Freedom of the press

A deadly year for journalists

Topics: 
Freedom of the press, Afghanistan
Rating: 
2

Terry Glavin – December 19, 2012

You could say it was the one bright spot Reporters Without Borders managed to find in 2012, a year that has turned out to be the deadliest for journalists since the press freedom organization released its first global year-end roundup, in 1995. Afghanistan’s pioneering liberal daily, Hasht-e Sobh (8 AM), is still alive.

Sanjar Sohail, the newspaper’s fearless 31-year-old Afghan-Canadian publisher, was in Paris Tuesday to collect the organization’s annual media prize. I spoke with Sohail, who I’m proud to say is a friend, just as he was about to head from his hotel to the prize banquet at the Le Monde auditorium.

Rupert Murdoch calls phone-hacking campaigners 'scumbag celebrities'

Topics: 
Freedom of the press, Privacy, UK, Wealthy elites
Rating: 
0

Alexandra Topping – October 14, 2012

Rupert Murdoch has labelled victims of phone hacking "scumbag celebrities" after they met David Cameron during the Conservative party conference.

On Saturday night Murdoch took to Twitter to criticise the talks in Birmingham between the prime minister and members of the Hacked Off campaign, singer Charlotte Church, former Crimewatch presenter Jacqui Hames and actor Hugh Grant.

Canadian groups raise concerns at UN about shortcomings in freedom of expression and other rights

Topics: 
Access to information, Freedom of the press, Torture, Policing
Rating: 
0

Don Butler – October 12, 2012

With Canada's human rights record due to come under a microscope next year at the United Nations, five organizations have raised a red flag about this country's weakening support for freedom of expression and access to information.

The organizations - PEN Canada, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada, the Centre for Law and Demo­cracy and the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association - outline "significant shortcomings" in Canada's law and policy regarding freedom of expression.

Reporter says Chinese news agency asked him to spy

Topics: 
China, Freedom of the press, Media, Espionage
Rating: 
0

The Canadian Press – August 22, 2012

A Canadian journalist says he quit working for China's news agency because it wanted him to spy on the Dalai Lama in Ottawa. But the Ottawa bureau chief of China's Xinhua news agency dismissed that claim as "Cold War" ideology.

Ottawa-based freelance journalist and author Mark Bourrie makes the allegation against the Xinhua news service in an article published in Ottawa Magazine, and in an interview with The Canadian Press.

World Press Freedom Day: our rights in Canada

Topics: 
Government transparency, Freedom of the press, Access to information, Message control or 'spin'
Rating: 
3

Arnold Amber – May 3, 2012

Today marks World Press Freedom Day. On this day, countries all around the world, from Burma, to Egypt, to Venezuela, are fighting to establish this fundamental cornerstone of democracy. These countries are not taking these crucial freedoms for granted.

But in Canada, a country most assume already has an unfettered press—how should we mark World Press Freedom Day? If we value press freedom, we all need to take a closer look at the state of these rights here at home. When we look beyond the words of the Charter to the daily reality for working journalists, we see a gradual erosion of freedoms. And our government is a contributing factor.

Ground-breaking journalism needs confidential sources

Topics: 
Freedom of the press, Leaking, Media
Rating: 
0

Sylvia Stead – April 24, 2012

Most original, ground-breaking journalism done in this country depends on confidential sources. While we focus on new media platforms, better presentation, video and more, the heart of the most memorable content comes from sources.

It starts with a strong beat reporter, someone who knows the key newsmakers, the politicians, the business leaders, medical professionals, police, lawyers and others. A good beat reporter demonstrates to those people behind the news that they can be trusted and that they are interested in telling accurate and complete stories.

Political cartoonists risk death, injury to shine light on life

Topics: 
Freedom of the press, Humour
Rating: 
0

Peggy Curran – April 6, 2012

For political cartoonists, the pen really is mightier than the sword - even when that sword might be used against them. It happens.

On a war-torn street in the Middle East or a tranquil neighbourhood in northern Europe, a satirical sketch can get you killed, maimed or sent to prison.

Mexican journalist wins battle against deportation

Topics: 
Victories, Freedom of the press, Mexico
Rating: 
3

David P. Ball – April 9, 2012

Surrey resident Karla Berenice García Ramírez – an award-winning Mexican journalist facing deportation after Canada rejected her family's refugee appeal – has won her years-long battle for asylum here, the Vancouver Observer has learned.

The whistleblower on government corruption, who fled Mexico after she and her family received numerous death threats because of her reporting, was granted permanent residence last week on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

Obama targets journalists

Topics: 
USA, Freedom of the press, National security
Rating: 
0

Jesselyn Raddack – April 9, 2012

For two years I have been writing about the criminalization of whistleblowing, or as Glenn Greenwald has put it more aptly, the “war on whistleblowers.”  I’m an attorney with the Government Accountability Project, the nation’s leading whistleblower organization.

How did I get into this line of work?  Because I myself was a whistleblower when I worked as a Legal Advisor at the Justice Department and blew the whistle when my advice not to interrogate “American Taliban” John Walker Lindh without an attorney (and, parenthetically, not to torture him) was ignored and then “disappeared” from the file in contravention of a federal court discovery order.

Scientists and journalists call on Harper to end gag order

Topics: 
Government transparency, Freedom of the press, Message control or 'spin', Science
Rating: 
4

Douglas Quan – February 17, 2012

Groups representing scientists and science writers sent an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday calling on his government to stop "muzzling" federal researchers.

Attendees at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual conference heard numerous examples of alleged government interference and reporters being denied timely access to scientists.

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