The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) officially reversed a recent internal policy that had instructed its staff to avoid using the term "terrorist attack" when reporting on the September 11, 2001, attacks. The guidance, which was intended to encourage more descriptive language, became public after being reported by The Toronto Sun earlier this week.

The policy sparked immediate and widespread criticism from various political figures and members of the public who argued that the terminology was historically inaccurate and insensitive to the nature of the event. Critics contended that the directive appeared to downplay the severity of the attacks. In response to the mounting pressure, the CBC issued a statement on Friday confirming that the guidance has been walked back and that journalists are permitted to use the term "terrorist attack" when referring to the 9/11 events.

While the CBC initially sought to refine its editorial style guide to prioritize specific descriptions of actions over labels, the swift reversal highlights the sensitivity surrounding the language used to describe major historical acts of violence. The broadcaster has not provided a detailed explanation for the initial implementation of the policy, but the decision to retract it follows a clear consensus among political critics that the term "terrorist" is appropriate and necessary for describing the 2001 attacks.