News

Home/News
News2023-01-23T12:11:55-05:00

Topics & Insight That Affect Our Members

3005, 2023

It’s not a secret anymore: Canada Border Services nabs national dis-honour

May 30th, 2023|Categories: General|

TORONTO, ONT., May. 30, 2023 /CNW/ - The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has been recognized as the federal winner in the 2022 Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy for its failure to disclose basic information about how the controversy-laden ArriveCan app’s cost to taxpayers ballooned beyond figures disclosed in original public cost estimates.  According to an analysis conducted by The Globe and Mail, the [...]

1705, 2023

Time’s up, game’s over: Toronto Police Service recognized with 2022 Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievements in Government Secrecy

May 17th, 2023|Categories: General|

TORONTO, ONT., May. 17, 2023 - The Toronto Police Service (TPS) has been selected as the 2022 recipient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy, in the law enforcement category, for its repeated efforts to block journalists from accessing information needed to hold tax-payer funded agencies accountable.  “Over the past year, the TPS has repeatedly engaged reporters in many contemptible ‘cat and mouse’-style games [...]

2704, 2023

CAJ going to court to defend principle of journalistic independence at risk in Morrisseau art fraud case

April 27th, 2023|Categories: Advocacy, General|

TORONTO, ON., Apr. 27, 2023 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is going to court to oppose an unreasonable police attempt to force a Toronto filmmaker to turn over his interviews and source material. In March, the CAJ publicly condemned the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)’s demand that Jamie Kastner hand over the raw footage of 17 interviews he conducted while preparing his TVO documentary “There Are No [...]

1604, 2023

Congratulations to the CAJ 2022 Awards recipients!

April 16th, 2023|Categories: Awards, General|

VANCOUVER, April 15, 2023 – The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 CAJ Awards for outstanding investigative journalism. This included presenting the McGillivray Award, recognizing the program’s best investigative journalism published or broadcast in 2022, to Grant Robertson, for his entry titled “Inside Hockey Canada’s Secret Funds: The hidden use of registration fees in sexual assault settlements,” published by The Globe [...]

1604, 2023

Four Canadian journalists recognized for championing Indigenous journalism, and telling truth, about long-standing systemic injustices

April 16th, 2023|Categories: Awards, General|

VANCOUVER, B.C., Apr. 15, 2023 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) has awarded this year’s prestigious Charles Bury Award to four remarkable Canadian journalists who have each, through their commitment to the craft, broken new ground in their efforts to inspire change in how Canadian journalism covers Indigenous stories.  The four winners of this year’s award include: Veteran Mohawk journalist Tahieròn:iohte Dan David, longtime CBC reporter and [...]

2803, 2023

Police production order against documentary filmmaker breaches principle of journalistic independence

March 28th, 2023|Categories: Advocacy, General|

TORONTO, ON, Mar. 28, 2023 - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) strongly condemns the actions of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in forcing a Toronto filmmaker to turn over his interviews and source material related to a 2019 documentary. Last November, the OPP served Jamie Kastner with a production order, forcing him to provide police with all the raw footage of 17 interviews he conducted in preparing his [...]

1503, 2023

CAJ launches third annual Canadian Newsroom Diversity Survey

March 15th, 2023|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA ON, March 15, 2023 / The Canadian Association of Journalists is pleased to announce the launch of the 2023 Canadian Newsroom Diversity Survey — Canada’s annual national media diversity survey.  This is the third year that the survey is being sent out to newsroom leaders nationwide. Last year’s survey saw 242 media outlets participate in the survey.  “The Canadian Newsroom Diversity Survey is a critical exercise to help [...]

903, 2023

CAJ ‘springs forward’ with the latest round of its mentorship program

March 9th, 2023|Categories: General, Mentorship|

OTTAWA, March 9, 2021 /CNW/ —The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is thrilled to announce the launch of our Spring 2023 Mentorship Program.  Since launching in August 2020, the CAJ Mentorship Program has been thrilled to include some of the best journalists working in radio, television, digital, and print publications across the country. Each has signed on voluntarily to donate their time.  “The CAJ Mentorship Program has provided invaluable [...]

103, 2023

Applications open for 2023 EU-Canada Young Journalist Fellowship

March 1st, 2023|Categories: Awards, General|

Ottawa, ON, Mar 1 2023 – The Delegation of the European Union to Canada and the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) are thrilled to launch the 2023 edition of the European Union-Canada Young Journalist Fellowship. Deadline for submissions is 3 May 2023. The study tour to Brussels will take place the week of 9 October 2023. The EU-Canada Young Journalist Fellowship aims to recognize outstanding journalistic talent among young [...]

2402, 2023

Canadian Association of Journalists announces 2022 finalists for Canada’s top investigative journalism awards competition

February 24th, 2023|Categories: Awards, General|

OTTAWA, ON., Feb. 24, 2023 /CNW/ – The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to share the list of finalists for its 2022 awards program.  Recipients in each category will be announced at the awards gala scheduled for April 15, 2023 in Vancouver, as part of the CAJ’s national conference.  Finalists qualify for special conference rates, and will be contacted with how to obtain these rates. Finalists are [...]

2302, 2023

Hey Google: Why are you preventing some Canadians from accessing the news?

February 23rd, 2023|Categories: Advocacy, General|

TORONTO, ON, Feb. 23, 2023 - Google’s efforts to prevent some Canadians from accessing news on its platform under the auspices of “rebalancing the power dynamics in the digital news marketplace” is a harmful act that amounts to taking the public hostage in its efforts to undermine legislation currently being studied by the Canadian Senate. On Wednesday, Google told The Canadian Press that it is temporarily limiting access to [...]

1302, 2023

Breaching a journalist’s Charter rights is a red line that can never be crossed

February 13th, 2023|Categories: Advocacy, General|

VANCOUVER, B.C., Feb. 13, 2023 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) strongly supports the legal action brought forward in the Supreme Court of British Columbia earlier today by Amber Bracken and The Narwhal against the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and related parties for alleged violation of their rights under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  The lawsuit stems from the arrest of Bracken, an award-winning photojournalist, while [...]

702, 2023

Announcing the Winter 2023 CAJ Post-Secondary Student Interns

February 7th, 2023|Categories: General, Mentorship|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to welcome Scott Duke-Giles, Poornima Francis and Yumna Iftikhar to the team and will work with the CAJ as post-secondary student interns for the winter semester. Duke-Giles, Francis and Iftikhar will help produce engaging promotional materials, aid in communications efforts of the organization and will assist the conference committee with planning and delivery of the CAJ’s upcoming national conference and awards [...]

2112, 2022

CAJ releases second annual national Canadian Newsroom Diversity Survey results

December 21st, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA, Dec. 21, 2022/ CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to release the findings of its second annual national Canadian Newsroom Diversity Survey.  The CAJ collected data on 5,012 journalists from 242 newsrooms across radio, television, digital and print media in Canada. This is up from 3,873 journalists at 209 newsrooms in the inaugural 2021 survey results. The CAJ worked with data and analytics experts [...]

212, 2022

The Canadian Association of Journalists is now accepting nominations for its 2022 Awards program

December 2nd, 2022|Categories: Awards, General|

OTTAWA, Dec. 2, 2022 / CNW/ – The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce entries are now being accepted for its CAJ Awards program, Canada’s preeminent national journalism investigative awards program.  The CAJ Awards program features 18 categories and rewards journalistic excellence published across multiple platforms and frequencies. There are special awards for specific topics, including: environment and climate change, labour, human rights, and reconciliation.  The [...]

2811, 2022

CAJ Fall 2022 mentorship program matches 59 journalists with mentors

November 28th, 2022|Categories: General, Mentorship|

TORONTO, November 28, 2022/ CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce the 59 successful applicants for the seventh round of its mentorship program.  In the coming weeks, mentees will work with mentors from across the country and across mediums and platforms: radio, television, audience engagement, photojournalism, digital, and print publications. Mentors had the option to select mentees for a full six-week individual or group [...]

2511, 2022

Investintech-CAJ launch fourth annual Canadian data journalism scholarship

November 25th, 2022|Categories: Awards, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce that nominations have now opened for the fourth annual Investintech-CAJ Data Journalism Scholarship. The scholarship is aimed at supporting and recognizing post-secondary students who are interested in journalism. The winner of the scholarship will be one Canadian student whose submission shows an interest and understanding of data journalism tools and techniques. The winner will receive a one-time cash prize [...]

2311, 2022

Muzzling media does not help right the wrongs of past failures of justice: CAJ

November 23rd, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

Update to this story: https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/judge-denies-saskatchewan-request-for-publication-ban-during-saulteaux-sisters-bail-hearing/ REGINA, November 23, 2022/ CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) calls on the Government of Saskatchewan, and the province’s minister of justice and attorney general, to withdraw its unnecessary application for a sweeping publication ban that would prevent journalists from reporting on the upcoming bail hearing for a pair of Saulteaux sisters in a possible wrongful conviction case. Sisters Nerissa and Odelia [...]

1810, 2022

Fall is here and so is the launch of the Canadian Association of Journalists’ next round of the mentorship program

October 18th, 2022|Categories: General, Mentorship|

TORONTO, ON., Oct 18, 2022/CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce the launch of the Fall 2022 edition of its popular mentorship program. Thirty top Canadian journalists working in radio, television, digital, and print publications from across the country have stepped up to donate their time to mentor early - and mid-career CAJ members. “Our mentorship program displays the very best of Canadian journalism,” [...]

710, 2022

U.S. must abandon its charges against Julian Assange

October 7th, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is renewing its support of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in his fight to avoid extradition to the U.S. on Espionage Act charges. The CAJ joins numerous other journalism and human rights organizations in calling on Britain to drop its efforts to extradite him, and on the U.S. to abandon the charges. Assange faces up to 175 years in jail for publishing classified documents [...]

710, 2022

Announcing the Fall 2022 CAJ Post-Secondary Student Interns

October 7th, 2022|Categories: General, Mentorship|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to welcome Reanna Julien, Caleb Hooper and Sophie Palmer-Still to work as post-secondary student interns for the fall semester. Julien will be assisting with the diversity survey, Hooper will be helping with awards and conference planning and Palmer-Still will be working on communications. The interns will also be working together assisting with the CAJ’s advocacy efforts. Julien is in her final [...]

1409, 2022

CAJ Summer 2022 mentorship program matches 74 journalists with mentors

September 14th, 2022|Categories: General, Mentorship|

TORONTO, September 14, 2022/ CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce the 74 successful applicants for the sixth round of its mentorship program.  In the coming weeks, mentees will work with mentors from across the country and across mediums and platforms: radio, television, audience engagement, photojournalism, digital, and print publications. Mentors had the option to select mentees for a full six-week individual or group [...]

109, 2022

Open letter to PM Justin Trudeau concerning the online hate and harassment of journalists

September 1st, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

UPDATE: Please see PDF for response from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Sept. 1, 2022 The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P. Prime Minister of Canada 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A2 Delivered by email Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, We are writing in relation to the increasing and alarming online hate and harassment targeting journalists and journalism as a profession. This is a global problem, which threatens not only the safety [...]

1208, 2022

CAJ: The RCMP kept an investigative journalist in the dark even after his life was threatened

August 12th, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

WINNIPEG, MB, August 12, 2022 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists is disturbed by new information about a neo-Nazi plot to kill a Winnipeg Free Press journalist, and calls on the RCMP to clarify what information it had obtained from U.S. police and what steps it took to investigate the murder plot. In 2019, Ryan Thorpe went undercover to expose Canadian Armed Forces reservist Patrik Mathews as a [...]

1108, 2022

Letter to Ottawa and Toronto Police Chiefs

August 11th, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

Dear Interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell and Toronto Police Chief James Ramer, With copies to: David Lametti, Minister of Justice Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety Pablo Rodriquez, Minister of Canadian Heritage Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Brenda Lucki, Commissioner of the RCMP Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario We are writing in relation to several police reports filed in Ottawa and Toronto [...]

2507, 2022

The CAJ announces director roles and responsibilities for 2022-2023 term

July 25th, 2022|Categories: General|

OTTAWA, ON, July 25, 2022/ CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce its executive and team roles and responsibilities for the 2022-2023 term. Brent Jolly will continue to serve as the association’s president for the coming year. Fatima Syed, who previously served as the CAJ’s vice-president, will continue in her role as well. Veteran investigative journalist Cecil Rosner also joins the CAJ executive as [...]

1907, 2022

Call for nominations – Extended!

July 19th, 2022|Categories: General|

The CAJ board of directors has extended the deadline for nominations of our open board positions. The new deadline is Wednesday, August 3, at 5:00 p.m. (ET). Do you want to help improve Canadian journalism? If so, join us! The CAJ board of directors is in need of representatives in Saskatchewan, Quebec and Toronto. We’re looking for people who are passionate about journalism and want to help our organization [...]

1207, 2022

It’s back! The CAJ announces launch of Summer 2022 mentorship program.

July 12th, 2022|Categories: General, Mentorship|

TORONTO, ON., July 12, 2022/CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce the launch of the Summer 2022 edition of its popular mentorship program. Twenty-eight top Canadian journalists working in radio, television, digital, and print publications from across the country have stepped up to donate their time to mentor early - and mid-career CAJ members. “Our mentorship program has demonstrated strength and unity in the [...]

1107, 2022

199 Newsrooms Commit to Filling out the Canadian Newsroom Diversity Survey

July 11th, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

July 11, 2022- The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce that 199 media outlets have committed to participating in the 2022 Canadian Newsroom Diversity Survey, a landmark annual snapshot of the country’s media demographics. The survey measures the race and gender of journalists working in newsrooms nationwide. Last year, the CAJ collected data on 3,873 journalists working at 209 media outlets. So far this year, 143 [...]

606, 2022

Congratulations to the 2021 CAJ Awards Recipients!

June 6th, 2022|Categories: Awards, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 CAJ Awards for outstanding investigative journalism, awarded on May 28, 2022. This included presenting the McGillivray Award, recognizing the program’s best investigative journalism, to APTN News’ Brittany Guyot and Kathleen Martens. The team’s Surviving Day Schools entry used freedom-of-information and other investigative techniques to confirm that Indian Day Schools have also seen student deaths echoing [...]

2805, 2022

CAJ recognizes Canadian lawyers who vigorously defend media freedoms with 2021 Charles Bury Award

May 28th, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, Awards, General|

MONTREAL, May 28, 2022 - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) has awarded the prestigious Charles Bury Award to the legends of Canadian lawyers who have generously provided pro-bono legal services to help uphold journalists’ rights to report on matters of significant public interest. “Over the past four decades, there have been dozens and dozens of lawyers who have answered late-night calls from CAJ presidents, who’ve gone above and [...]

2305, 2022

Aastha Sethi wins Investintech – CAJ Data Journalism Scholarship

May 23rd, 2022|Categories: Awards, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce that Aastha Sethi, a journalism student at the University of British Columbia, is this year’s winner of the CAJ-Investintech Data Journalism Scholarship. More information about Aastha and her award can be found on the investintech.com website. The CAJ thanks all applicants for taking the time to submit to this year’s scholarship and encourages it’s student members to consider applying [...]

2305, 2022

Announcing the Summer 2022 CAJ Post-Secondary Student Interns

May 23rd, 2022|Categories: General, Mentorship|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to welcome Tamanna Khan and Mark Colley to the team. Both will work with the CAJ as post-secondary student interns for the summer semester. SInce joining the CAJ earlier this month, Khan and Colley have been busy,  helping produce engaging promotional materials for the CAJ’s upcoming national conference and awards gala. After the conference, they will be providing support with the [...]

1104, 2022

CAJ offers free membership to Afghan journalists

April 11th, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) will be offering free membership for a period of up to three years to any Afghan journalist who left Afghanistan after May 1, 2021 and settled in Canada.  The CAJ has spoken up in the past about Canada’s obligation to support Afghan journalists, many of whom have risked their personal safety to help Canadian reporters bear witness and report safely during the Afghan [...]

2202, 2022

Out of sight, but not out of mind: Laying bare the RCMP’s efforts to evade public transparency

February 22nd, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

For its persistent efforts to impede the free flow of information to the public, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the law enforcement category. The Mounties received an unprecedented double-citation from this year’s jury. The first citation was bestowed on the RCMP for their efforts to impede journalists from [...]

2102, 2022

Open letter to Ottawa Police regarding press freedom violations

February 21st, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The CAJ is concerned about recent accounts of police interference with journalists reporting in Ottawa. The following is an open letter from CAJ president Brent Jolly to Ottawa Police Service Chief, Steve Bell. If you are a reporter in need of assistance, please reach out to us.  Dear Mr. Steve Bell, interim Ottawa Police Service Chief, I'm writing to you in my capacity as national president of the Canadian [...]

1502, 2022

Much ado about something: Stratford City Council selected as 2021’s ‘Most Secretive’ municipal body

February 15th, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

Stratford City Council has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the municipal category. For more than two years, the Stratford City Council circumvented basic transparency measures as it held secret in-camera meetings and failed to properly report discussions and planning undertaken with Xinyi Canada Glass, the Canadian subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Xinyi Glass Holdings, to build [...]

1002, 2022

CAJ: Student Press Freedom Act a ‘critical step’ to uphold freedom of expression

February 10th, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) applauds the outstanding efforts of a group of secondary school student journalists to make the Student Press Freedom Act (SPFA) law in British Columbia.  “In a time when institutions are increasingly throwing up roadblocks to prevent journalists, of all ages, from speaking truth to power, the spirit and intent of this bill is a critical step to upholding the fundamental rights to a [...]

902, 2022

Online hate is damaging journalists and democracy, according to a new report released by the CAJ and CJF

February 9th, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) and the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) have released “Poisoned Well,” the troubling findings of an industry roundtable on journalists and online hate.  “Freedom of the press is integral to a healthy democracy,” says Natalie Turvey, CJF President and Executive Director. “The online abuse suffered by too many journalists today goes well beyond critical discourse and, in many cases, harms their safety and well-being [...]

802, 2022

Ignoble efforts by B.C. government to short-circuit citizens from accessing their rights to information separated itself from the rest in 2021

February 8th, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

British Columbia Premier John Horgan, Minister of Citizens’ Services Lisa Beare, and the provincial government of B.C. have been selected as the 2021 recipients of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the provincial category.  The B.C. government was selected as the winner for its efforts to materially harm the public’s right to information through new legislation. On October 18, 2021, the Horgan government [...]

402, 2022

CAJ sounds alarm over continued rise in attacks against Canadian journalists

February 4th, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of journalists (CAJ) is deeply concerned about the alarming rise in harassment and threats against journalists covering the Ottawa occupation protests and similar demonstrations across the country.   “We welcome thoughtful criticism and discussion of journalists’ work but threatening, harassing, physically intimidating, or throwing objects at journalists reporting on these protests has no place in a free country like Canada and is completely unacceptable,” said CAJ president [...]

102, 2022

Indigenous Services Canada headlines trifecta of federal departments ‘winning’ at obstructing release of information

February 1st, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

Indigenous Services Canada has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the federal category.  Indigenous Services Canada is recognized for its ongoing failure to provide details surrounding test results of drinking water in many Indigenous communities, as well as contracts negotiated with private water companies requested under Canada’s federal Access to Information Act.  Numerous requests have been [...]

2801, 2022

Newsroom leaders encouraged to protect safety of journalists covering truckers’ convoy

January 28th, 2022|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is encouraging newsroom leaders to take preemptive action to ensure that the safety of journalists is protected in the wake of increasing threats made against reporters covering the ongoing trucker’s convoy.  This week, the CAJ has been alerted to several troubling incidents from journalists in the field.  Journalists have received death threats littered with racist epithets. Others have been spat on and verbally [...]

2211, 2021

Arrested Canadian journalists: CAJ letter to Canada’s Public Safety Minister

November 22nd, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The CAJ is extremely concerned about two Canadian journalists, Amber Bracken and Michael Toledano, who were illegally arrested on Nov. 19 and remain in custody three days later. The CAJ demands their immediate release, the return of their belongings, and for the RCMP to drop all charges.   More than 40 news outlets and press freedom organizations have signed on to the below letter, calling for Canada’s public safety minister [...]

2011, 2021

CAJ calls for immediate release of arrested journalists reporting from Wet’suwet’en

November 20th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) demands the RCMP immediately release award-winning photojournalist Amber Bracken and documentarian Michael Toledano from police custody with their belongings. The two were illegally arrested by RCMP officers late yesterday afternoon while reporting on the construction of a contentious natural gas pipeline in Wet’suwet’en territory in northern British Columbia.   “As was the case this past summer in Fairy Creek, and several other instances before [...]

1911, 2021

Open letter to the RCMP about press freedom concerns in Wet’suwet’en Territory

November 19th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The CAJ is very concerned about recent accounts of police interference with journalists reporting from Wet'suwet'en. The following is an open letter from CAJ president Brent Jolly to the B.C. RCMP. If you are reporting from the ground and need assistance, please reach out.  Dear Dawn (Roberts), Chris (Manseau), Madonna (Saunderson), and Janelle (Shoihet), I hope this note finds you well. I'm writing to you in my capacity as [...]

1111, 2021

Online attacks against Canadian journalists are steadily rising, IPSOS poll says

November 11th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The results are in and they are, sadly, what we expected: Canadian journalists are increasingly under attack online The first-ever Canadian survey of online harassment against journalists and media professionals shows that attacks are on the rise and having serious repercussions on both individuals and the industry as a whole. The results of the Ipsos survey were shared with participants at the #NotOK — Stand Up for Journalism and [...]

911, 2021

CAJ joins international coalition against online violence

November 9th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce it is joining the Coalition Against Online Violence effective immediately.  As a member of the coalition, the CAJ will work with journalism organizations around the world to identify solutions for the ongoing problem of online abuse and harassment faced, in particular, by female journalists and journalists of colour.  The CAJ is the first Canada-specific journalism organization to be accepted [...]

2810, 2021

‘A thumb in the eye of transparency’: CAJ denounces B.C.’s proposed FOI amendments

October 28th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) calls on B.C. Premier John Horgan’s government to immediately reverse course and abandon its outrageous plan to impose a $25 tariff on requests for information made under the province’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.    The proposed legislation, Bill 22, was tabled in the provincial legislature on October 18 by Lisa Beare, the minister of citizens’ services. In addition to the [...]

2610, 2021

CAJ Digital Security for Journalists workshop

October 26th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The CAJ is partnering with the Freedom of the Press Foundation to host a digital security workshop for journalists on Nov. 4, 2021 at 8:00 p.m. ET. CAJ members can register here to attend. Please note that space is limited and registration is required to attend the event.  This session will provide an introduction to account and device security to help journalists better protect themselves and their sources. Topics [...]

1510, 2021

Journalists: Protect yourself with these quick resources

October 15th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

Supporting reporters who continue to receive an onslaught of hateful emails and messages targeting their identities is deeply important to the CAJ. We have heard from many journalists who are looking for resources to help cope with the impact of receiving hate, which includes threats of sexual assault, other forms of violence, and death. First, we want to emphasize that the onus is not solely on an individual journalist [...]

510, 2021

An update on what we’re doing to fight harassment of Canadian journalists

October 5th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

This past Sunday, the CAJ’s board of directors met virtually for our quarterly board meeting. As always, there was much to discuss: planning for our 2022 national conference in Montreal, readying next year’s awards program, preparing for the rollout of our soon-to-be-released diversity survey, and plans for launching the next round of our mentorship program that opens Oct. 25.  One of the major items on our agenda, however, was [...]

510, 2021

Canadian media stand united in support of all journalists against online hate, threats and harassment

October 5th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

A strong, diverse media is vital for a well-informed, democratic society. While criticism is an integral part of journalism and democracy, there can be no tolerance for hate and harassment of journalists or for incitement of attacks on journalists for doing their jobs. That these attacks inordinately target women and racialized journalists speaks to the motivation of the people engaging in this behaviour. We are united in supporting our [...]

2909, 2021

CAJ urges government, law enforcement to address targeted harassment of reporters

September 29th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) calls for swift and decisive action from authorities in response to a recent wave of targeted threats made against multiple Canadian journalists. Last week, Maxime Bernier, the leader of the People’s Party of Canada, publicly urged his followers on Twitter to ‘play dirty’ with journalists who were requesting comments around the party’s ties to the far right. Bernier proceeded to specifically target three [...]

2809, 2021

CAJ sounds alarm about Canada’s broken access to information regime

September 28th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

On this Right to Know Day, the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) calls on the federal government, provincial governments, municipalities, and other publicly-funded agencies, once again, to take meaningful steps towards implementing long-sought solutions to ensure the right to know of Canadians is respected.  To mark #RTK2021, the CAJ is working with the Public Service Information Community Connection (PSICC) on their Right to Know Week festivities. The CAJ will [...]

2709, 2021

CAJ welcomes Supreme Court decision expanding right to challenge publication bans

September 27th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

On Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada released an important decision on the public’s right to know about court proceedings. A coalition of press freedom groups, including the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), intervened in the appeal. The coalition is pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision. It helps ensure that publication bans will not escape challenge by journalists and scrutiny by the courts. In Canadian Broadcasting Corp. v. Manitoba, [...]

2009, 2021

Where do Canada’s political parties stand on reform to Canada’s archaic federal access to information regime?

September 20th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

Four federal parties have responded to questionnaires submitted on behalf of more than a dozen press freedom and public interest advocacy groups, including the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), to explain how their governments would implement long-overdue reforms to Canada’s archaic access to information system.   Each federal party was sent a survey containing five questions ranging in subject from how their party would amend laws to provide greater access [...]

1409, 2021

Right to Know Week 2021: Fresh eyes on #cdnfoi

September 14th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is thrilled to partner with the Public Service Information Community Connection (PSICC) that is organizing the 2021 Right to Know Week activities across Canada. On September 29, CAJ president Brent Jolly will be moderating a panel discussion with emerging and established journalists about both the strengths and weaknesses of the #cdnfoi system and ideas for reform. Panelists include: Alexander Quon was born and [...]

809, 2021

All political parties must promise to overhaul Canada’s archaic access to information system

September 8th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) calls on all party leaders to explain how their government would implement long-overdue reforms to Canada’s archaic access to information system during tonight’s French-language and tomorrow’s English-language federal leaders’ debates being held at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.  “Canadians’ right to know is so frequently poorly-served by our crumbling federal access to information system,” said CAJ president Brent Jolly. “Looking [...]

709, 2021

Now is not the time for red tape: Canada’s federal government must ‘finish the job’ and assist Afghan journalists

September 7th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) continue to press the federal government to cut unnecessary ‘red tape’ and uphold its obligation to support Afghan journalists, and support workers, who risked their personal safety to help Canadian reporters bear witness and report safely during the nearly two decade-long conflict.  On August 20, the CAJ and CJFE, with the support of dozens of news [...]

2008, 2021

Joint statement from Canadian news media requesting assistance for Afghan journalists, and their families, who have supported Canada

August 20th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

Over the past several days, the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) and the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) have been working, with the support of multiple Canadian news organizations, to inform the federal government of their duty to support Afghan journalists and support staff who made our work possible. The return to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan has placed many residents of that country in grave danger. [...]

1908, 2021

Press accreditation procedure for the federal leaders’ debates

August 19th, 2021|Categories: General|

During the last federal election, the CAJ called for the Leaders’ Debates Commission to be more transparent in its accreditation process. This year, the Commission has released accreditation instructions which include three application options. Members of professional media associations, including the CAJ, are among those eligible to go through the accreditation process. If you are applying for press accreditation for the federal leaders debate, you may be asked to [...]

1308, 2021

CAJ urges RCMP to follow court order to respect media rights after journalist arrested at Fairy Creek

August 13th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) strongly condemns the recent arrest of a photojournalist by RCMP officers at the Fairy Creek watershed on Vancouver Island. The CAJ is dismayed by the actions of the RCMP, which took place just days after a B.C. Supreme Court judge ordered police not to interfere with media access absent a bona fide operational reason for doing so.  On Tuesday morning, RCMP arrested photojournalist [...]

2007, 2021

CAJ and press freedom coalition win court challenge against RCMP media restrictions at Fairy Creek

July 20th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

Nanaimo, July 20, 2021/CNW/ - Today’s decision by the British Columbia Supreme Court to grant an application to modify an injunction, which was brought forward by the Canadian Association of Journalists, in partnership with a coalition of news organizations and press freedom groups, is a resounding affirmation of media rights and the vital role journalism plays in upholding the public interest.   The press coalition had asked the court to [...]

2007, 2021

CAJ calls on Toronto to stop restricting journalists from covering evictions of homeless people in Alexandra Park

July 20th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) calls on Toronto authorities to immediately drop all restrictions placed on Canadian Press photojournalist Chris Young and commit publicly to stop arresting reporters covering the removal of homeless encampments.  “This is the second time in less than 30 days where a Toronto journalist has been handcuffed and detained simply for doing their job,” said CAJ president Brent Jolly. “This is yet another attempt [...]

2406, 2021

CAJ reaffirms the TRC’s Calls to Action for media

June 24th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

With the horrific news that 751 unmarked graves have been found at Marieval Indian Residential School, the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) urges Canadian newsrooms to carefully report on the tragedy without doing further harm to survivors. Please heed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action for media. "The media has a role to play in ensuring that public information both for and about Aboriginal peoples reflects their [...]

2206, 2021

CAJ condemns Toronto Police’s attempts to stop journalists from scrutinizing their activity at Trinity Bellwoods Park

June 22nd, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) condemns the Toronto Police's attempts to obstruct multiple journalists from scrutinizing their activity in a public park today, including the detention of one photojournalist.  Five journalists at the scene told the CAJ that their access to the fenced areas in the park was blocked by police. One freelance photojournalist who was wearing a vest with “news” written on it said he was shoved [...]

2905, 2021

Congratulations to the 2020 CAJ Awards recipients!

May 29th, 2021|Categories: Awards, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2020 CAJ Awards for outstanding investigative journalism. This included presenting the McGillivray Award to Tom Cardoso, whose Bias Behind Bars entry published in the Globe and Mail was chosen as the best from among the program’s seven investigative award-winners. His work looked into risk assessments used within Canada’s correctional system and how the data proves they [...]

2605, 2021

CAJ, CJFE, coalition of news organizations challenge RCMP injunction

May 26th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

A coalition of news organizations and press freedom groups, including the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), plan to file a legal application seeking the court’s assistance to allow journalists substantive access to cover a demonstration against the logging of an old-growth forest currently taking place in the Fairy Creek watershed, near Port Renfrew, B.C. In addition to the CAJ, the coalition includes Ricochet Media, The Narwhal, Capital Daily, Canada’s [...]

1805, 2021

CAJ calls on courts to limit RCMP powers when granting injunctions

May 18th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is respectfully calling on courts to limit the powers of the RCMP, and other police agencies, when issuing injunctions. This call comes after the RCMP temporarily blocked media access to the Fairy Creek watershed, near Port Renfrew, B.C., yesterday as police were set to enforce an injunction and remove demonstrators who have been blocking logging of an old-growth forest since last summer.  “The [...]

1003, 2021

CAJ: BuzzFeed’s swift shutdown of Huffpost Canada and Quebec demonstrates a callousness towards their dedicated journalists

March 10th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is dismayed by BuzzFeed’s abrupt decision to shutter HuffPost Canada and HuffPost Québec yesterday.  Journalists from both outlets were alerted to the closure when HuffPost Canada’s website was abruptly shut down with a message, in both English and French, that declared no new journalism would be produced. About two dozen full-time Canadian journalists will be out of work effective March 15, an employee [...]

203, 2021

Ottawa Police Service recognized for ‘Outstanding Achievement’ in government secrecy

March 2nd, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Ottawa Police Service has been named as the recipient of the 2020 Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the law enforcement category.  The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is being recognized for its complete and utter violation of both the spirit and intent of Freedom of Information legislation. As reported in The Ottawa Citizen, a grieving family applied to the Ottawa Police Service, under [...]

2302, 2021

City of North Bay recognized for outstanding achievement in government secrecy

February 23rd, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The City of North Bay, Ont., has been named as the recipient of the 2020 Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the municipal category.  The city is being recognized because of repeated efforts to circumvent basic transparency and accountability measures expected of democratic governments. Among the laundry list of concerns brought to the attention of the Code of Silence jury were:   How the city [...]

1602, 2021

Quebec’s Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks wins government secrecy award

February 16th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

Quebec’s Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks has been named as the recipient of the 2020 Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the provincial category.  The provincial ministry is being recognized for its unwillingness to share lab data with scientists at Environment Canada related to four mysterious fish kills that took place during the summer of 2019. At the time, dead fish showed up [...]

1002, 2021

CAJ: Bell, we need to talk about all these layoffs

February 10th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) condemns Bell Media for its decision to slash, without proper notice, more than 200 journalism jobs and support staff in radio and television operations across the country in the span of just over a week.  “These are dark, devastating days for Canadian journalism,” said CAJ president Brent Jolly. “Some of the journalists who’ve lost their jobs have spent 20 years (or longer) with [...]

902, 2021

Federal cabinet recognized for ‘outstanding achievement’ in government secrecy

February 9th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Federal Cabinet is the 2020 recipient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the federal category. The Cabinet is recognized for suppressing public access to details about very large loans—at times amounting to billions of dollars—given to corporations out of the public purse. “Citing commercial confidentiality to prevent journalists and the public from accessing details of loans handed out through the so-called [...]

2601, 2021

CAJ condemns Alberta’s efforts to discredit climate journalists

January 26th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists condemns all attempts by governments and third-party agencies to discredit the work journalists undertake to cover climate change in Canada.  Numerous journalistic bodies — including the Society of Environmental Journalists — are smeared in a new Government of Alberta-bankrolled report titled A New Global Paradigm: Understanding the Transnational Progressive Movement, the Energy Transition and the Great Transformation Strangling Alberta’s Petroleum Industry. This report was [...]

1801, 2021

CAJ: It is every journalist’s responsibility to call out racism – even in their own newsroom

January 18th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

In the wake of the arbitration decision in the matter of CBC vs. CMG on behalf of journalist Ahmar Khan, the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) calls on all Canadian newsrooms to guarantee that journalists can discuss and report on race and racism without reasonable fear of censure or repercussion.  “As journalists, our primary job is to hold uncomfortable but transparent conversations about complicated truths,” said CAJ president Brent [...]

801, 2021

A sobering week for journalism

January 8th, 2021|Categories: Advocacy, General|

Letter sent to members on January 8, 2021 by CAJ President, Brent Jolly.  Dear members, Wednesday's infamous events brought into focus the critical work journalists perform each and every single day around the world, in times of both peace and conflict. It is a journalist’s duty to seek and report the truth, bear witness, and explain complex events so that society can make informed choices.  Regrettably, we have been [...]

2511, 2020

CAJ launches 2020 Canadian Newsroom Diversity Survey

November 25th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2020 Canadian Newsroom Diversity Survey—Canada’s first representative survey of diversity in media.  The survey comes following three years of consultations with experts in survey design and media diversity and will help tell a story—with hard data—about who works in Canadian media.  “The glaring lack of diversity in Canadian newsrooms is no secret,” said CAJ past [...]

611, 2020

Access to information crisis leaves journalists, Canadians in the dark amid COVID-19 second wave

November 6th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

HALIFAX, TORONTO—As the COVID-19 pandemic’s second-wave continues to sweep across much of the country, the federal government has maintained a very cavalier approach to meeting its legal obligations under Canada’s Access to Information Act.  According to a 21 October report in the Winnipeg Free Press, less than half of federal access to information offices are currently operating at full capacity. This is because many departments have de-prioritised the processing [...]

2610, 2020

US Visa changes threaten journalistic freedom: Joint statement

October 26th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

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 [...]

910, 2020

CAJ condemns Winnipeg Police interference with reporter

October 9th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

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 [...]

2809, 2020

The right to know is crucial in a crisis

September 28th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

This International Right to Know Day, we call on all governments and public authorities to ensure that the ongoing COVID-19 crisis is not a pretext for limiting citizens’ right to information. Legal and practical processes for accessing information should now be restored to pre-pandemic levels and even improved upon. The transparent and timely sharing of information with the public, on both a proactive and reactive basis, is crucial for [...]

409, 2020

Press freedom groups demand Ontario police drop all charges against Indigenous journalist

September 4th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

TORONTO, Sept. 4, 2020 /CNW/ —The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the Ontario Provincial Police’s decision to arrest and lay charges against an award-winning Indigenous journalist.  On September 2, Karl Dockstader, the co-recipient of the 2020 CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowship, was arrested and charged with mischief, and failure to comply with a court order. Dockstader was [...]

1808, 2020

CAJ: Alberta Press Gallery has a duty and a right to determine access

August 18th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

TORONTO, Aug. 18, 2020 /CNW/ -This past Sunday, the national board of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) gathered for a regular meeting. One of our main agenda items was to discuss the recent news of the Alberta Legislative Press Gallery’s refusal to issue memberships to employees of Rebel News.  Late last week, Postmedia announced its extraordinary decision to pull its newspapers from the press gallery. While the CAJ [...]

3107, 2020

CAJ calls on OPP to retract threat of charges, apologize to journalist

July 31st, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

TORONTO, July 31, 2020 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is alarmed to learn the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has threatened CBC reporter Colin Butler with harassment charges while performing his reporting duties. "Responsible, ethical, reporting requires that journalists seek out comments from individuals who are subjects of investigations," said CAJ president Brent Jolly. "Trying to intimidate journalists for doing their job is completely unacceptable. Journalism is [...]

2807, 2020

CAJ condemns attacks on journalists in Quebec

July 28th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA, July 28, 2020/CNW/ — The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) condemns the attacks against journalists covering anti-mask protests in Quebec City and Montreal this past weekend and calls on police to sanction all behaviour by protesters that intentionally put journalists’ health and safety at risk.  “The physical assault, harassment and intimidation of journalists have no place in a democratic society and constitute attacks against freedom of the press, [...]

2307, 2020

Layoffs at Global: Canadians lose out on vital journalism during COVID-19

July 23rd, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

Update: An earlier version of this press release stated that Global had laid off 70 journalists from across its operations. Global claims that number is incorrect but declined to say how many people were laid off. TORONTO, July 23, 2020 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) was dismayed to learn that multiple journalists, predominantly employed in Global News' digital operations, lost their jobs yesterday.  The decision, according [...]

1006, 2020

CAJ: Ontario journalists, whistleblowers impacted by Bill 156

June 10th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA, June 10, 2020 /CNW/ — The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is raising a number of concerns about Ontario's proposed Bill 156 and it's impacts on journalists and the public's right to know. These concerns include the targeting of investigative journalists and a lack of protections for whistleblowers. The following written testimony has been submitted to the Standing Committee on General Government:  Dear Standing Committee on General Government, [...]

106, 2020

CAJ: Police must stop attacking journalists covering protests in the U.S.

June 1st, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA, June 1, 2020 /CNW/ - Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is outraged after hearing CBC journalist Susan Ormiston’s report that U.S. police shot at her with rubber bullets and Radio-Canada journalist Philippe LeBlanc’s report that police slashed his tires. Both journalists were reporting on protests sweeping across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death.  “Some officers are purposely injuring reporters. It's positively nightmarish; they are out [...]

3005, 2020

Three journalists awarded CAJ President’s Award for Wet’suwet’en coverage

May 30th, 2020|Categories: Awards, General|

Each year the Charles Bury President's Award is given under circumstances of exceptional merit to those people or organizations that have made a significant contribution to Canadian journalism. This year, the award is presented to Jerome Turner, Jesse Winter and Amber Bracken for their dedicated reporting and, in particular, for protecting the public's right to know how events unfolded at Wet'suwet'en. Here are the remarks on that award from [...]

3005, 2020

Congratulations to the 2019 CAJ Awards recipients!

May 30th, 2020|Categories: Awards, General|

OTTAWA, May 30, 2020 / CNW / The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 CAJ Awards for outstanding investigative journalism. This included presenting the McGillivray Award to Craig Silverman of BuzzFeed News, for his multi-part look at how one company successfully used Facebook, and fake news posts, to lure people into subscription-based services that only ended up ripping them off. BuzzFeed’s [...]

1105, 2020

Liberals can salvage broken ATIP system if they muster political will

May 11th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA, May 11, 2020 / CNW /—The access-to-information system, an essential service providing Canadians information about the internal workings of government, is at a near standstill. Delays have produced huge backlogs that are overwhelming departments. This comes at a time when the federal government spends billions of dollars in emergency aid with minimal parliamentary scrutiny. The system is often the only means of transparency that allows  Canadians to hold [...]

3004, 2020

Environment and Climate Change Canada wins Code of Silence Award

April 30th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

TORONTO, April 30, 2020 /CNW/—Environment and Climate Change Canada is the 2019 recipient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the federal category. 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 governments, government departments and agencies [...]

2804, 2020

Code of Silence Award goes to Alberta Government

April 28th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

TORONTO, April 28, 2020 /CNW/—The Government of Alberta is the 2019 recipient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the provincial category. 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 governments, government departments and agencies that [...]

804, 2020

Newsrooms must not compromise journalistic independence for advertisers: CAJ

April 8th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA, April 8, 2020 /CNW/—The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is disturbed to hear from journalists who say their stories are being vetted to ensure advertisers are kept happy. While the CAJ cannot confirm the practice is widespread, several journalists have reported that their news stories are being reviewed to ensure they do not contain anything that would offend the business community, in the interest of preventing ad losses.  [...]

403, 2020

Canada rapidly losing moral authority after arrest of award-winning filmmaker

March 4th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA, March 4, 2020 /CNW/—If Canada's political leaders won’t stand up for journalists whose press-freedom rights are subject to the whims of the RCMP, they better prepare for some harsh criticism, and perhaps embarrassment, when Canada hosts the second instalment of the Canada-U.K. Global Conference for Media Freedom in Quebec City later this year. That conference will come on the heels of the RCMP's arrest of an award-winning American [...]

2702, 2020

Code of Silence Award goes to police in 3 provinces

February 27th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

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, [...]

2402, 2020

Town of Erin named most secretive municipal government in Canada

February 24th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

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 [...]

802, 2020

CAJ calls on reporters to continue documenting RCMP infringements on media rights

February 8th, 2020|Categories: Advocacy, General|

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 [...]

910, 2019

CAJ encouraged Federal Court decision on press accreditation will push for transparency

October 9th, 2019|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA / Oct. 9, 2019 / CNW — The CAJ is encouraged that a Federal Court decision on accreditation will push the Leaders' Debate Commission to be more transparent. A Federal Court judge ruled Rebel Media and the True North Centre for Public Policy should have access to the federal debates taking place this week. The Leaders' Debates Commission refused to provide their representatives accreditation, stating the organizations engage [...]

605, 2019

Congratulations to the 2018 CAJ Awards recipients!

May 6th, 2019|Categories: Awards, General|

WINNIPEG, May 6, 2019 / CNW / The Canadian Association of Journalists is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 CAJ Awards for outstanding investigative journalism. This included presenting the McGillivray Award to Laura Kane and Aleksandra Sagan of The Canadian Press, who won the year’s top investigative prize for their entry Contagion: Edging closer to a world without antibiotics. The entry looked at the challenge of how [...]

2803, 2019

Court victory for Justin Brake, journalism

March 28th, 2019|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA, March 28, 2019—Today’s decision by the Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador is a victory for Justin Brake, and offers protection for journalists from broad injunctions.  Mr. Brake faces criminal charges of mischief and disobeying a court order after he followed a group of mostly Indigenous demonstrators onto the site of the Muskrat Falls hydro project site, following demonstrators for the purpose of reporting in October 2016. [...]

111, 2018

Bill Morneau: The man behind Canada’s most secretive federal department 2018

November 1st, 2018|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA / Nov. 1, 2018 / CNW — The federal department of finance, headed by minister Bill Morneau, is the 2018 recipient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the federal category. 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 [...]

1510, 2018

Niagara Region named most secretive municipal government in Canada

October 15th, 2018|Categories: Advocacy, General|

CATHARINES, ON, Oct. 15, 2018 - The Regional Municipality of Niagara is the 2018 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 [...]

505, 2018

Congratulations to the 2017 CAJ Award Recipients!

May 5th, 2018|Categories: General|

TORONTO, May 5, 2018 / CNW /—The Canadian Association of Journalists is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017 CAJ Awards for outstanding investigative journalism. This included presenting the McGillivray Award to the team behind Unfounded, published by the Globe and Mail, recognizing Canada’s top investigative journalism broadcast and/or published last year. The work behind Unfounded uncovered a troubling lapse in how sexual assaults are investigated by law [...]

2911, 2017

Canada’s most secretive provincial ministry: Saskatchewan Highways and Infrastructure

November 29th, 2017|Categories: Advocacy, General|

TORONTO / Nov. 29 / CNW — The Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure is the 2017 recipient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the category of provincial government ministries and agencies.  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) [...]

2311, 2017

RCMP named Canada’s most secretive law enforcement agency

November 23rd, 2017|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA, Nov. 22, 2017 /CNW/ - The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is the 2017 recipient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the category of law enforcement agencies. The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University (CFE), News Media Canada and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) have joined forces to expand an award that the CAJ [...]

2410, 2017

Canada’s most secretive local government agency: Toronto Hydro

October 24th, 2017|Categories: Advocacy, General|

TORONTO / Oct. 24 / CNW — Toronto Hydro is the 2017 recipient of the Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the category of local government departments and agencies. The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), Centre for Free Expression at Ryerson University (CFE), News Media Canada and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) have joined forces to expand an award that the CAJ has [...]

1810, 2017

Canada’s most secretive federal department: The Treasury Board of Canada

October 18th, 2017|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA / Oct. 18 / CNW — Ottawa's point-man on access-to-information reform, Treasury Board President Scott Brison, is this year's first recipient of the Code of Silence Award for outstanding achievement in government secrecy won by the Treasury Board of Canada, which he heads. The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), Centre for Free Expression (CFE), News Media Canada and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) have joined forces to [...]

3004, 2017

‘Congratulations’ to Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal!

April 30th, 2017|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA, April 30, 2017 /CNW/ – The most secretive government department in Canada, as “honoured” by the Canadian Association of Journalists at its annual awards gala at the Sheraton Ottawa Hotel on April 29, is Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal. The winning nomination for this year’s Code of Silence award came from Larry Cornies of the London Free Press, whose reporting on the aftermath of a costly fire, [...]

3004, 2017

Congratulations to the 2016 CAJ Awards Winners!

April 30th, 2017|Categories: Awards, General|

OTTAWA, April 30, 2017 /CNW/ – A front-line presentation of Fentanyl’s impact in Vancouver has been awarded the Canadian Association of Journalists’ Don McGillivray Award. The Don McGillivray Award is presented to the piece submitted to the CAJ’s annual awards program that a panel of judges felt best exemplified the top investigative journalism completed by Canadian media in the 2016 calendar year. Candidates for this award were drawn from [...]

1409, 2016

Fix Canada’s broken access to information system

September 14th, 2016|Categories: Advocacy, General|

The deficit of trust between Canada’s voters and its elected officials has never been higher, largely due to a breakdown in the system of accountability. Key to this is the fact that, after years of neglect, Canada’s access to information system is in crisis. The undersigned organisations are calling on the main political parties in Canada to make concrete commitments to reform Canada’s access to information system. A strong [...]

2905, 2016

Congratulations to the winners of the 2015 CAJ Awards!

May 29th, 2016|Categories: Awards, General|

EDMONTON, May 29, 2016 /CNW/ – In a year when Canada’s national media finally awoke to the tragedies of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, the work by our national public broadcaster set the standard. The CBC News Aboriginal team, supported by others across the CBC News team, are the recipients of the 2015 Don McGillivray Award, given to the top investigative entry into the annual CAJ Awards program at the [...]

1702, 2016

Alberta government must reinstate Rebel’s access to the legislature: CAJ

February 17th, 2016|Categories: Advocacy, General|

OTTAWA, FEB. 17, 2016 — Alberta’s government must abandon its attempt to block journalists’ access to the provincial legislature in Edmonton. The Canadian Association of Journalists reminds every government official who controls access to media lockups and press conferences that they do not control who gets to hold government to account. Recently, Premier Rachel Notley’s director of communications, Cheryl Oates, as well as lawyers from the provincial justice department, [...]

606, 2015

Congratulations to the winners of the 2014 CAJ Awards!

June 6th, 2015|Categories: Awards, General|

HALIFAX, June 6, 2015 /CNW/ – It was reporting that initiated a series of changes whose impacts are still resonating throughout Alberta. The CBC Edmonton team of Jennie Russell and Charles Rusnell are the recipient of the 2014 Don McGillivray Award, given to the top investigative entry into the annual CAJ Awards program. Rusnell and Russell’s entry dug deep into the fractious and freewheeling spending of former premier Alison Redford [...]

1105, 2014

Congratulations to the winners of the 2013 CAJ Awards!

May 11th, 2014|Categories: Awards, General|

VANCOUVER, May 11, 2014 /CNW/ – The dogged and determined work of CTV News parliamentary bureau’s Robert Fife into the Senate expenses scandal has taken Canada’s top prize for investigative journalism. Fife’s entry was selected as the best from among the recipients in the investigative categories of the 2013 CAJ Awards, presented Saturday evening by CBC Radio One host Stephen Quinn at the Holiday Inn and Suites Downtown Vancouver. The [...]

1002, 2014

On the record: Is it really informed consent without discussion of consequences?

February 10th, 2014|Categories: Ethics, General|

Download a PDF version of this post Panel members: Meredith Levine (CHAIR), Kathy English, Esther Enkin and Julian Sher A release goes out about a major new study linking increased reported cases of depression in young men to online gaming. A newsroom editor assigns a reporter with the command: “Get me a depressed gamer.” The reporter does indeed find a young man through connections, sends him a text identifying [...]

405, 2013

Congratulations to the winners of the 2012 CAJ Awards!

May 4th, 2013|Categories: Awards, General|

OTTAWA, May 4, 2013 / CNW / A fulsome investigation into a former Halifax mayor’s role as executor of a family friend’s estate has taken the Canadian Association of Journalists’ top prize for investigative journalism in 2012. Tim Bousquet, of The Coast in Halifax, N.S., was the recipient of the 2012 Don McGillivray Award, which recognizes the best of the recipients in the investigative categories that are part of the [...]

2804, 2012

Congratulations to the winners of the 2011 CAJ Awards!

April 28th, 2012|Categories: Awards, General|

TORONTO, April 28, 2012 /CNW/ – A reporting team from the Hamilton Spectator has won Canada’s top investigative reporting award for the second year in a row. Steve Buist and Teri Pecoskie won the Canadian Association of Journalists’ Don McGillivray Award for their series titled, “BORN: A Code Red Project.” It examined reams of public data on pregnancy and births and turned them into compelling articles, pictures and online content [...]

1104, 2011

Guidelines for personal activity online

April 11th, 2011|Categories: Ethics, General|

Report of the Ethics Advisory Committee of The Canadian Association of Journalists February 4, 2011 PANEL MEMBERS | TIM CURRIE, CHAIR; BERT BRUSER, ELLEN VAN WAGENINGEN The Ethics Committee of the CAJ asked its Social Media Panel to propose guidelines for personal activity online. To study this issue, the panel looked at social media policies at major news organizations, the opinions of leading commentators and working reporters. THE ISSUE [...]

2211, 2010

Journalists seeking public office: What are the ethical issues?

November 22nd, 2010|Categories: Ethics, General|

Panel report by Ken Regan (chair), Scott White, and Ivor Shapiro With research provided by Christine Dobby Approved by the Full Committee on October 27, 2010 If a practising journalist seeks public office, what effect does, can or should that choice have on his or her ability to continue or return to his or her work? This practical issue raises other, perhaps more philosophical, but no less relevant questions. [...]

2710, 2010

The ethics of unpublishing

October 27th, 2010|Categories: Ethics, General|

Panel report by Kathy English (Chair), Tim Currie, Rod Link Approved by the Full Committee on October 27, 2010 The Ethics Committee of the CAJ asked the unpublishing panel to propose guidelines for correcting online content and handling public requests to “unpublish” -- a word media organizations have coined to describe requests to remove published digital content from websites and online archives. To study this issue, the panel relied [...]

706, 2010

Guidelines for re-tweeting or re-posting information found in social media

June 7th, 2010|Categories: Ethics, General|

June 7, 2010 Social Media Panel Members: Bert Bruser, Tim Currie (Chair), Kirk LaPointe and Ellen Van Wageningen The Ethics Committee of the CAJ asked the Social Media panel to propose guidelines for re-tweeting, or forwarding through social networks, information that originates from followers. The issue applies mainly to using Twitter in breaking news situations but it also applies to re-posting information in other social networks such as Facebook. [...]

3011, 2009

Final briefing on news blackouts

November 30th, 2009|Categories: Ethics, General|

News Blackouts panel members:  Ethan Faber (Chair), Sadia Zamanm, Ivor Shapiro The Ethics Committee of the CAJ asked this panel to explore the following questions posed by the CAJ's Board: Under what circumstances should outlets agree to news blackouts like the one media agreed to on the Mellissa Fung kidnapping? What are the pitfalls, what questions should editors ask, is there a different standard that should be applied to [...]

1011, 2009

Protection of sources

November 10th, 2009|Categories: Ethics, General|

From: CAJ Ethics Committee Re:  Protection of Sources  November 10, 2009 The Board’s referral: How far should reporters go to protect their sources and are there any cases in which it is acceptable or morally advisable to reveal a source? For example, thinking of the Maher Arar case and possibly the Charkaoui case that the Montreal Gazette is involved in, if CSIS or the RCMP or some government agency [...]

102, 2007

Policy paper on editorial independence

February 1st, 2007|Categories: Ethics, General|

"Problems arise when editors publish material that offends powerful individuals or groups, but that’s exactly why editorial independence is needed. Journals should be on the side of the powerless not the powerful, the governed not the governors. If readers once hear that important, relevant, and well argued articles are being suppressed or that articles are published simply to fulfill hidden political agendas, then the credibility of the publication collapses [...]

Go to Top