The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), the University of King’s College in Halifax, and the Canadian Media Lawyers Association (CMLA) are joining forces to launch Lawyers for Reporters Canada, an initiative that will provide a range of pro bono legal services to newsrooms.
The partnership between the three organizations will bring together a network of pro bono lawyers who can provide clients with pre-publication review, legal guidance on matters ranging from business operations to newsgathering liability, and responses to organizations that file subpoenas or production orders that interfere with public-service journalism.
“Local independent journalists are struggling to survive amid shrinking resources and mounting pressures,” said Danielle Stone, CMLA representative for Lawyers for Reporters Canada, in an announcement Thursday. “More and more journalists are facing legal threats designed to silence them. By offering pro bono legal support, CMLA lawyers stand with these journalists — helping them persevere, protecting their right to report freely, and defending the fearless transparent journalism that our democracy urgently needs.”
Lawyers for Reporters Canada is modelled after Lawyers for Reporters, an initiative launched in the U.S. in 2020 by the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice and the Press Freedom Defense Fund. Representatives from the Vance Center will provide strategic advice on the development of the Canadian project, which was made possible through a grant from LION Publishers, a professional association of local independent news publishers in Canada and the U.S. Its Canadian members include indie outlets like IndigiNews, Village Media, Taproot Edmonton, Calgary’s The Sprawl, and The Breach Media in Montreal.
“In a time when more and more individuals and organizations are weaponizing legal tools to stifle public-interest journalism, Lawyers for Reporters Canada is an initiative that truly meets the moment and supports press freedom,” said CAJ President Brent Jolly.
The organization is currently accepting applications for a full-time, one-year fellowship that will be administered through the University of King’s College.
