Overview
- A leaked internal memo from CBC senior editor Basem Boshra told staff not to call the Sept. 11 attacks “terrorist attacks,” and that guidance prompted widespread outcry and media coverage.
- CBC revised its guidance to clarify that direct attribution is not required to describe 9/11 as terrorism, saying the leaked excerpt lacked context and caused anger and hurt.
- The Republican National Committee revoked CBC/Radio‑Canada’s press accreditation for its Sept. 9–10 midterm convention, a decision CBC called disappointing and said it is reviewing.
- Coverage and reaction split along political lines, with conservative U.S. outlets and Republican officials demanding punishment and some journalists’ groups warning the ban could set a troubling precedent for press freedom.
- Beyond access to the convention, the dispute has raised the risk of reciprocal limits on Canadian journalists in the U.S. and fed broader Canada–U.S. tensions over trade and diplomacy.