Last updated:
October, 2002
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
One of our core missions at the CAJ is journalistic professional development. To that end, the CAJ recently launched a new investigative techniques reporting workshop with U.S.-based Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) with great success.
"Crossing the 49th: Investigative Techniques from Both Sides of the Border" took place October 5 in Vancouver. The event featured some of the top investigative reporters from the U.S. and Canada. It drew more than 60 delegates from both countries who heard a range of fascinating stories, tips and techniques on everything from covering terrorism and trade, to health. It's an idea we hope to make an annual event.
Special thanks goes to the following people who helped make this event a success: Ian McDougall, Toronto Sun; Erica Johnson, CBC-TV; Trudi Beutel, Richmond News; Boni Fox-Gray, Firefox Communications; John Dickins, CAJ. (Editor's note: And, of course, Rob Cribb, Toronto Star!)
The CAJ has recently announced a slate of fellowship awards that will allow six Canadian journalists to travel abroad for research. The inaugural winners of the newly-minted CAJ/CIDA fellowships to Africa are:
- Holly Nathan, Freelance, Victoria, BC
- Melanie Verhaeghe, CBC-TV, Winnipeg, MB
- Ken Sitter, Young People's Press, North Bay, ON
- Sasa Petricic, CBC-TV, Ottawa, ON
As well, the CAJ, in association with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in Canada, recently announced research fellowships for Tony Wong of the Toronto Star and Valerie Dufour of Le Devoir in Montreal. Both will travel to Hong Kong this year. Congratulations to all!
On the advocacy front, the CAJ is actively involved in the court battle between the National Post and the RCMP. We issued a statement in September, opposing the RCMP's efforts to seize leaked documents sent last year to Post reporter Andrew McIntosh about a controversial loan to a Quebec hotelier. As CAJ president, I have also provided Post lawyers with a sworn affidavit addressing the importance of protecting confidential sources.
The CAJ has also continued challenging the Nova Scotia government's unprecedented attack on the public's right to access government-held information. Five months after the provincial Tories imposed the highest access to information fees in Canada, the number of requests for public information in the province declined 25 per cent - a fact we criticized in a public statement in August. Earlier this year, myself and CAJ vice-president Paul Schneidereit made a presentation to an all-party committee hearing into Bill 109. As ever, anyone interested in getting involved with CAJ conferences or advocacy is invited to contact the national office.
- Robert Cribb, CAJ National President
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CHAPTER NEWS New Brunswick/PEI
We'll hold our annual business meeting in Saint John on the afternoon of November 16
to review the books and elect a board for the coming year. We're also planning a session on coverage of crisis situations for sometime this winter. - Jacques Poitras, NB/PEI Chapter President Manitoba A bearpit session on civic politics and the media, entitled "Covering the
City: the Role of the Media in a Democracy," highlighted the chapter's
annual general meeting on September 16. About 30 bear pittians took part in a
lively discussion with a panel of incumbent civic politicians, new
candidates running for office, and city hall reporters. It was a timely
topic leading up to province-wide civic elections on October 23. It was also
one of the few occasions veteran reporters could remember when journalists
and local politicians met in a neutral environment (the Winnipeg Press
Club) to consider their respective roles in serving local democracy. A brief CAJ business meeting preceded the panel discussion. Elected
to the CAJ Manitoba executive for 2002-02 were:
The executive is planning a meeting to discuss local activities for the upcoming year. - Ron Friesen, Manitoba Chapter President
New Chapter Liason The national board has appointed a new Chapter Liaison. Elaine Shein is
your contact if you have questions, concerns or suggestions.
Need a suggestion for a chapter event?
How about a job fair for j-students wanting to land their first job? Bring
together students and the people who do the hiring for an informative
session. Or how about a panel discussion on a motherhood issue such as
freedom of the press or protection of sources? Pub nights are also great
networking sessions!
Proposed By-Law Changes The national board is planning to introduce amendments to some of the
by-laws pertaining to chapter events. These amendments will be
presented at the May 2003 AGM in Toronto. There are other
chapter-related issues currently under discussion. Some of the details
follow. The full discussion will be posted on the CAJ's website as part
the September 2002 board meeting minutes. If you have any thoughts or
questions, please contact the CAJ's national office, or bring them to
the AGM. Motion: That the CAJ remove the current policy requiring chapters to give
the national board any bank balance, raised from locally-organized events,
above $1,000 in a calendar year. Chapters must supply to the national
board, an annual financial statement of the year, ending Dec. 31. Moved
by: Rob Cribb Seconded: Elaine Shein Carried.
Motion: That the board strongly encourage chapter executives to negotiate
the CAJ's fee structure as outlined in the above policy for all
co-sponsored events. However, if they believe it is not fair or feasible
in a particular situation, they will have the discretion to make the call
locally. Moved: Karen Pauls Seconded: Paul Schneidereit Carried. Minimum rates to be charged for CAJ chapter events: $0-$5 for members and
$15 for non-members. The rationale is that there should be tangible
benefits for people who join the CAJ; members should not subsidize
non-members by paying the same amount for events; chapters should be able
to make money from their events.
Motion: The CAJ board of directors moves to modify the existing by-laws to
require chapters eligible to send a representative to CAJ board meetings,
must hold at least two CAJ-sponsored chapter events per year. These events
can be national events, but not events co-sponsored with local
organizations. Co-sponsored events that do not meet CAJ event fee
structure do not count. Moved by: Charles Bury Motion tabled.
At press time, organizers of the National Writers' Symposium in
Montreal were already predicting a huge success. The buzz has been
building for months about the November 16 and 17 event. One of the high-lights
will be award-winning journalist Robert Fisk, the Middle East
correspondent for The Independent. Another highly-anticipated speaker
is former Montrealer Rene Balcer, now an executive producer and
writer with the TV show, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Law and
Order." However, the entire line-up is strong. The participants include
well-known favorites such as John Sawatsky, Julian Sher, Brian
McKenna, Sally Armstrong and Bernard St-Laurent. There are also some
relatively new names to the CAJ speakers' list, including Deborah
Potter, Lysiane Gagnon, James B. Stewart, Maria Eftimiades, Linda Kay,
and Murray Lewis. The event is expected to be a great weekend of
inspiration and culture. It's not too late to start thinking about NWS 2003! CAJ volunteers are
getting geared up to host an event in Saskatchewan. Watch for dates
and times on the website and in the next edition of CAJ News. Plan now to attend the 25th anniversary annual national conference,
taking place in Toronto May 23 to 25. The conference will be a return to
the investigative roots of the organization. Our members tell us they
want sessions for experienced journalists, so advanced
Computer-Assisted Reporting sessions will be a focal point of the
event. The 25th anniversary celebrations will include a gala awards
night celebration and black-tie dinner. The organizing committee
already has a rough list of panels and workshops. However, if you
have any suggestions on topics or speakers - or if you want to get
involved in planning the conference please contact the
conference co-chairs: Mike Gordon at
mike_gordon@cbc.ca or Erin Paul
at paule@toronto.cbc.ca. CAJ members who freelance or own their own businesses now have access
to an insurance benefits package, offered through Liberty Health. It
covers vision, hearing, dental, hospital stays and prescriptions. At
this point, the CAJ does not have a history with the insurer. In order
to keep costs down, this plan does NOT cover life, accidental death
and dismemberment, or short and long-term disability. However, it is
our hope that these features can be added to the package in the next
couple of years. The rates are extremely reasonable and will differ
depending on age and whether a medical history is provided to the
insurer. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact the national office at (613) 526-8061 or caj@igs.net. CAJ members can now get a 20 per cent discount on most titles by
Trifolium Books Inc. The only exception is books that have already
been reduced from their original selling price by 20 per cent or more.
CAJ members' orders should go directly to the Trifolium offices. They
can be faxed to (416) 483-3533 or e-mailed to info@trifoliumbooks.com.
Please ensure that your orders clearly indicate your CAJ membership
and that you are entitled to the discount. The American Academy of Religion now has its free referral service
on-line. Journalists can access sources on virtually any religion
topic, including world religions, religion and politics, ethics, and
much more. The Religion Source Referral Service provides quick access
to more than 5,000 American and Canadian scholars, including contact
information, titles of their relevant publications, institutional
affiliations and academic rank. Check it out at www.aarweb.org. You
can also e-mail source@aarweb.org or call 404-727-4725 weekdays during
regular working hours (Eastern time).
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