Most Canadian news outlets follow CP’s style guidance, meaning the status quo on “Palestine” may continue.
On September 21, Canada formally recognized the State of Palestine, joining more than 145 other United Nations members (about 78 per cent) that have done so.
In the past, mainstream Canadian media outlets formally refused to use the word Palestine when reporting on the State of Palestine and its various components, instead using terms such as “Palestinian territories” or referring to the West Bank, Gaza, or East Jerusalem.
Most Canadian newsrooms have historically followed The Canadian Press (CP) Style Book on such matters.
The most-recent edition of the book, published in 2021, doesn’t contain an entry dealing with the question of how to refer to Palestine, though it does omit any mention of Palestine in sections listing all countries and regions in the world as well as a description of the Middle East.
In February 2022 I reached out to CP to ask about their policy, and they told me they follow the Associated Press (AP) guideline, which at the time was, “Use Palestine and Palestinians in the context of Palestine’s activities in international bodies to which it has been admitted and the actions of the Palestinian Authority: the Palestinian flag, Palestinian prime minister. Do not use Palestine or state of Palestine in other situations, since it is not a fully independent, unified state. For territory, refer specifically to the West Bank or Gaza, or the Palestinian territories in reference to both.” (more...)
The Canadian Press Will Continue Not Using ‘Palestine’ In Most Cases
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