The CAJ’s ethics advisory committee considers and provides advice on ethical issues faced by journalists through the course of their regular work. Members are appointed by the CAJ’s national board of directors, and the chair or co-chairs are appointed by the board from among the committee’s members.
The committee’s current members are:
- Charmaine de Silva — CityNews
- Patricia Elliott — University of Regina and First Nations University of Canada
- Iris Fischer — Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
- Brian Hastings — Humber College
- Nadia Kidwai — CBC Manitoba
- Anita Li — The Other Wave
- Pat Perkel — National NewsMedia Council
- Nebal Snan — Freelance
- Terra Tailleur — University of King’s College
- Lisa Taylor — Ryerson University
- Karen Unland — Taproot Publishing
The committee’s work is found in the following list of policies, discussion papers, and reports on key journalism issues.
CAJ Ethics Guidelines
The CAJ’s widely cited Ethics Guidelines are intended to help both seasoned professionals and new journalists to hold themselves accountable for professional work. While many specific questions are considered here, it is impossible to capture all potential scenarios in a document such as this. Instead, it seeks to provide examples of the application of our general ethical principles, and to help journalists apply those principles and their best judgment when faced with scenarios not covered here.
See also: Principles for Ethical Journalism
Discussion Papers
- Publishing (and unpublishing) the names of people charged with minor crimes: whether, when and why (not)? (aka “Naming names”)
- What is journalism? (2021 update)
- Best practices in digital accuracy and corrections
- How close is too close? Conflict of interest in journalists’ relationships with sources
- Paying for information
- Naming sexual assault complainants in the media: Ethical considerations for journalists
- Sponsored content: How should journalism ethics respond to advertising dressed up as journalism?
- Online comment moderation
- On the record: Is it really informed consent without discussion of consequences?
- What is journalism?
- Guidelines for personal activity online
- Journalists seeking public office: What are the ethical issues?
- The ethics of unpublishing
- Guidelines for re-tweeting and re-posting on social media
- Final briefing on news blackouts
- Protection of sources
- Policy paper on editorial independence