Story perspectives

CBC Reverses Guidance, Allows September 11 to Be Called Terrorism

By Drooid · Sep 11, 2026, 8:04 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

CBC reversed its August 28 guidance, permitting journalists to label the September 11 attacks as terrorism.
FBI Director Kash Patel warned agencies to reject the memo or lose FBI friendship, and Ambassador Pete Hoekstra reposted it.
Basem Boshra, CBC Senior Director of Journalistic Standards and Public Trust, authored the original memo.
Former CSIS analyst Phil Gurski said the September 11 attacks meet Canada’s Criminal Code terrorism criteria.

History

Historical Context

In 1971, the New York Times and Washington Post released the Pentagon Papers, leading the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a 6-3 ruling protecting press freedom. The decision, authored by Justice Harry Blackmun, rejected the Nixon administration’s claim that national-security concerns justified censorship, citing the First Amendment. Today, CBC’s internal memo on labeling the September 11 attacks as terrorism echoes the same tension between governmental pressure and journalistic independence. The 1971 precedent suggests that courts may again defend media autonomy, compelling agencies to respect editorial judgments and preserving democratic accountability.

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Story summary

CBC reversed its August 28 guidance, permitting journalists to label the September 11 attacks as terrorism.
FBI Director Kash Patel warned agencies to reject the memo or lose FBI friendship, and Ambassador Pete Hoekstra reposted it.
Basem Boshra, CBC Senior Director of Journalistic Standards and Public Trust, authored the original memo.
Former CSIS analyst Phil Gurski said the September 11 attacks meet Canada’s Criminal Code terrorism criteria.

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