Canadian Association of Journalists Code of Silence Award - Call for
Nominations

OTTAWA, April 16 /CNW/ - They won't talk to you, won't give you the facts to do your job and stonewalled your access to information requests.

Time, once again, to get even.

The Canadian Association of Journalists is now accepting nominations for its ninth annual Code of Silence Award, which recognizes the most secretive government department in Canada.

"From the silence-shrouded halls of town councils to the triple-zippered, closed-tight Prime Minister's office, governments are still mocking the public's right to know," said CAJ President Mary Agnes Welch. "They've become, in many cases, so expert at denying public access to what is, lest we forget, public information, that it's only fitting their worst efforts be recognized -- publicly, of course -- with a suitable award."

The Code of Silence Award is handed out annually at the CAJ's gala award banquet which takes place during the association's annual spring conference.

This year, the conference is being held in Montreal May 28-30.

Nominees can include municipal, provincial and federal government

departments as well as public agencies that work in the public interest with public money.

Last year, the award was given to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for its dizzying efforts to stop the public from learning details of fatal failures in food safety.

Nominations can be submitted by e-mail: [email protected]

(write "Code of Silence" in subject line)

Nominations close April 30, 2010

The Canadian Association of Journalists is a professional organization with some 950 members across Canada. The CAJ's primary role is to provide public-interest advocacy and quality professional development for its members.

For further information: Mary Agnes Welch, CAJ president, [phone] or cell [phone]; John Dickins, CAJ executive director, [phone] or cell [phone]