A free press is not just a cornerstone of democracy—it is our last line of defence in a time of rampant disinformation, threats to our sovereignty, and an emerging new world order. Canada needs to stake its ground. As Canadians prepare to head to the polls on April 28th, the work of journalists will be […]
Read MoreIn times of crisis, governments often sacrifice transparency for expediency and efficiency. We saw it during the Covid-19 pandemic. Public and private bodies were lacking in transparency with regards to the actions they took to combat the pandemic. Misinformation, dishonesty, self-promotion, fraud and waste all flourished to some degree in the prevailing secrecy. Canada now […]
Read MorePress freedom is under siege in the United States after two months with Donald Trump in the White House, the advocacy group Reporters Without Borders/Reporters sans frontières (RSF) says. “The newly-elected president, his administration, and his political allies have conducted a rapid series of attacks on press freedom that amount to a monumental assault on […]
Read MoreChinese nationalists and state media celebrated Trump’s order to dismantle Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA), which had long criticized China’s human rights record. While US-funded media scaled back, China expanded its global propaganda through state-run outlets like Voice of China. Journalist casualties in the Israel-Gaza war The Israel-Gaza war has taken […]
Read MoreFor many years, #NotATarget has been used on social media to raise awareness of the brutal impact of conflict on civilians, including children, humanitarian workers and doctors. The campaign condemns the killing and injury of innocents in wars, and seeks to pressure decision-makers to protect civilian life in accordance with international humanitarian law. In the […]
Read MoreAmerican media companies face accusations of self-censorship and legal cowardice as they confront a new term for President-elect Donald Trump, who has targeted the press as an enemy. Washington Post editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes resigned in early January after the paper’s editors spiked her cartoon showing media owners and tech billionaires genuflecting to Trump. The […]
Read MoreCourts and governments across Canada tightened the noose around transparency last year, making it harder for journalists and other civil society actors to hold governments to account. Last February, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld a decision by the Ontario government to withhold ministerial mandate letters as cabinet secrets. CBC had been denied the letters in […]
Read MoreA majority of Canadians want to preserve but fix the CBC: poll A significant majority (78 per cent) of Canadians would like to see the CBC/Radio-Canada continue if it addresses its major criticisms, according to a poll from McGill University’s Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy. When asked what they would do with the CBC/Radio-Canada’s […]
Read MoreMark Zuckerberg’s decision to replace professional fact-checkers on Meta platforms with a crowdsourced alternative called “Community Notes” is a clear signal the era of Big Tech accountability is over. The founder, chairman and CEO of Meta also announced he will move trust and safety teams, which are responsible for enforcing policies around hate speech and […]
Read MoreJournalists 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. […]
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