Canada’s CBC is under fire for telling reporters not to call the 9/11 attacks 'terrorist attacks.' The broadcaster says it wants to avoid politicized language, but critics argue this guidance downplays the tragedy and its victims.
Canada’s public broadcaster, CBC, is facing criticism after internal guidance surfaced telling journalists to avoid calling the September 11, 2001 attacks "terrorist attacks." The policy, which CBC reaffirmed ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, instructs reporters to use words like "terrorist" or "terrorism" only when attributing them to a source or quoting directly. CBC public affairs director Kerry Kelly said the network’s approach is to be "extremely cautious" with these terms, given how politicized and emotionally charged they have become.
CBC’s editorial guidance on the use of 'terrorist' and 'terrorism' is not limited to 9/11, but applies broadly to all coverage, reflecting a network-wide policy on politically charged language.
The CBC memo describes the events as "hijackings [that] led to passenger jet crashes," a description critics say fails to capture the deliberate violence of the attacks. This debate over language is not unique to CBC. The Associated Press Stylebook, widely used in newsrooms, also urges caution, noting that "terrorism" and "terrorist" are politicized and inconsistently applied. AP recommends describing events in detail instead of relying on labels, arguing this better serves audiences and avoids editorializing.
The renewed controversy was triggered when CBC circulated a reminder of its language policy to staff ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, a move that reignited debate over how news organizations should describe such events. CBC has previously faced similar criticism for its approach to the term 'terrorism' in coverage of other major incidents, including the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel.
Despite these explanations, some journalists and observers question whether such policies reflect the scale and intent of events like 9/11. Critics argue that describing the attacks as "plane crashes" or "hijackings" risks obscuring what victims and their families experienced. The debate highlights ongoing tensions in newsrooms over language, accuracy, and the responsibilities of public broadcasters in shaping public understanding of major events.
Founded in 1936, CBC/Radio-Canada is the country’s national public broadcaster, operating television, radio, and digital platforms in both English and French. As of 2025, CBC employed over 7,500 people and received about CAD 1.3 billion in annual government funding, making it one of the largest public media organizations in North America. The network’s editorial standards and language policies are regularly reviewed and have influenced newsroom practices across Canada’s media landscape.
