The Republican Party has decided to withdraw media accreditation from CBC/Radio-Canada for their upcoming midterm convention. Chuck Thompson, the head of public affairs at CBC, confirmed on Monday that journalists from CBC/Radio-Canada would not be accredited to cover the convention in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 9 and 10.
Thompson expressed disappointment in a written statement and mentioned that CBC was assessing the RNC’s decision, hoping for a reconsideration. Organizers of the convention did not respond immediately to CBC News’ inquiries on Monday evening, while the White House redirected CBC’s questions to the RNC, which CBC News could not reach by phone that evening.
This revocation of accreditation comes amid escalating tensions between Canada and the United States due to recent sanctions and heated exchanges between politicians from both countries. Republican officials, including lawmakers and members of the Trump administration, had criticized CBC following the leak of an internal memo concerning the use of “terrorism” terminology related to the 9/11 attacks.
The leaked memo prompted international attention and drew criticism from U.S. House of Representatives members who questioned the motive behind downplaying the severity of the 9/11 attacks. In response, CBC’s senior director of journalistic standards and public trust, Basem Boshra, announced adjustments to their language guidance to clarify that direct attribution is not necessary when describing the events of 9/11 as terrorism.
The public broadcaster made these changes to enhance clarity and public understanding, removing any unintentional obstacles. The situation is evolving, and CBC continues to engage in dialogue to address concerns surrounding its language usage policies.