In Canada’s battle with Big Tech, smaller publishers are caught in the crossfire
Independent outlets explain how traffic and engagement have plummeted overnight after Meta blocked news from its platforms.
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, Nov. 2
Ending impunity for crimes against journalists is one of the most important and complex challenges of recent times. It is an essential precondition to guarantee freedom of expression and access to information for all citizens.
This year’s theme, Violence against journalists, the integrity of elections, and the role of public leadership, seeks to give visibility to the role of a safe and free press in ensuring the integrity of elections and our democratic systems. It reaffirms the obligation of States to adopt effective measures to protect the independent press and strengthen institutional frameworks that combat violence and impunity, and promote media independence, sustainability and diversity.
Hands off news coverage: CAJ statement on journalistic independence
The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) calls on Conservative Members of Parliament to rescind their motions demanding that senior members of CBC’s leadership team appear before House of Commons committees, as it infringes on journalistic independence.
Read the full statement here.
Canadian Journalism Foundation J-Talk series
The Canadian Journalism Foundation held two talks recently on the state of media.
Bill C-18: What’s at Stake for Journalism and Canadian Democracy featured Michael Geist (law professor at the University of Ottawa), Natalie Campbell (senior director of North American Government and Regulatory Affairs, The Internet Society), Paul Samyn (editor, The Winnipeg Free Press), Brian Myles (publisher, Le Devoir), and Tai Huynh (founding editor-in-chief and publisher of The Local). Mary Lynn Young (journalism professor and co-founder of the Conversation Canada) moderated the discussion.
Pulitzer and Peabody award-winning journalist Connie Walker joins New York Times opinion columnist Lydia Polgreen for a conversation on the current media landscape and its profound impact on our society and democratic values.
Ottawa has declined to overhaul its access to information system, for the second time
The Liberal government is not acting on the recommendations made by a group of opposition MPs that spent nine months examining the federal access to information system, the second time in less than a year that Ottawa has declined to overhaul its access regime.
Read the full Globe and Mail story.
WPFC President Heather Bakken, left, participated in the Parliamentary Centre’s kick off #EngageParlDiplo’s 13th Annual Day for Diplomats. She moderated a discussion on the nuances of Canadian political reporting with the CBC’s Catherine Cullen and La Presse’s Joel Denis Bellavance.
