Archive · 29 Aug 2026
CBC Allows Unattributed Terrorism Label for 9/11
CBC is Canada’s public broadcaster.
It usually asks journalists to say which official or expert called an event terrorism.
A memo reminding staff of this rule caused anger before the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Some U.S. and Canadian politicians said the rule made the history of 9/11 unclear or disrespectful.
CBC said it never claimed the attacks were not terrorism.
It said its reports had explained the attacks using findings from police, governments and an independent commission.
CBC will now let journalists directly call the 9/11 attacks terrorism.
For newer attacks, CBC says it will usually keep attributing the words terrorism and terrorist to officials or experts.
CBC/Radio-Canada will allow journalists to describe the 9/11 attacks as terrorism without attribution.
The exception follows criticism of an internal memo restating CBC’s long-standing attribution policy.
FBI Director Kash Patel, U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra and Republican lawmakers criticized the guidance.
CBC said it has never denied that the September 11, 2001, attacks were terrorism.
The broadcaster will continue attributing causes and motivations when reporting on newer politically or ideologically motivated violence.
- Who
- CBC/Radio-Canada, its journalism standards officials, and critics including U.S. and Canadian officials, lawmakers and politicians.
- What
- CBC is making an exception allowing journalists to describe the September 11, 2001, attacks as terrorism without directly attributing the term.
- When
- The change was announced on Friday, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks; one report dates the announcement to Aug. 28.
- Where
- The policy concerns CBC/Radio-Canada in Canada and drew criticism from officials and lawmakers in the United States and Canada.
- Why
- CBC said its previous rule had become an impediment to clarity and public understanding after the guidance triggered criticism.
CBC’s Editorial Rationale
Critics’ Objections
Use of terrorism terminology
CBC’s Editorial Rationale
CBC says attribution is a long-standing journalistic practice intended to support accuracy when describing causes and motivations, and one shared by organizations including the BBC, AP, AFP and Reuters.
Critics’ Objections
Critics argue that refusing to directly call 9/11 a terrorist attack sanitizes or distorts the history of the event.
Treatment of 9/11
CBC’s Editorial Rationale
CBC says it has never said the September 11 attacks were not terrorism and has reported their causes and motivations fully and accurately.
Critics’ Objections
Kash Patel, Pete Hoekstra, Republican lawmakers and other critics said the guidance was an insult to those killed and could undermine security cooperation.
Reason for the exception
CBC’s Editorial Rationale
CBC says the specific 9/11 exception removes an impediment to clarity and public understanding while leaving attribution rules in place for newer incidents.
Critics’ Objections
Critics and some Canadian politicians called for the earlier guidance to be rejected or withdrawn, with Marc Miller describing it as pedantic and foolish.
- Broadcaster
- CBC/Radio-Canada, Canada’s public broadcaster.
- Policy change
- Direct attribution is no longer required when describing the historic events of 9/11 as terrorism.
- Previous policy
- CBC generally favored using the terms terrorism and terrorist with attribution to officials or experts.
- Announcement
- Basem Boshra, CBC’s senior director of journalistic standards and public trust, announced the change in a blog post.
- Criticism
- The guidance was criticized by FBI Director Kash Patel, U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, Republican members of Congress and Canada’s Conservative party.
- CBC’s explanation
- CBC said it had reported the attacks’ reasons and motivations based on police, government and independent-commission findings, while using attribution.
- Policy going forward
- CBC said it will continue attributing causes and motivations when reporting on new politically or ideologically motivated violence.
