General

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duloc, P.C., M.P. Chair, Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Dear chair, The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) joins legal, privacy and technical experts in expressing serious concerns about Bill C-22, An Act Respecting Lawful Access, in its current form. The CAJ is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides advocacy and professional development for journalists across Canada, and serves as the national voice of Canadian journalists. The CAJ champions press freedom, access to information in the public interest, and journalists’ right to protect confidential sources. While the CAJ [...]

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is deeply concerned by the recent publication of an AI-generated image on the front page of the Winnipeg Sun. On May 13, the Winnipeg Sun published an AI-generated image combining scenes of a homeless person receiving a disposable cup from a person outside of a church and a crowd of sign-carrying protesters. A similar image was published online on the same day. The image carries the following cutline: “A symbolic illustration depicts tensions surrounding homelessness services, charitable giving and organizational change amid financial pressures facing Winnipeg’s Siloam Mission. (AI-generated image).” “In a world where [...]

Canada’s courts are open in principle. Too often, they are not open in practice. In response, the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is launching a new initiative to tackle the myriad barriers that limit journalists’ access to public court proceedings and records. “Journalists covering the courts in Canada must navigate inconsistent and sometimes opaque access to what should be public information,” said CAJ president Brent Jolly. “These are not just newsroom frustrations. They go to the heart of open courts, the public’s right to know, and the principle that justice must not only be done, but also be seen to [...]

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) and the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) are deeply concerned by the Ontario government’s recent passage of Bill 97, which contains sweeping amendments to the province’s freedom of information laws that will significantly weaken the public’s right to know. “Framing this change as a ‘modernization’ of Ontario’s freedom of information laws is a masterclass in Orwellian doublespeak,” said Brent Jolly, president of the CAJ. “It is a bald-faced effort to shield politicians from public scrutiny and to keep Ontarians in the dark about how the provincial government conducts its business.” Bill 97 is a [...]

On Friday evening, the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) learned that journalist Rachel Gilmore had recently been approached in public by individuals linked to, or implicated in, an investigation she had written, and was published by The Tyee that focused on white nationalists. According to a video shared by Gilmore on social media, she was approached by two men connected with white supremacist activities one evening last week while out at a local music venue. In her video, Gilmore states one of the men tried to intimidate her by name-dropping the old gym she used to attend and suggesting they [...]

It’s been more than four years since Canadian photojournalist Amber Bracken was unjustly arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) while on assignment for The Narwhal in northern British Columbia.Monday morning marks the beginning of a five-week trial in B.C. Supreme Court that seeks justice for that egregious act. Bracken and The Narwhal are suing the RCMP for breaching their constitutionally protected rights as journalists.On Nov. 19, 2021, Bracken was out in the field doing her job. She was documenting tensions over the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through unceded Wet’suwet’en territory. The RCMP arrested her because they claim [...]

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), the University of King’s College and the Canadian Media Lawyers Association (CMLA) are joining forces to launch Lawyers for Reporters Canada, an initiative that will provide a range of pro bono newsroom legal services to support and bolster an effective democratic news media ecosystem. “In a time when more and more individuals and organizations are weaponizing legal tools to stifle public-interest journalism, Lawyers for Reporters Canada is an initiative that truly meets the moment and supports press freedom,” said Brent Jolly, president of the CAJ. The partnership between the three organizations will bring together [...]