J-Source is seeking donations to fund internship positions for Carleton journalism and communication students to work on the Canada Press Freedom Project. The CPFP is an ongoing database of press freedom violations in Canada, from denials of access to arrests, physical assaults and verbal harassment, to online threats and chilling statements. In addition to national data on press freedom violations, the CPFP will also act as an education centre, populated with tools and resources to help students and faculty at academic institutions, the public and journalists navigate and challenge press freedom infringements and assist them in exerting their rights.

CPFP interns will have the opportunity to join a project that involves data collection, verification,  and the development of resources and toolkits.

The CPFP is a project of J-Source, operated by the journalism programs at Carleton and Toronto Metropolitan universities.

With your contribution, the CPFP and its searchable database of press freedom violations and educational tools offer research work opportunities for Carleton students interested in and concerned with press freedom conditions in Canada.

FutureFunder donations will be used to fund internship positions for Carleton journalism and communication students to contribute to the CPFP site,  populated with press freedom violation incident reports dating back to Jan. 1, 2021 and resources for media workers, students, faculty, researchers and more. Interns will work under the oversight of J-Source’s editor (a journalism school faculty member) and managing editor.

Journalists, newsrooms and advocacy organizations in Canada know well the constraints of press freedom in this country. But without the collective resources and organization to document them in a systematic manner, the industry’s ability to communicate those perils or to contextualize them over time is limited. As threats to press freedom continue to mount, smaller newsrooms, campus media and a growing workforce of independent reporters are at a severe disadvantage when it comes to countering incursions on their journalistic rights. The work of the CPFP with Carleton interns’ help will ensure that journalists and academics are equipped with the fullest up-to-date information and supports necessary to document and understand press freedom infringements, challenge them and best communicate them to the public.

With your support, CPFP interns will have the opportunity to join a newsroom and research team dedicated to building and maintaining a service for journalists and media outlets, academics, the legal profession and all others interested in issues surrounding press freedom and the public’s right to know.