July 16, 2024 – for immediate release
The National NewsMedia Council (NNC) has considered and dismissed a complaint about accuracy and use of language in an opinion column published by the National Post.
The NNC received multiple complaints about the column, “Wearing the keffiyeh honours Yasser Arafat’s legacy of terrorism.” Complainants argued that the column violated standards related to appropriate language use. For example, the complainants objected to the use of the term “genocidal death cult” to describe the Palestinian liberation movement. They also took issue with the column’s argument that wearing the keffiyeh indicates support for terrorism.
As is standard practice when the NNC receives multiple complaints raising similar concerns about the same article, a representative complaint was selected.
Anas Chaaban stated in his complaint submission, “Palestinians wore the keffiyeh before Yasser Arafat, during his time, and after, and reducing its traditional importance to one person is reductive and serves a racist ideology.”
The complainant pointed out that the column’s reasoning was flawed, and argued that by the same logic expressed in the column, anyone wearing the kippah could be said to honour those “who committed acts of terror against Palestinians,” and “this is paramount to saying that if someone wears a maple leaf then they are honoring residential schools, which is unacceptable.” The complainant noted concern about the impact the column could have on anyone who wears a keffiyeh.
The news organization responded to the complainant’s concerns by noting that it is “entirely reasonable for someone to take a different view about the meaning of the keffiyeh, and that [the columnist] was simply offering his opinion in a column clearly marked as such.”
The news organization acknowledged that people may wear the keffiyeh for cultural purposes, but explained that the column expressed a particular perspective that wearing the keffiyeh has been used, by some, as a political symbol. It cited articles from other news organizations that offered further context and perspectives on the history of its use as a political symbol as evidence to support the view expressed in the column.
The news organization offered to consider a letter to the editor from the complainant presenting readers with a different perspective.
In response to the concerns around language raised by other complainants, the news organization noted that the column drew on a number of examples, which were included in the article, to support its argument that was highly critical of the former Palestinian leader and his legacy.
The complainant was not satisfied with the news organization’s response, noting that people may also wear the keffiyeh “to make a political statement that they are in solidarity with Palestinians, but not (“clearly”) to promote violence against Jewish people.”
The complainant rejected the offer of a letter to the editor as insufficient remedy to address the concerns raised about anti-Palestinian racism.
In reviewing the matter, the NNC considered journalistic standards surrounding opinion writing and reporting on sensitive issues. While distinct from news reporting, opinion writing must be labelled appropriately and be factually accurate. The NNC consistently supports the wide latitude afforded to opinion writers to use strong language and express unpopular views.
Further, the NNC has previously stated that such latitude extends to the ability to use rhetorical devices and exaggerated styles of speech, including hyperbole, to make their arguments and engage readers.
Best practice is for news organizations to provide readers with a variety of perspectives that reflect the various views and nuances related to issues subject to debate. The NNC has also stated that news organizations should take care to avoid inflammatory language and ambiguous statements, which may include overly broad generalizations, particularly when presenting opinions on complex or sensitive topics.
The NNC has frequently emphasized that letters to the editor may be an effective way to express the range of opinion in the community on issues of public importance, and in some cases, may provide valuable remedy to addressing reader concerns.
In reviewing the opinion article in question, the NNC observed the column argues that, in wearing the keffiyeh, “professed supporters of the Palestinian cause are, knowingly or not, endorsing Arafat’s well-documented legacy of carnage and destruction.”
Council found that this statement expressed a particular perspective, rather than declaring a statement of fact. An ordinary reading of the column in this case presented a strongly-worded argument about a political leader and his legacy. Council emphasized the distinction between presenting a political view and racism, and observed that the column in this case reflected an interpretation of a series of historical facts. In this way, Council was of the view that the statements in question presented a critique of a political ideology, which falls within the latitude of opinion writing.
The NNC recognizes that readers may object to the column’s argument. That said, objecting to the argument, however contentious, does not in itself indicate a factual error. While readers may strongly object to the argument presented, it is not the role of the Council to evaluate the quality of a columnist’s argument. That responsibility is a matter of editorial decision-making and falls within the purview of the news organization. In contrast, the role of the NNC is to uphold widely-accepted journalistic standards and to determine whether a complaint demonstrates that an article has breached a specific standard.
In this case, Council supported the opportunity presented to the complainant to provide an alternative viewpoint in the form of a letter to the editor, which was declined. In determining that the column in question expresses a particular perspective that draws on examples provided in the article, Council found no grounds to support a breach of journalistic standards and dismissed the complaint.