Journal Entry #7 - WikiLeaks and Whistleblowers Extended
Laws have been passed to protect journalists in their hunt to find out the truth. The dirty details can now be discovered without the constant worry of being personally attacked by the law. The journalists will now be protected from police surveillance and search warrants. The protection is under the "Journalistic Source Protection Act" (Bill S-231). This came into act because, Montreal police was spying on journalists who were releasing information that could be embarrassing to the person targeted. It is now almost impossible for security agencies to acquire warrants against journalists unless a judge becomes involved. Only superior court judges will be able to grant these warrants. Justices of the peace can no longer grant the warrants which is important because, many justices of peace work extremely close with the police force. The ability to grant a search warrant will now be a much longer process and have a more just reasoning in doing so. The bill also gives the journalists the right to refuse to give information that could possibly identify a source.
Many unjust search warrants and surveillances have occurred. In 2016, journalist Patrick Lagace's phone calls and texts were tracked for months by the Montreal Police. This was because the police desired to find the source of an internal link. The police force in Quebec obtained the phone records of 6 journalists. The justices of peace were involved in allowing these violations of privacy to occur.
I am personally extremely pleased with the passing of this new law. Journalists can now feel a bit more safe when trying to find out information that the public should know. A lot of sketchy and unjust events occur inside of the government walls and big company walls; they do not want the public to know about these things. It is sometimes unsafe for journalists and their families when reporting on important topics. This law now protects the privacy and safety of journalists as they complete their jobs. It is extremely important because, everyone no matter their employment, deserves a certain amount of privacy and safety in their lives. The government really stepped up when they passed this law and showed true leadership and concern for the safety of journalists.
This connects to the world of journalists because, their general safety is now much more taken care of. The public might be able to become aware of even more pressing issues because of this. Journalists should now be able to feel much more comfortable when reporting and finding out the dirty details. Online sources that come from real/trusted journalists should be considered a bit more reliable with this law that has passed. Sources might become much more reliable and open when giving journalists information as they know that the possibility of the police finding out who the source was is much more slim now. The new law might raise issues for journalists because, the police might be less co-operative with the journalists now. If journalists are reporting on stories that should not be reported, their ethics could potentially be violated. The rights of other people who are in the spotlight could also be violated. This law helps journalists get to the truth much easier and safer but, also allows for less privacy to those involved in issues.
The link to the article is below:
https://news.vice.com/story/canada-passes-law-to-protect-whistleblowers-and-journalists-confidential-sources
Many unjust search warrants and surveillances have occurred. In 2016, journalist Patrick Lagace's phone calls and texts were tracked for months by the Montreal Police. This was because the police desired to find the source of an internal link. The police force in Quebec obtained the phone records of 6 journalists. The justices of peace were involved in allowing these violations of privacy to occur.
I am personally extremely pleased with the passing of this new law. Journalists can now feel a bit more safe when trying to find out information that the public should know. A lot of sketchy and unjust events occur inside of the government walls and big company walls; they do not want the public to know about these things. It is sometimes unsafe for journalists and their families when reporting on important topics. This law now protects the privacy and safety of journalists as they complete their jobs. It is extremely important because, everyone no matter their employment, deserves a certain amount of privacy and safety in their lives. The government really stepped up when they passed this law and showed true leadership and concern for the safety of journalists.
This connects to the world of journalists because, their general safety is now much more taken care of. The public might be able to become aware of even more pressing issues because of this. Journalists should now be able to feel much more comfortable when reporting and finding out the dirty details. Online sources that come from real/trusted journalists should be considered a bit more reliable with this law that has passed. Sources might become much more reliable and open when giving journalists information as they know that the possibility of the police finding out who the source was is much more slim now. The new law might raise issues for journalists because, the police might be less co-operative with the journalists now. If journalists are reporting on stories that should not be reported, their ethics could potentially be violated. The rights of other people who are in the spotlight could also be violated. This law helps journalists get to the truth much easier and safer but, also allows for less privacy to those involved in issues.
The link to the article is below:
https://news.vice.com/story/canada-passes-law-to-protect-whistleblowers-and-journalists-confidential-sources
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