Trump victory raises spectre of war on fact-based journalism

Journalists who don’t toe the MAGA line have long been among Donald Trump’s favourite targets. His election victory on Nov. 5 heralds a new era of media bashing, with efforts to silence independent voices and attacks on journalists themselves. In the waning days of the campaign, Trump frequently targeted the “fake media” at his rallies. […]

Editorial cartoonists are drawing their own conclusions

Each year at our annual luncheon, World Press Freedom Canada director Guy Badeaux (pen name: Bado) announces the winner of our international editorial cartoonist contest, which celebrates the journalists who illustrate the state of the world through pictures, metaphors and snappy lines. Editorial cartoons are the soul of a newspaper, anchoring the editorial pages with […]

Challenges for big broadcast outlets as local news operations get a bit of help

There appears to be no end to the rocky road of broadcast news in Canada. Shrinking newsrooms have been a feature of the media landscape in Canada for the past two decades but the decline has accelerated in recent years. The trend leaves Canadians increasingly ill-served by major corporations that own broadcasting networks but see […]

ICYMI: A roundup of press freedom news

Strengthening communities and combating disinformation: The vital role of local news and public broadcasting World Press Freedom Canada president Heather Bakken appeared before the Senate Transport and Communications committee on Nov. 19 to contribute to its study on Local services provided by CBC/Radio-Canada. “The information space has changed dramatically since the CBC was created in […]

Rising journalist killings and unchecked impunity threaten global press freedom

UNESCO’s report marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is both a somber reminder and a rallying cry for the need to protect press freedom globally. These biennial reports highlight the challenges journalists face in regions plagued by conflict and authoritarianism, but the 2024 report carries a particularly stark warning: the […]

Strengthening communities and combating disinformation: The vital role of local news and public broadcasting

World Press Freedom Canada president Heather Bakken appeared before the Senate Transport and Communications committee on Nov. 19 to contribute to its study on Local services provided by CBC/Radio-Canada. Her opening testimony is below. Thank you Chair and committee members. I would like to be clear that my remarks today reflect my experience with […]

Governments around the world must do a better job in bringing to justice the killers of journalists

Some 85 per cent of journalist killings from 2022 and 2023 remain unpunished, according to a report from UNESCO released Nov. 2, which was the International day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. World Press Freedom Canada adds its voice to UNESCO’s call for all states to act on their commitments to end impunity […]