Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

FELDSTED: Journalistic protection of sources works for the benefit of society most of the time, but is not inviolate


'Dark day for press freedom': Vice must give ISIS notes to police, top court rules 
Catharine Tunney  ~~  CBC News  ~~  Nov 30, 2018

A Vice Media reporter will have to hand over records of his conversations with an alleged ISIS member to police following a Supreme Court of Canada decision.  In the unanimous decision released Friday, the top court upheld a lower court's ruling regarding the work of reporter Ben Makuch. The case was seen as pitting journalists' interest in protecting their sources against the state's duty to investigate crimes.

CLICK HERE to read full story:


Freedom of the press does not remove a reporter’s ethical obligation to report a crime to authorities, or … to resist making relevant evidence available. Protecting sources does not include protecting criminals from arrest and facing due process. ISIS targets Canada and her allies.

No one blocked Makuch from writing his stories, or Vice Media from printing them. Press freedom was not interfered with.  Protecting sources is a time-honoured tradition in the media.  Journalists could not get to the roots of problems if they could not provide anonymity to those they interview.

That raises ethical concerns when the source is actively engaged in criminal activity. And that, is the issue the Supreme Court was dealing with.

Can the protection of public security and safety override the protection of sources?  The answer is ‘yes’ … provided that the journalist is given full opportunity to argue his case for protection.  It is a matter of applying common sense.

Journalistic protection of sources works for the benefit of society most of the time, but is not inviolate.

John Feldsted
Political Consultant & Strategist
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NDP Government Blames Everyone but Themselves

The federal government has announced new measures to support British Columbia's forestry sector, including $65 million in funding for projects across the province. While any support is welcome, it falls far short of the level of assistance other provinces have secured for key industries. Conservative Forests Critic Ward Stamer says the NDP government needs to take responsibility for its mismanagement of B.C.’s forest industry instead of trying to pass on the blame. Despite promising to create more jobs in the forest sector, the NDP government has overseen the loss of thousands of forestry jobs and 21 mill closures which have devastated communities. “If Premier Eby spent more time addressing the regulatory issues impacting the forestry sector than he did complaining about the federal government, we would not be in the position we are now,” said Stamer. “And instead of trying to place the blame for mill closures on Donald Trump, Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar should t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tourists Rack Up $200M in Unpaid Health Bills While BC Patients Wait Years for Care

While British Columbians wait years for basic medical care, the NDP government has allowed non-residents to rack up $200.6 million in unpaid health bills since 2020-2021. New research from SecondStreet.org, obtained through a freedom of information request, revealed that people from outside Canada are coming to BC, receiving health services, and leaving without paying their bills.  The losses span every health region in the province. "British Columbians are not guaranteed timely access to healthcare, be it treatment or diagnostics, and this situation continues to deteriorate under the NDP," said Anna Kindy, MLA for North Island and Critic for Health. "Taxpayers are footing the bill for tourists' health treatments to the tune of over $200 million, enough to cover over 21,000 hip replacements in this province while British Columbians wait months to years for that surgery.” The research found BC has the worst record of any province in Canada examined so far. Under a dec...
Post a Comment
Read more

NDP Finance Minister Given "F" on Report Card by Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Peter Milobar, MLA for Kamloops Centres and Official Opposition Finance Critic, released the following statement in response to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's 2026 Finance Minister Report Card, which ranked BC Finance Minister Brenda Bailey dead last among provincial finance ministers in Canada with an overall grade of "F":  "British Columbians didn't need a report card to know things are headed in the wrong direction. They see it every time they pay their bills, try to buy a home, or watch another government deficit pile up. But now an independent national organization has confirmed that NDP Brenda Bailey is the worst-rated finance minister in Canada. "After nearly a decade of decline under this NDP government, British Columbia has become a province where people pay more, government borrows more, and families get less in return. We have some of the highest debt in the country, repeated credit downgrades, and no credible plan to get our finances back on...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more