CBC/Radio-Canada, The Canadian Press, Torstar, Postmedia, and The Globe and Mail have come together to file legal action against OpenAI, alleging their content is being used to develop products like ChatGPT. Filed in Ontario Superior Court, the copyright infringement suit maintains that Delaware-based OpenAI is “unjustly enriching themselves” at the expense of the news media companies. The suit’s Statement of Claim says in order for OpenAI to obtain the significant quantities of text data needed to develop their GPT models, the company deliberately “scrapes” content from the websites of their news organizations, web-based applications, and/or third party partners, and then uses that proprietary content to develop its GPT models without consent or authorization. The claim says it is then continuing to augment its models on an ongoing basis by accessing, copying, and/or scraping content in response to user prompts. The suit seeks damages in an amount to be determined at trial, or alternately a settlement of $20,000 per work (or an amount the Court considers just), for the infringement, in addition to a permanent injunction prohibiting the direct or indirect use of its content. Read more here.
Bell Media is regrouping its Quebec content teams, bringing together its French- and English-language newsrooms into one unified entity. Bell Media Quebec journalists will now work as part of a collaborative newsroom that will include French-language service Noovo Info, including radio journalists from Rouge and ÉNERGIE; CTV News Montreal; CJAD; and the team from digital platform Noovo Moi. The network also announced that its Quebec music radio stations – CHOM, Virgin, ÉNERGIE and Rouge – are combining to create a single team. The unified team will be led by Suzane Landry, Vice-President, Content Development, Programming and News, Quebec. Read more here.
Seneca Polytechnic is creating a series of financial aid awards for students via a new donation from Sony Electronics and the Sony Global Social Justice Fund. Twenty new financial aid awards of $2,000 each, spanning the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years, will be created across four programs within the Seneca Film Institute and Seneca’s School of Media (Creative Advertising, Broadcasting – Television, Journalism, Event & Media Production): Sony Canada Seneca Film Institute CAB Award – Awarded to a student in the full-time Creative Advertising diploma program; Sony Canada Seneca Film Institute TV Media Award – Awarded to a student in the full-time Broadcasting – Television College diploma program; Sony Canada Seneca Film Institute Journalism Award – Awarded to a student in the full-time Journalism diploma program; and the Sony Canada Seneca Film Institute EMP Award – Awarded to a student in the full-time Event & Media Production diploma program. Based on financial need, preference will be given to students who are part of an equity-deserving group.
The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is accepting applications for the 11th round of its mentorship program. The Autumn 2024 program once again sees 30 top Canadian journalists working in radio, television, digital, and print publications from across the country volunteer their time to provide guidance and expertise to colleagues in the early and middle portions of their careers. The roster of mentors for this round includes Patricia Bitu-Tshikudi – Morning radio show host, ICI Manitoba; Laurence Brisson Dubreuil – Video journalist, CTV News Montreal; Adrian Ghobrial – Senior correspondent, CTV National News; Paul Hunter – Journalist, CBC News; Tamara Khandaker – Podcast producer, Al Jazeera; Steve Lambert – Winnipeg correspondent, The Canadian Press; Geoff Leo – Investigative reporter, CBC News; Colin Perkel – Retired journalist, formerly with The Canadian Press; Saša Petricic – Senior foreign correspondent, CBC News; Aarti Pole – Network anchor, CBC News; Donna Sound – Reporter, CTV National News; Salim Valji – Calgary reporter, TSN; and Connie Walker – Investigative journalist. The deadline for applications is Dec. 6.
The #CAJAwards is now accepting entries for its 2024 competition. This year’s program features 18 categories, rewarding journalistic excellence published across all platforms: digital, print and broadcast. The competition also recognizes reporting excellence in several topic areas, including: environment and climate change, labour, and human rights. New for this year, the CAJ will award both gold and silver prizes in all categories. The deadline to submit is Jan. 14.
World Press Freedom Canada (WPFC) is accepting nominations for the 2025 Press Freedom Awards and the Career Achievement Award in honour of Spencer Moore. The awards recognize those whose public interest journalism has overcome challenges such as secrecy, legal maneuvers, political intimidation or other tactics designed to stifle their work or put their career or safety at risk. This year, WPFC will award two Press Freedom prizes, one for larger publications and a Press Freedom, Local Journalism Award for a journalist who works for a small-market news organization. WPFC will also present its second annual Student Achievement Award, which recognizes an outstanding student journalist who has demonstrated a commitment to press freedom. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 17.
Bell Craft and Services members have voted to ratify a new collective agreement that secures more full-time work and wage increases. The new four-year agreement includes a $4.80 per hour wage increase in all classifications over the lifetime of the agreement, which amounts to an average $10,000 increase. The deal also supports new workers by reclassifying all current Regular Part-Time workers to Regular Full-Time status. Unifor’s Bell Craft membership includes approximately 2,900 workers, united by their 32 local unions in Ontario and Quebec. They include technicians and testers and perform duties including cable repair for the Bell network, and maintenance and repair in the central offices of the network and business clients.
