WPFC convenes a symposium on AI and the press: Threats and opportunities

Is AI a curse or a blessing? World Press Freedom Canada will host a symposium on Parliament Hill on Nov. 6 to explore the influence of artificial intelligence on press freedom. We’ll identify the threats AI presents to journalists and news organizations, while considering the opportunities it creates to enhance in-depth reporting in an era […]

Speaking of threats . . . Trump

Press freedom and free speech continue to take a beating in the United States, as President Donald Trump and his acolytes seek to tamp down criticism. When an Australian journalist asked about Trump family business conflicts, the president responded that the tough questions were hurting Australia “very much” because its government wants to stay on […]

Media companies ask Canadian courts to protect their copyrighted material from OpenAI’s ChatGPT

In September, OpenAI lawyers argued in an Ontario court that Canadian judges have no jurisdiction over a lawsuit by leading media companies claiming the tech company uses their copyrighted material to generate AI search answers. OpenAI’s lawyers argued that if copyrighted material was used, it happened in the U.S. and any lawsuit should be filed […]

Quebec’s Mila Intelligence Institute marries AI research and the public good

Artificial intelligence is a new technology with the potential to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems, but it also carries frightening risks if it grows out of control and harms humanity. This mix of risk and opportunity applies to the press, as it does to most modern institutions. Researchers at Mila, led by […]

Readers trust news less when AI is involved

Research from the University of Kansas found that when readers think AI is involved in news production, they have lower trust in the credibility of the news, even if they don’t fully understand what it contributed.

Pushing back against ‘AI-generated slop’

Toronto lifestyle magazine, The Grind, caught seven freelance articles for a special edition that they believed were AI-generated stories about fake people and places.

RCMP tried to get photojournalist Amber Bracken charged and detained without bail

The RCMP sought to keep photojournalist Amber Bracken in custody for months after alleging she assaulted a sheriff upon release from jail following her 2021 arrest at the Wet’suwet’en pipeline standoff. Court documents reveal police quickly failed in their attempt to have her charged and detained without bail, despite knowing she was reporting as a […]

AI and the Press: Canadian Crossroads

Artificial intelligence is reshaping journalism at a pace that demands caution and celerity in determining how it should be used. Among the considerations, Canadian newsrooms must weigh the benefits of using AI-powered news gathering and content creation against the risks to accuracy, ethical considerations, and further eroding the trust of audiences. AI delivers automation that […]

Celebrating Canadian journalism at the World Press Freedom Canada’s 2025 luncheon

Roughly 300 guests joined World Press Freedom Canada at our annual awards luncheon on May 1 to celebrate journalists’ role in protecting Canadian democracy. The theme of the 2025 luncheon was Disinformation & Democracy: Standing on Guard. Catherine Clark, a communication consultant and co-founder of The Honest Talk, hosted the luncheon and veteran newscaster Kevin […]

Canada needs a battlefield approach to disinformation: Kevin Newman

Canadians remain dangerously unaware of disinformation attacks, and the country needs an aggressive strategy to combat its corrosive effects. That was the message from veteran broadcaster Kevin Newman to World Press Freedom Canada’s annual awards luncheon, held May 1 at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre. Newman had a lengthy career as a newscaster, including stints as […]