Media Ethics in Canada
Journalists should be held accountable for the harm caused by their malpractice
A Recurring Nightmare
Last night I was watching the CTV News Network. Shabbat was over and I wanted to catch up on the events in Israel in the twenty five hours I’d been off line. The story on CTV news was read by regular news reader Akshay Tandon. Tandon said that 90 people had been killed at a school in Gaza City during morning prayers. He said that hundreds of people were sheltering at the school. He then said that Israel “disputed the numbers”.
This is one of many inadequate reports I’ve seen on CTV news channel over the past ten months. If I relied on CTV news for my coverage of the war in Gaza, I would be convinced that Israel is conducting a daily massacre of civilians there. I wouldn’t know, because CTV rarely reports on it, what Israel’s purpose is in conducting its ongoing attacks. I would know that there are hostages in Gaza, but I would be under the impression that Israel is punishing the people of Gaza for the actions of a few bad apples on October 7.
Fortunately, I don’t rely on CTV news as my main source of information about the war. In the Times of Israel, the same story was reported here: Amid global criticism, Israel names 19 it says it killed in terror HQ at Gaza school. If you read the story here, you will learn that Israel has identified 19 individuals who were meeting in a building on the grounds of the school compound in Gaza City, who were killed with small, precisely targeted munitions, and that damage was limited to the targeted building.
The Times of Israel also reported on Hamas claims of a massacre, but, unlike the CTV report it does not treat them as true.
According to the IDF spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari:
“Over the last few weeks, our intelligence has been closely monitoring an active Hamas and Islamic Jihad military facility, where approximately two dozen Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants were operating,” Hagari continued. “After we received clear intelligence of the threat posed by these terrorists and in accordance with international humanitarian law, we took numerous steps to mitigate the risk to civilians, including using aerial surveillance prior to the strike and selecting very precise munitions to avoid civilian casualties.
“Early this morning, the IDF conducted a precision strike against the terrorists in one specific building of the compound. An area that, according to our intelligence, no women and children were present,” Hagari added.
Hagari also said that Hamas’s casualty count “does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, and they do not match the information held by the IDF.”
None of this explanation was in the CTV news report. On the CTV web site this morning, the following “background” is included along with the Hamas reports of a massacre and a picture of a bombed out building.
The UN human rights office says Israel has carried out "systematic attacks on schools," which have served as shelters since the start of the war, with at least 21 hit since July 4, leaving hundreds of people dead, including women and children.
European leaders and neighbours of Israel condemned the strike, while the U.S. said that it was concerned about the reports of civilian casualties. "Yet again, far too many civilians have been killed," U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters.
Neither the UN human rights office, nor CTV seem to think it is worth mentioning that Hamas has been using these humanitarian havens as cover for the conduct of its operations against Israel, contrary to the laws of war.
On the other hand, when I read Times of Israel, I learn that Israel attacked a military headquarters of its enemies located in an area that is densely packed with civilians, in contravention of international humanitarian law. I understand that Hamas claims without offering evidence that the attack resulted in over 100 dead, and that Hamas doesn’t distinguish between civilian and military casualties. I have enough information to judge for myself which of these contradictory reports is more credible.
Image: Enemy combatants killed in Israel’s Air Strike Yesterday in Gaza ————Source: Times of Israel
When I rely on CTV news as a source, I am left with the impression that Israel most likely killed over one hundred people who were taking refuge in the school. I don’t know enough to evaluate the credibility of the Israeli claims which are mentioned in the written version of the story on the web site.
The article cites the UN human rights office, which readers may consider to be an impartial source pointing to what sounds like a pattern of Israeli misconduct. Unlike the Times of Israel, CTV seems to have a point of view that Israel is in the wrong, and feeds their viewers and readers material to steer their opinions in that direction.
Canadian Jews Right to Live in Peace and Security is at Risk
Over the past ten months, there has been a rising tide of antisemitic activity in Canada. The Wikipedia article Antisemitism in Canada lists a few of them. There has also been much handwringing about the increase by public officials, but no discussion of what is behind the increase.
It seems to me that we know from history that the media play a large role in disseminating hatred and inciting violence against targeted minorities. In particular, if trusted institutions like scholars, NGOs and the media amplify and repeat material that promotes anger and hatred toward a particular group, people are more likely to believe it, and feel that the targeted group deserves to be treated harshly.
In Rwanda, a months long propaganda campaign on radio preceded the genocide against the Tutsis there. In Germany, the Nazis spent several years campaigning to demonize the Jews in the eyes of the general population, before undertaking the mass killing of the Jews who had formerly lived in Germany as equal citizens. In the Arab world, hostile propaganda similar to what we are now seeing on CTV, was the norm in the decades before the expulsion of the Jewish population in Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria.
What Can Be Done?
In countries like Canada, with a free press, it is not the government which is directing the media on its choice of content. The media is protected by both custom and law from government interference, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have the power to cause harm. Journalists are supposedly guided by a code of ethics. Surely avoiding the promotion of hatred should be near the top of any list of ethical guidelines that journalists should apply to their work.
There are supposed to be mechanisms in Canada that allow us to hold the media to account. Broadcast networks have ombudspersons. Organizations like Honest Reporting issue a steady stream of reports on inaccurate and biased reporting of the current war against Israel, but it does not seem to make a noticeable difference. The Canadian media, other than the National Post seems to feel that it has a duty to advance the perspective of our enemies, that Israel is primarily at fault. From what we have written previously, this may be due to a misguided belief that they are advancing “human rights”..
After ten months of misleading coverage of the war, those of us who don’t agree with the narrative promoted in our broadcast media are becoming targets of anger, not just from partisans of the Palestinian cause, but from members of the general public who previously had little knowledge of or interest in the conflict. The level of anger and contempt that I am encountering when I argue for my perspective on line is unlike anything I’ve encountered before.
Journalists Must Take Responsibility for Their Work
I believe that journalists have a duty to try to tell the truth and that there is a minimum level of due diligence that is required when a story is published in a Canadian media outlet. The CTV coverage of the bombing of the school in Gaza does not meet that standard in my opinion. After ten months of complaining about similar lapses, and the concomitant rise of hostility towards those of us who believe Israel is fighting a just war, I am wondering if there is any practical remedy available to Canadian Jews.
It seems to me that what’s at stake is not just the integrity of Canadian journalism, but the right of Canadian Jews to live in peace and security in this country. I am out of ideas. Is there anything else that can be done?
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As we approach the fast of Tisha B’Av we remember the calamities that have befallen the Jewish people in our long history and feel gratitude that Jews are still thriving today and living again in our indigenous territory. Wishing a meaningful fast to those who are observing and praying for the wellbeing of all our people living in the land, whether they are in combat right now, or pressing on while awaiting the next move of our enemies. May the captives be restored to us speedily and without further harm.
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Agree 100%. As a Canadian-Israeli, when I hear or read reports about Israel in the Canadian media (National Post excepted), I often wonder why the authors haven’t verified the facts they’re commenting on before making their outrageous allegations. It seems that they start by drawing their own conclusions, then selectively find “facts” to support them. Very unprofessional journalistic conduct, and potentially very dangerous consequences.
Nothing new under the Sun, especially when it comes to the Jews... The contrary would be a surprise... unfortunately, urban warfare is uglier than most, and can be easily twisted, as Hamas has proved over and over... How can one combat disinformation is something that puzzles most sane people...