Determining which news sources are trustworthy has become increasingly challenging, especially when it comes to coverage of the war in Israel and reports of antisemitism. Once taken at face value, news today is often filtered through a political lens, as most, if not all, outlets have some degree of bias. Leading the fight against this bias is the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s advocacy partner, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), which recently launched a petition against the CBC for their anti-Israel coverage.

"Since October 7, we've seen: CBC employees taking anti-Israel positions on their own social media accounts, while presenting themselves as neutral and 'objective' journalists in reporting on the Middle East; CBC repeatedly platforming a Gaza-based 'journalist' who is notorious for his anti-Israel tirades and failing to disclose he’s openly linked to the Hamas-sponsoring, Iranian regime and its propaganda channel, Press TV; and CBC permitting journalists who have signed anti-Israel petitions to report on Israel and the Middle East,"  CIJA said in an action alert in February.

CIJA, along with HonestReporting Canada, an organization that works to fight anti-Israel bias in news media, intends to bring these concerns before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). In addition, over 25,000 Canadians have signed CIJA's petition to push the CBC to address the anti-Israel bias in their organization.

"In my 28 years of publishing, I have never witnessed the level of hatred being orchestrated against Canada's Jewish community as we see today," said Dan Donovan, the publisher and managing editor of Ottawa Life Magazine, in a letter to the Toronto District School Board. "Through investigation, research, and reporting, we have found that the perpetrators are often willingly ignorant or misinformed public servants hiding behind the protective cover of their jobs or elected officials who believe they are immune from being held accountable." 

Donovan, who is not Jewish, is a strong critic of the CBC’s coverage and has been fighting to hold school boards and media outlets accountable for the damage they have caused to many in the Jewish community. He has reported extensively on the bias he has witnessed and often amplifies the voice of HonestReporting Canada.

"I believe the surge in antisemitism, especially since October 7, is an attack on Canadian values and democracy," he said. "I am appalled by the hateful parades targeting Jewish Canadians and I am furious at the CBC's 'editorial decision' to label Hamas as militants instead of terrorists."

This decision, made shortly after the October 7 attacks, was made by the CBC's former director of journalistic standards and public trust to all CBC journalists George Achi, who said that the word "terrorist" is politically charged, and that the term "militant" should be used in its place.

While the fight to stop bias in major Canadian news organizations continues, the Jewish community is thankful to have allies, such as Donovan, who continue to amplify this issue at various levels across the country.

To read more about CIJA's efforts, click here. 

To read Dan Donovan's article in Ottawa Life Magazine that also speaks to this issue, click here.