In recent weeks, HonestReporting Canada has successfully countered scores of Canadian media outlets who, without any evidence, stated as fact that Israeli forces killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

Our May 13 op-ed in the National Post telegraphed how Palestinian propagandists were using the killing of this Palestinian journalist to gratuitously attack and gang up on Israel. We successfully prompted the Toronto Star (see here and here) along with scores of PostMedia newspapers and the Hill Times, to publish correctives after falsely claiming that IDF forces killed this Al Jazeera journalist. We also exposed Concordia’s student newspaper, The Link, for publishing a column accusing Israel of murdering Abu Akleh and 6ixBuzzTV for claiming she “…was shot dead by Israeli forces…”

Though it’s been several weeks since Abu Akleh was killed, but despite this, our media continue to presume Israel guilty and not innocent.

On May 29 and 30 respectively, CTV News.ca Edmonton published a report and a corresponding broadcast segment entitled: “Edmonton memorial mass honours Palestinian journalist killed by Israeli forces.”

CTV’s article claimed:

“On May 11, she was shot during an Israeli military raid in the town of Jenin. Journalists with her at the time found that Israeli forces fired upon them despite being able to identify the group as reporters. A Palestinian Authority probe into the incident confirmed the eyewitness accounts.”

“The martyrdom of Shireen Abu Akleh who was assassinated by the Israelis has really shaken the whole world,” Hak told CTV News Edmonton.” The whole world is connected to Palestine, and the Palestinian community here, we have people who were her neighbours here,” he added. “We believe that she was targeted specially because she was showing that have been enduring the vicious attacks on a daily basis.”

CTV’s broadcast report stated the following:

CTV Anchor: “A memorial mass was held in our city to honour a Palestinian journalist killed while on the job. Shireen Abu Akleh had been covering life in Palestine under Israeli rule for the last 25 years. She was shot and killed by Israeli forces earlier this month. Many believe she was targeted. A community spokesperson says it’s important the world knows about her death.”

Joe Hak, Community Spokesperson: “Because she was really fighting for her country, she was fighting for her people and she died just like Jesus carried the cross on the road of Galilee, she carried Palestine as a cross on her shoulders and then she died for it.”

CTV Anchor: “Akleh was a household name across the Arab world, revered for her coverage of Palestinian life for the satellite channel Al Jazeera. She was 51-years-old.”

Watch the report by clicking here or below:

In truth, the veracity of the matter is still unknown. There’s no concrete evidence which confirms that Israeli forces killed this Al Jazeera journalist. It’s very possible that she was killed by Palestinian terrorists during the Israeli raid, whether accidentally in a crossfire, or even, the possibility remains, on purpose to achieve a propaganda win. Meanwhile, Israeli forces who engaged in a gunfight with Palestinian terrorists during an arrest raid of terror suspects, could also be responsible, but the facts are unknown at this time.

HonestReporting Canada liaised with senior executives at CTV News calling for immediate corrective action to remedy these serious errors.

We are pleased to report that subsequent to our action, CTV News broadcast the following on-air clarification on May 31:

“A clarification earlier this week. CTV News reported on a vigil here in Edmonton for a Palestinian journalist killed on the job. We reported that she was killed by Israeli forces, when in fact, it’s still in dispute as to who is responsible for her death. We sincerely regret this error.”

Watch the on-air clarification by clicking here or below: 

As well, CTV corrected its online article by removing its reporting as fact that Israeli soldiers killed this Palestinian journalist.

We appreciate CTV’s cooperation and its effort to set the record straight, however, it’s deeply regrettable that CTV did not provide any context about the disputed circumstances surrounding her death, specifically, how Palestinian terrorists may also be responsible for her killing. We have conveyed these sentiments directly to CTV News and we will continue to monitor Canadian media outlets to ensure that Israel isn’t wrongly blamed for killing this Palestinian journalist.