Freedom of the Press

It’s a 44-year-old story that no self-respecting news organization anywhere would publish today—certainly not in the form it took.  And is that a good thing?

Well, hello again. Having ended last month's column with a candid appeal for readers to "talk back" about free speech, I was grateful to those who took me at my word. They made me think new thoughts, which is, of course, the whole idea.

Respected journalist and educator, Ivor Shapiro has joined Ryerson’s Centre for Free Expression (CFE) as a senior fellow. Shapiro is a former contributing editor of Saturday Night magazine and managing editor of Chatelaine and is a full professor and former chair of the School of Journalism at Ryerson University.

As we have seen in recent elections and in the present pandemic, misinformation can do real harm.  But the Canadian government’s plan to consider legislation to criminalize the spreading of misinformation is the wrong response. Criminalization will not stop misinformation. In fact, it often draws more attention to it, as well as undermines civil liberties and human rights essential in a democratic society.