Annual CAJ Code of Silence - Call for nominations

OTTAWA, May 15, 2015 /CNW/ - Journalists, has the last roadblock put in your way of getting public information driven you to the point of frustration?

Here's an opportunity to fight back by naming and shaming the publicly funded agency, government, department or ministry.

The Canadian Association of Journalists is accepting nominations for your favourite (sic) government department or publicly funded agency for the CAJ's Code of Silence. The code, presented annually since 2001, recognizes Canada's most secretive publicly funded body.

Previous winners include the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the Harper government, Toronto Police Service, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the federal Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Choosing a winner has been a challenge every year as journalists across Canada submit strong nominees for our consideration.

We welcome nominations from journalists working in any environment who face the frustration of wrangling information out of any publicly funded body that seems to put extra effort into keeping it from the public. It doesn't have to be a big federal ministry either – if it takes and/or spends public money and isn't being open and transparent about how it does so, it's an eligible nominee.

Do you have an egregious example that gets your own blood boiling? Nominations can be e-mailed to our president at [email protected]. 

The CAJ is Canada's largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing over 600 members across the country. The CAJ's primary roles are to provide high-quality professional development for its members and public-interest advocacy.

www.caj.ca | www.facebook.com/CdnAssocJournalists | www.twitter.com/CAJ

SOURCE Canadian Association of Journalists

Hugo Rodrigues, CAJ president - 613-330-8396 cell, [email protected]