Monthly Archives: October 2020

A proposal to change the way the US manages visas for foreign journalists threatens to seriously jeopardise the exercise of journalistic freedom. We, the undersigned, urge the Department of Homeland Security to drop this proposal.   The “I visa” is required for all foreign journalists operating in the US, whether they are there for one week or five years. Once issued it is valid for up to five years, allowing journalists to work there continuously or travel in and out of the US for assignments. The proposal by the Department of Homeland Security to limit the visa to 240 days, with [...]

On Oct. 7, 2020 Winnipeg Police Service officer Const. Rob Carver, a member of the public information office, interfered with a journalist’s ability to report after police shot a man. Winnipeg Free Press reporter Ryan Thorpe was in the process of procuring a video from a bystander to the shooting when Const. Carver took the phone from Thorpe, preventing the video from being made public.  The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) condemns the actions of the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS). The police have no right to bar a member of the public from communicating with a journalist, particularly when that [...]