The Harper government’s efforts to control the flow of information have “grown into a genuine and widespread threat to the public’s right to know,” says an open letter signed by the presidents of the Canadian Association of Journalists, the Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec, the Parliamentary Press Gallery and several provincial press galleries.
News A sweeping publication ban will continue to be imposed on bail hearings, even when suspects won’t face a jury trial. The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld a Criminal Code provision that requires judges to ban publication at the suspect’s request. While the ban is designed to prevent jurors from hearing information about the suspect…
CommentaryThe Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to uphold a sweeping ban on bail hearings is a loss for the public as well as for journalists, J-Source Law Editor Dean Jobb argues in a commentary in the Toronto Star. By shutting down informed debate over judges’ decisions to grant or deny bail to criminal suspects, the…
The Supreme Court of Canada has denied an appeal by several media organizations that sought to remove a Criminal Code provision making a publication ban on the proceedings of bail hearings mandatory if the defence requests it.
One of the first, most comprehensive studies of community news, especially hyperlocal news, was posted May 27, identifying key local online news sites. It surveys publishers, examines what is working and what needs further development. This is a significant contribution to the emerging trend of hyperlocal news.
NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA (2 June 2010) – The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is pleased to announce the launching of Tonga’s first community FM radio station on Niuatoputapu, a remote island in northern Tonga. The historic launch took place on 25 May this year. After the devastating tsunami late last year, SPC and the…
This week, after a J-Source tweet-based post earned a swift rebuttal from editor in chief John Stackhouse, we were reminded that 140 characters misses some important nuances and that real-time reporting can be perilous. To tweet or not to tweet? The Canadian Association of Journalists has issued draft guidelines for responsible tweeting. Verification and accuracy…
When Brian Sharwood isn’t busy at his day job, running a little start-up called HomeStars.com, which is a Trip Advisor-type site focussed on the Home Improvement business, he is busy filing stories to his hyperlocal news site Ossington Village. He moved to the Toronto neighbourhood four years ago, but only started the hyperlocal news site…
“Put in simplest terms, the troubles in Thailand are a classic clash between the rural poor – who live in places like Chiang Mai – and rich urbanites in Bangkok.” So concluded a report carried across Canadian newspapers this Saturday.It’s not that simple, of course. But neither is the Thai landscape so complicated that western…
The physical and emotional wellbeing of Canadian journalists will be front and centre on the second day of the CAJ national conference in Montreal (May 28-30). Cliff Lonsdale, president of the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma, will moderate two sessions focusing on difficult assignments at home and abroad. He says there are issues…