Category / Law and ethics

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Was the BBC right to broadcast interview with murder suspect?

FeatureDid the BBC risk running afoul of Britain’s contempt of court laws when it aired an interview with a suspect in the Suffolk prostitute murders? BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas reports.
Freedom of the press and Stephen Harper’s media policy

FeatureFor Canadians to make informed political decisions, the press must be free to gather and report political news. The Harper government’s restrictions on media access to politicians and news events is at…
Unruly Internet blogs spark rise in libel cases

FeatureThe rapid rise of amateur commentators mounting the soapbox of Internet blogs has led to a small, but growing number of online libel cases. Shannon Proudfoot, CanWest News Service, reports.
No publication ban on Pickton trial

NewsThere will be no sweeping publication ban on the first-degree murder trial of Robert Pickton, even though the accused serial killer could face a second trial at a later date. A British…
Cameras could come to Ontario courtrooms

NewsTelevision cameras are generally barred from Ontario’s courtrooms, but an August 2006 report recommends partial lifting of the ban. “Our justice system is ready for its close-up,” says Attorney General Michael Bryant,…
Internet media law 101

BackgrounderThe Internet has changed the landscape of Canadian media law, but the rules that govern what appears in the traditonal media also apply online. A primer on defamation law, publication bans and…
Canadian libel law chills free speech on Internet

CommentaryCanadian Internet service providers need protection from libel suits sparked by web postings, argues Internet law expert Michael Geist.
Keys to fair reporting on youth crime

FeatureExperts says reporters sensationalize youth crime and contribute to the public misconception that teens are increasingly violent and out of control. Stephanie Cameron checks the facts behind the headlines in the King’s…
Arar, anonymous sources and the duty to report with care

CommentaryCanadian news outlets, however unknowingly, helped smear Maher Arar’s reputation. The editor-in-chief of CBC News says the case highlights why journalists should be wary of using anonymous sources. By Tony Burman. Posted…
Fear of publishing

FeatureMuslim outrage over published caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed has fueled a debate in Canada on what constitutes freedom of speech. Marlene Rego reports in the Ryerson Review of Journalism.