The Republican National Committee (RNC) has withdrawn CBC/Radio-Canada’s media accreditation for the party’s upcoming midterm convention. Chuck Thompson, CBC’s head of public affairs, confirmed the decision on Monday, stating that CBC/Radio-Canada journalists will not receive accreditation to cover the convention in Dallas, Texas, scheduled for September 9 and 10. CBC is currently reviewing the RNC’s action and expressed disappointment, hoping for a reconsideration.
Organizers of the convention did not respond immediately to CBC News’ requests for comments via email on Monday evening. The White House redirected CBC’s inquiries to the RNC, which was unreachable by phone during the same evening. The withdrawal of accreditation comes amid escalating tensions between Canada and the United States due to recent trade disputes and increased political rhetoric.
Republican officials and Trump administration members recently criticized CBC following the leak of an internal memo discussing the use of terms like “terrorism” in connection to the 9/11 attacks. The memo sparked international attention and condemnation ahead of the upcoming 25th-anniversary commemoration of 9/11 next month.
After public backlash, CBC’s senior director of journalistic standards and public trust, Basem Boshra, announced changes to the broadcaster’s language guidance regarding the labeling of historic events like 9/11 as terrorism. The adjustment aims to enhance clarity and public understanding by clarifying that direct attribution is not mandatory in describing such events as acts of terrorism.