Media union backtracks on Gaza statement that blamed Israel alone for the ongoing war

National Post

a day ago

Complaints by members of a Canadian media union over a public statement on dangers faced by on-the-ground journalists in Gaza prompted a quick edit that didn't blame only Israel for the crisis.
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The Canadian Media Guild (CMG), a trade union representing 6,000 Canadian media workers, issued a statement Thursday afternoon decrying the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and its impact on journalism and journalists, but several union members were upset their union's statement blamed just one side in the conflict.
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'Many journalists in Gaza have died during this war, either actively at work or seeking shelter with their families,' the statement says. 'Over the past week, the world has relied on the work of remaining journalists in Gaza to document the starvation and continued bombings, even as organizations have raised alarms over the declining health of these media workers and their families.'
The CMG statement calls on the Israeli government to allow international journalists access to Gaza to report on the situation. Several news agencies recently reported on harsh conditions facing freelance journalists they rely on for on-the-ground reporting inside Gaza.
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The union's original statement concluded: 'The CMG also join (other media organizations, humanitarian groups, and governments) in calling on the Israeli government to end the hostilities, cease the inhumane treatment of civilians in Gaza, and allow the flow of necessary food and supplies provided by international humanitarian organizations into the territory.'
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It was that last sentence that particularly bothered some members.
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'The problem with the press release was if you knew nothing about the conflict and just read that press release, you would have the impression that Israel mounted an unprovoked attack on Palestinian civilians in an attempt to annihilate them,' said a CMG union member who works at CBC and who asked not to be named for fear of jeopardizing union support in a precarious job market.
'There is no mention of Hamas' role in any of this; not in the massacre that triggered the war, not for holding hostages, and most significantly in terms of this press release, no mention of Hamas looting aid delivery,' the member said.
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The union's executive soon received 'feedback from members,' prompting a re-evaluation and an edit the following day, said Andreea Mihai, spokeswoman for the CMG.
'In response to feedback from members, we clarified the language in the statement to underscore our call for 'all parties' to cease hostilities and to reaffirm our focus on the safety of media professionals,' Mihai told National Post.