The media accreditation of CBC/Radio-Canada journalists for the Republican Party’s upcoming midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 9 and 10 has been revoked by the Republican National Committee (RNC). Chuck Thompson, the head of public affairs at CBC, confirmed this development on Monday. CBC is currently assessing the decision made by the RNC and expressed disappointment, hoping for a reconsideration.
Despite attempts to reach out for comments, convention organizers did not respond to CBC News’ inquiries. The White House redirected questions from CBC to the RNC, which was unreachable by phone on Monday evening. This move by the RNC comes amid escalating tensions between Canada and the United States due to recent sanctions and heated exchanges between politicians.
CBC faced criticism from Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials following the leak of an internal memo discussing the use of the terms “terrorism” and “terrorist” in relation to the 9/11 attacks. The memo, which advised against labeling specific incidents as terrorist acts unless attributed, sparked controversy ahead of the 25-year commemoration of 9/11 next month.
In response to the backlash, CBC’s senior director of journalistic standards and public trust, Basem Boshra, announced adjustments to the language guidance to clarify that direct attribution is not necessary when describing the events of 9/11 as terrorism. This modification aims to enhance clarity and public comprehension of historic events.
