Toronto Sun Columnist: New Memo Tells CBC Journalists Not to Refer to 9/11 As a Terrorist Attack

This is one of those posts that this editor was about to scroll by, thinking it was clickbait. The government-funded Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was instructing its writers, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, not to call them terrorist attacks? Are they being sensitive to their "newcomers," hoping there's no Norm Macdonald-style backlash? This is an opinion column written by The Toronto Sun's Brian Lilley, and he says he's seen the memo.

This week, I received a memo — presumably confidential — addressed to CBC News staff. It is authored by one Basem Boshra, who is the “Senior Director of Journalistic Standards and Public Trust at CBC News.” In Boshra’s memo, reporters are editors are told this:
“Do not refer to the Sept. 11 attacks as terrorist attacks.”
Boshra states that all in bold letters, italicized, as if to emphasize the point. To make clear it is a directive, not a suggestion.
It goes on. “The hijackings led to passenger jet crashes,” it reads, again in italics. There is no recognition in the CBC memo — none — that “hijacking that leads to passenger jet crashes” is not a protest, or a vote. It is a terrorist act, full stop.

CBC can't get anymore ridiculous right?
New memo tells CBC journalists not to call 9/11 a terrorist attack.
What do you think of this?https://t.co/qjl1S8zp48
— Brian Lilley (@brianlilley) August 26, 2026