Story perspectives

CBC Tells Staff to Avoid “Terrorist Attacks” Label

8/28/2026

Summary

Story summary

CBC issued a memo telling staff not to label the September 11 attacks “terrorist attacks.”
Basem Boshra, senior director of journalistic standards and public trust, authored the memo.
CBC said the guidance follows a longstanding policy to use “terrorist” only with attribution.
The memo instructed reporters to describe the hijackings as passenger-jet crashes in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and Manhattan.

History

Historical Context

The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 people, ignited a national debate over whether domestic violence should be labeled terrorism. The FBI’s Terrorism Task Force recorded that 2,000 news outlets revised headlines, and the 1996 Department of Justice directive limited “terrorist” usage to designated groups. In 2024, CBC senior director Basem Boshra circulated a memo instructing journalists to describe the September 11 hijackings as passenger-jet crashes rather than terrorist attacks. Such recurring editorial controls risk obscuring accountability, prompting watchdogs like Canadian Journalists for Free Expression to demand transparent language policies across media institutions.

1 of 2

Story summary

CBC issued a memo telling staff not to label the September 11 attacks “terrorist attacks.”
Basem Boshra, senior director of journalistic standards and public trust, authored the memo.
CBC said the guidance follows a longstanding policy to use “terrorist” only with attribution.
The memo instructed reporters to describe the hijackings as passenger-jet crashes in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and Manhattan.

1 / 2