The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) tells journalists not to describe the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as “terrorist attacks” in internal guidance circulated ahead of the 25th anniversary. Multiple outlets report the guidance came with criticism from Canadian political figures, who said the terminology should be used directly.
CBC said it exercises “extreme caution” before using the words “terrorist” and “terrorism,” and that it prefers the terms be attributed to outside sources rather than applied independently by CBC journalists. NDTV and other reports describe this as consistent with CBC/Radio-Canada standards that generally restrict calling an event terrorism unless reporters are quoting or attributing the characterization.
After the controversy, CBC reverses the policy, according to The Hill and other accounts, responding to the backlash over how the broadcaster instructed staff to label the attacks. Outlets differ mainly in emphasis: some focus on the initial restriction and political outrage, while others highlight CBC’s explanation of editorial standards and the subsequent change.
