CBC Revises Guidance on 9/11 Attacks Following Criticism from U.S. and Canadian Officials

<p>Elected leaders and senior officials in the U.S. and Canada criticized the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on August 28, 2026, after it changed its guidance instructing journalists not to label the September 11 attacks as terrorism without attribution.</p><p>New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino expressed her concerns to Fox News Digital, stating, "While it's certainly good that some modicum of reality has prevailed in this instance, it should not have required a week of international outrage and pressure from the United States Government. The fact that the institutional instinct of the CBC was to downplay the 9/11 terror attacks reveals a deep ideological rot that cannot be ignored."</p><p>Paladino further remarked, "Unfortunately, the CBC, like Canada itself, appears to be a fundamentally broken institution, and one correction made under severe duress doesn't change much of anything."</p><p>CBC Head of Public Affairs Chuck Thompson referred to the broadcaster's revised Editor's Blog, which detailed the reversal made on Friday. CBC News’ senior director of journalistic standards and public trust Basem Boshra stated, "After reviewing our current language guidance, we have decided to adjust it to clarify that direct attribution is not required for describing the historic events of 9/11 as terrorism."</p><p>This change followed a report by Fox News Digital regarding an internal memo from Boshra that directed staff to avoid using the term terrorism unless it was attributed. The memo explicitly instructed CBC journalists, "Do not refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks."</p><p>Former New York Governor George Pataki, who was in office during the 9/11 attacks, criticized the initial guidance, stating, "Fear of being accused of Islamophobia cannot become an excuse for denying the plain truth. This is a shameful failure of moral courage. Truth matters in a free society."</p><p>Canadian criticism of the CBC's guidance crossed party lines. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called for a retraction and apology, stating, "To call 9/11 anything other than a terrorist attack is an appalling distortion of history. It dishonours the victims and their families, the survivors, and the first responders who suffered from the horrors of that day."</p><p>Canadian Culture Minister Marc Miller of the Liberal Party acknowledged that the reversal corrected guidance that had caused legitimate anger. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree noted that Canada has always recognized 9/11 as history's deadliest terrorist attack. The CBC posted its revision shortly after Anandasangaree's statement.</p><p>House Republicans also sought clarification from Canada regarding the policy. The House Republican Conference questioned, "What possible motive could there be for sanitizing the worst terrorist attack on American soil? Care to explain, @Canada?"</p><p>Senator Mike Lee and Representative Lisa McClain also criticized the guidance. FBI Director Kash Patel stated it distorted history, while U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra emphasized that failing to confront terrorist ideologies endangered the nations’ shared security partnership.</p><p>The CBC initially defended the memo as reflecting a longstanding attribution policy, citing that the terms were politically and emotionally loaded. It later acknowledged that the leaked excerpt lacked context and caused concern, anger, and hurt.</p><p>The September 11 attacks, which occurred 25 years ago next month, are the deadliest terrorist attacks in history. Nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes, crashing two into the World Trade Center in New York City and another into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to retake control.</p><p>Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for comment but did not receive immediate responses.</p>