Monthly Archives: February 2020

OTTAWA, Feb. 27, 2020 /CNW/— The police forces in Sudbury, Windsor, Peterborough, Longueuil, Quebec City, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, and the Ontario Provincial Police share the distinction of winning the 2019 Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the category of law enforcement agencies.  The award is given annually by The Canadian Association of Journalists, Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University, News Media Canada, and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression to call public attention to government departments and agencies that put extra effort into denying public access to government information to which the public has [...]

OTTAWA, Feb. 24, 2020 /CNW/— The Town of Erin, Ont., is the 2019 recipient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the category of municipal government. The award is given annually by The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University (CFE), News Media Canada and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) to call public attention to government departments and agencies that put extra effort into denying public access to government information to which the public has a right under access to information legislation. The awards jury, which comprised representatives [...]

OTTAWA, Feb.8, 2020 /CNW/ — The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) continues to receive reports that RCMP officers are blocking media from bearing witness to police actions as they implement an injunction and arrest Wet’suwet’en people.  “All week the RCMP have been unnecessarily threatening reporters who are simply trying to perform their democratic duties,” said CAJ president Karyn Pugliese.  “Yesterday the RCMP promised to respect media rights, but today they continue to abuse their powers and blatantly disregard the law in a way that is previously unheard of in Canada and unthinkable in a democratic country.” The CAJ is requesting [...]

OTTAWA, Feb.7, 2020 /CNW/ — This week, the RCMP threatened to arrest journalists covering the implementation of an injunction on Wet’suwet’en territory against First Nation people who oppose a pipeline on their territory. What for? For taking pictures? For trying to inform the public on a matter of public interest? That is not a crime. That is journalism. In the wee hours of last night, the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) was among a number of organizations that received an email from the RCMP that said they would not interfere with journalists doing their job.   “Journalists can rest assured that [...]