CBC reverses a longstanding editorial policy and says it will describe the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks as “terrorism,” even in cases where attribution is not made to a specific group. The change follows a leaked internal memo that triggers political criticism in both Canada and the United States.
Until now, CBC journalists were reportedly barred from independently labeling the attacks as terrorism absent attribution. The policy shift is presented by outlets as an exception rather than a complete abandonment of the rule. Reporting also indicates that Canadian and U.S. officials had criticized CBC’s approach, prompting renewed scrutiny of how major broadcasters describe 9/11.
While sources agree on the reversal and the broad rationale—pressure after the leaked memo and criticism from officials—details of the stated reasoning and the extent of the exception vary in emphasis. The overall thrust across coverage is that CBC’s editorial stance on the terminology used for 9/11 changes in response to the public controversy.
