The tenets of disinformation

The U.S. Department of Justice in September unsealed an indictment that identified two Canadians as being at the centre of an alleged Russian-led disinformation campaign, known as Doppelganger, that is targeting the U.S. Presidential elections in November. Tenet Media – owned by Canadian influencer Lauren Chen and her husband Ian Donovan – is accused in […]

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Press Freedom ensures citizens can participate in the democratic process. But are they informed?

As press freedom goes, so goes democracy. Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects freedom of the press. That’s because Press Freedom ensures citizens can be informed, empowered, and able to participate in the democratic process. But are they informed? In 2024, more than half of the world’s population will have gone to the polls […]

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World Press Freedom Day celebrated across Canada

On the night of May 3, Niagara Falls was bathed in a spectacular multi-coloured light show to recognize World Press Freedom Day. The Falls Illumination Board was one of several landmarks and 29 municipalities that shone the colours, issued proclamations or raised the United Nations’ flag to recognize the importance of press freedom. The campaign […]

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Have a question? Ask ATI . . . and then wait

For years, government media-relations staff have resorted to a dodge that allows them to evade awkward questions from journalists. “For that information, you’ll have to make a request under access to information,” they routinely say. Never mind that the federal act explicitly says the ATI system is “not intended to limit in any way access […]

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In case you missed it: Winnipeg journalist Melissa Martin wins WPFC Press Freedom Award and other news

Winnipeg journalist Melissa Martin wins WPFC Press Freedom Award WPFC awarded the annual press freedom prize to Winnipeg journalist Melissa Martin, who took a leave in 2023 in order to live in Ukraine and write personal essays about the impact of the war on civilian populations. WPFC’s career achievement award went to The Globe and […]

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Media executives call for protection of journalists in Gaza

The Netanyahu government and Israeli Defense Forces are facing a flood of criticism over the death of an unprecedented number of journalists who were reporting from the war zone of Gaza. In an open letter released on February 29, executives from more than 30 leading news organizations from around the world voiced their support for […]

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Can Journalism Save Democracy?

Award-winning American journalist and pro-democracy media critic, Margaret Sullivan, will be this year’s keynote speaker for World Press Freedom Canada’s annual awards luncheon on May 2nd at the National Arts Centre. Sullivan is a renowned columnist for The Guardian’s U.S. edition and the author of Newsroom Confidential and Ghosting the News. She is also the […]

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ICYMI: WPFC Press Freedom Awards open until March 22

WPFC Press Freedom Awards open until March 22 Nominations for World Press Freedom Canada’s prizes for the annual press freedom award, career achievement award and student journalism award close on March 22.  Click here to learn more about the awards. Understaffing, poor pay undermining student journalism Student journalism at campuses across North America is threatened […]

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Police harassment undermines press freedom

Journalists across the country have been threatened, arrested, removed, or denied access by the police while trying to do their job of reporting the news. Journalist Brandi Morin was the latest high-profile case. Morin was arrested on January 10 while conducting interviews at a homeless encampment in Edmonton. The obstruction charges brought were dropped on […]

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Support for Local Journalism due to end

Hundreds of journalists across the country may lose their jobs at the end of March with the expiry of a federal program that supports local media. The Trudeau government created the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) in 2019 to help smaller community news outlets keep their doors open. Funding is due to end on March 31, […]

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