Journalists aren't government investigators: CAJ

OTTAWA, April 16, 2013 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Journalists is appalled governments in Canada are calling on journalists to share details of how they were able to find information on Canadians who are keeping money away from the taxman in offshore accounts.

At least two governments in Canada have asked journalists from CBC / Radio-Canada to turn over information about over 400 Canadians on a massive worldwide list of those using offshore accounts. These journalists have also been asked to hand over how and who they obtained that information from.

CBC News was the only Canadian organization that participated in international reporting on offshoring as part of its involvement in the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

"Governments invariably keep asking journalists to hand over information they should have been able to find if they had been doing their jobs properly," CAJ president Hugo Rodrigues said. "Journalists are not police officers and they're not Canada Revenue Agency fraud investigators - Canada already employs people for these roles."

The requests are concerning and a threat to journalists' ability to uphold source confidentiality— an important trust between journalists and the people they speak to when working on investigative pieces like this one.

The Canadian Association of Journalists is a professional organization with over 500 members across Canada. The CAJ's primary roles are public-interest advocacy work and professional development for its members.

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SOURCE: Canadian Association of Journalists

Hugo Rodrigues, CAJ president - 519-756-2020 ext. 2226, 519-535-8680 cell