist’ and ‘terrorism’ was detailed in this earlier editor’s blog.

“But to be clear, CBC News has never said what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, was not terrorism, as some commentators have stated in recent days. We have reported fully and accurately on the reasons and motivations for those attacks as determined by police, governments and an independent commission. We’ve just made sure to do it with attribution,” he said.

“Clarity and understanding are at the heart of our journalism. The leaked excerpt without context or explanation has raised more questions for the public that we must now answer,” he said. “After reviewing our current language guidance, we have decided to adjust it to clarify that direct attribution is not required for describing the historic events of 9/11 as terrorism.

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“We are doing so to remove what has unfortunately (and unintentionally) become an impediment to clarity and public understanding,” he concluded. “At the same time, as new acts of politically or ideologically motivated violence occur in our world, we will continue to follow the journalistically sound practice of attributing causes and motivations to officials and experts.”

Lt. Col. Michael Schrama, a military judge, on Friday threw out a confession made by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. 

In his ruling, Schrama wrote that statements made by Mohammed to investigators in 2007 were not given voluntarily, according to the New York Post, complicating what has already been a decades-long wait for the suspected plotter to stand trial. 

Earlier this week, Schrama set a trial date for June 2028 for Mohammed and three co-defendants.

Fox News’ C.J. Womack and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.