The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) announced an internal policy change on August 29, 2026, regarding its language guidance for describing the September 11, 2001, attacks. The memo, authored by Basem Boshra, CBC News’ senior director of journalistic standards and public trust, surfaced ahead of the attacks’ 25th anniversary. Previously, CBC instructed reporters and editors to avoid referring to the events as 'terrorist attacks,' instead describing them as hijackings that resulted in crashes in Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, and Manhattan. The World Trade Center was also noted as having been destroyed.
In response to the controversy surrounding this directive, CBC released a memo titled, 'How and why CBC News will adjust its 9/11 language guidance.' Boshra stated that the confusion arose from a leaked excerpt of the internal language guide, which was published by various outlets without full context. This has led to significant concern and anger among the public, who believe CBC News is attempting to minimize the horror of that day and the perpetrators behind it.
Boshra emphasized that CBC News does not intend to obscure the events of 9/11 and that its reporting over the past 25 years has provided an unflinching account of the attacks by al-Qaeda, the subsequent hunt for those responsible, and the profound loss experienced by many. He noted that CBC plans to mark the 25th anniversary with extensive coverage that reflects on the tragedy.
The memo clarified that CBC's reporting on terrorism has always been guided by the principle of attribution, which has been a longstanding practice among major news organizations. Boshra stated that CBC News has never claimed that the September 11 attacks were not acts of terrorism. The memo concluded that the language guidance would be adjusted to clarify that direct attribution is not required when describing the historic events of 9/11 as terrorism, aiming to enhance clarity and public understanding.
In related news, Lt. Col. Michael Schrama, a military judge, recently dismissed a confession made by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks, stating that the statements made in 2007 were not voluntary. A trial date has been set for June 2028 for Mohammed and three co-defendants.