

Global News videographer Jeremy Cohn, tackled and arrested by Hamilton Police on May 16, 2017. PHOTO: Barry Gray. Used with permission.

By Nathan Munn

“We respect journalists in this country. They ask tough questions, and they’re supposed to.”

—Justin Trudeau in 2015, addressing a Liberal supporter who heckled a journalist for asking Trudeau a question.

“People have died for the freedom of the press. It’s a fundamental freedom.”

—Québec Premier Philippe Couillard in 2016, addressing revelations that police in the province monitored journalists to uncover the identity of confidential sources.

When it comes to defending the freedom of the press, our elected representatives talk a good game. But when called upon to take concrete action to protect journalists from the overreach of law enforcement, corporate censorship and other threats to the free press, politicians often choose to sit on the sidelines as the few protections Canadian journalists have under the law are eroded through police actions and dangerous legal precedents. This puts your right to know at risk, and makes it harder to hold those in power accountable for their actions. This is a clear threat to the health of our democracy.

This is why CJFE has stepped up on multiple fronts to demand that journalists be given the protections they need to safely and effectively do their jobs. Any less would send a message of obedience to power to our fellow journalists in other countries who face repression—or worse—on a daily basis.

We are seeing results, but it will take determination and endurance to defend Canadian journalism in the long term. It will also take more resources, and your support. That’s why we’re launching an ambitious crowdfund to sustain the fight into 2017. Now more than ever we need your support to continue our work.

Below are some of the most important press freedom battles that have played out across the country since 2016, and what CJFE is doing to safeguard the future of journalism in Canada.