Meeting: April 23, 2019
Media Club members and guests gathered on April 23, just a week before Press Freedom Day, to hear journalists Anna Desmarais, and Susan Korah, discuss the Importance of Press Freedom Today.
They explained the history of Press Freedom Day, discussed fake news and todayís reality for journalists contending with downsizing and 24-hour news.
In a democracy such as Canadaís, it has been safe to assume that things such as press freedoms have been upheld. But the headline in an Op Ed article in The Globe and Mail in December 2018, by Alexandra Ellerbeck, says ìCanada Isnít the Leader on Press Freedoms That We Think It Is.î Thatís why it was such a shock when, on November 30, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld a production order against Vice Media reporter Ben Makuch, forcing him to hand over sensitive communication with a source. The RCMP ordered Makuch to surrender records of communication that he had with his source, Farah Shirdon, a Canadian citizen who police allege went to Syria to join the militant Islamic State.
Korah explained the background of the Canadian Committee for Press Freedom, saying that the CCPF has succeeded the National Press Club in its role of monitoring press freedom issues nationally and globally.
The committee, incorporated as a non-profit body in 2008 with the mission of continuing to celebrate World Press Freedom Day, to advocate on behalf of freedom of expression, and through its activities and its relations with like-minded organizations, to bring to the publicís attention instances of free expression violations and the need to defend the ideal of press freedom proactively
She explained that CCWP monitors and publicizes threats to press freedom of expression, such as advocating for the release of Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy. It operates with the patronage of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, and receives funding from the Canadian Bankers Association.
In 1993 the United Nations General Assembly declared May 3rd World Press Freedom Day (WPF) in Paris, France. In Canada a luncheon is usually held the first Saturday nearest to that date. This year it took place on May 2nd at the National Arts Centre.
During each World Press Freedom Day event the CCWPF recognizes a journalist who has defended press freedom, or suffered in its name. Past winners include Glen McGregor, Stephen Maher, Daniel Leblanc, Mohamed Fahmy and Kathy Gannon.
Korah mentioned the following women who won in past years: 1999 – Kim Bolan. She worked for the Vancouver Sun, writing about Sikh terrorists operating out of Vancouver. She and her family were threatened; 2005 – Juliet OíNeil. She worked for the Ottawa Citizen. The RCMP raided her Ottawa home and seized her documents, computer and hard drive to obtain information related to her covering of the Maher Arar case; 2010 ñ Michelle Lang. She worked for the Calgary Herald and CanWest News in 2009. She was on a six-week assignment and was killed in action (KIA) by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Afghanistan; 2015 ñ Kathy Gannon. She worked for AP. Based in Pakistan, she covered news from Afghanistan and Pakistan. While covering elections in Afghanistan with her photographer, Anja Niedringhaus, their truck was hit with a bomb. Anja was killed and Kathy severely injured;
CCWPF also celebrates the work of cartoonists by holding an annual International Cartoon Competition. This year marked the 19th such Competition.
Desmarais discussed working conditions for todayís journalists. She suggested that ì24-hour news is killing journalists.î Demarais explained that ìNewsrooms continue to lay off editors so journalists must research, write and vet their own work. If thereís a mistake, then journalist are labeled as producing fake news.î
World Press Freedom Day Award Winners 2019
The first place winner at the 21st Annual World Press Freedom Day luncheon, was presented to journalist Michael Robinson, who works at the Telegraph Journal, Stain John, New Brunswick. Honorable mention went to Marie-Maude Denis, of EnquÍte of Radio-Canada.
The Spencer Moore Award for Lifetime Contributions went to Ken Reubin, Senior Fellow at Ryersonís Centre for Free Expression.
Editorial Cartoon winners at the 19th International Cartoon Competition were: First place – Luc Descheehmaeker, from Belgium; second place – Bruce MacKinnon, editorial cartoonist at Canadaís Halifax Chronicle-Herald; and third place – Gustavo Caballero (known as Guffo), from Mexico. Ten awards of excellence were presented as well.