40 Years

Canadian Journalists
for Free Expression

Defending courageous reporting

40 Years

Canadian Journalists
for Free Expression

Defending courageous reporting

About Us

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) defends free expression and those with the courage to seek and report the truth. CJFE has deep roots in journalism. For more than 40 years, we have championed free media and the role it plays in creating a just and equitable society. Our organization supports and upholds the rights of all global citizens to hold leaders to account, to ask hard questions, and to use their voices to speak the truth.

CJFE is the only organization in Canada advocating for the rights and freedoms of the media, both abroad and in Canada.

Our Story

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) was founded in 1981, inspired to action after the mass killings and kidnapping of Latin American journalists in the late 1970s. A non-profit, non-governmental registered charity, CJFE is a volunteer-driven organization that has devoted itself to defending and protecting freedom of expression. Based in Toronto, CJFE is governed by a group of volunteers. Together, these 11 advocates work with governments and industry partners to create meaningful change that preserves the fundamental rights of freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and access to information for all citizens.

Timeline

1981

Founding of CJFE

Starting under a different name, the CIJ Latin American Committee (part of the Centre for Investigative Journalism) campaigns against the kidnapping, torture and murder of media workers in Latin America.Working groups in Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Ottawa maintain files on violations of freedom of expression in several Latin American countries, and a “Red Alert” network responds to reports of attacks.

1984

Expands Mandate

CIJ Latin American Committee changes its name to Canadian Journalists for Free Expression and begins to work in other parts of the world outside of Latin America.

1992

Co-founds IFEX

The International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), a global network of organizations that monitor, promote and defend freedom of expression worldwide, is created in Montr al. CJFE is a founding member and manages the IFEX Clearing House.

1993

Standing up for Press Freedom

The CJFE Reporter, a newsletter that highlights developments and trends in press freedom and freedom of expression in countries around the world, is published.

1997

Advocates for Change

CJFE launches an annual special report series to create awareness of press freedom issues and advocate for change.

2007

Protecting Whistleblowers

Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act: The federal government passes legislation that putatively protects whistleblowers in the civil service. The Act, however, is deeply flawed from the beginning, and in practice fails to adequately ensure that government whistleblowers will not face recrimination or identification. In the following years, CJFE advocates for stronger whistleblower protections, not just for public servants but for all Canadians – a campaign that continues even today.

2009

Launched Review of Freedom Expression in Canada

Launched to coincide with World Press Freedom Day (May 3), CJFE’s annual Review of Free Expression in Canada report on free expression provides an overview of issues facing media and the threats reporters face in the pursui

2013

Snowden Archive

The Snowden Surveillance Archive is a comprehensive collection of all documents that were leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden in June 2013 to journalists Laura Poitras, Glenn Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill, revealing widespread global surveillance programs that infringed on individual privacy. Created to provide citizens and researchers with unfettered access to the information uncovered by Snowden, this archive contains approximately 400 previously published documents – which we will continue to add to as more files come to light.

2013

Free AJ Staff

The Snowden Surveillance Archive is a comprehensive collection of all documents that were leaked by former NSA contractor Edward After three Al Jazeera staff are imprisoned in Egypt, CJFE launches the “Free AJ Staff” public awareness and advocacy campaign to put pre

2015

Stop Bill C-51

CJFE has played an active role in advocating against Canada’s Anti-Terrorism Act, formerly known as Bill C-51, since it was written into law in 2015. The legislation is a clear violation of the protections surrounding free speech, privacy and civil liberties that are enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. CJFE has called for the repeal of Bill C-51 and a complete overhaul of Canada’s national security framework to protect the rights of Canadians.

2019

Improve FOI

Canada’s access-to-information laws are woefully inadequate to preserving Canadians’ right to know; in fact, Canada’s Access to Information Act ranks below its counterpart in Russia. The deeply flawed update of the Act in 2019, Bill C-58, breaks the federal government’s own promise that access-to-information laws would cover the Office of the Prime Minister and other Ministers. CJFE leads a global coalition of more than 60 free expression organizations and individuals to urge the federal government to live up to its promises and undertake meaningful reform of the Act.

Collaboration

CJFE is a founding member of both the world-leading Journalists in Distress program and of the International Free Expression eXchange (IFEX). CJFE works with organizations and individuals around the world to protect reporters and to preserve the right to free expression for all. We are a founding member of IFEX, a global network of more than 119 independent non-governmental organizations that work at a local, national, regional and international level to defend and promote freedom of expression as a human right.

We are a member of a network of 18 International organizations led by IFEX to:

Provide assistance to journalists and media workers whose lives or careers threatened because of their work
Share information, coordinate joint efforts to avoid duplication