News

Nominations for the PEN Canada/Ken Filkow Prize have just opened. This $1,000 annual prize celebrates champions of free expression in Canada. The deadline for nominations is August 8, 2017. Nominees may be anyone ­– authors, journalists, public servants, scientists, professors, business people, editors, publishers, organizations and concerned citizens – whose work has advanced freedom of expression in Canada.

We, the undersigned, are a coalition of non-governmental organizations that works to promote and protect press freedom and freedom of expression in Canada and around the world.

In a welcome move, the Federal Government has responded immediately to today’s expert panel recommendation to end the political activity audits of charities begun under the Harper government.

The Centre for Free Expression, Newspapers Canada, Canadian Association of Journalists, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression and la Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec have jointly written Treasury Board President, Scott Brison, expressing concern about the government’s decision to indefinitely postpone making reforms to strengthen Canada’s Access-to-Information legislation.

CFE Senior Fellow David Hutton has published an excellent 4-part series in The Hill Times that critically examines federal whistleblower protection in Canada. Click on the links below to read the articles. David Hutton, House Government Operations Committee leaps into action to protect whistleblowers, or does it?, The Hill Times, Monday, Feb. 13, 2017 12:00 AM

A survey conducted by the Centre for Free Expression, in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Journalists and PEN Canada, finds writers and journalists have serious concerns about mass surveillance, resulting in some now self-censoring their own activities. Chilling Free Expression in Canada reports the results of a survey of 129 Canadian writers and journalists between May 27 and June 20, 2016.