About Us

MISSION STATEMENT

When �� was founded in 1917, it was for one reason: to serve the newspapers that owned it, and through them, the �� public. For decades, the only contact �� had with the public was through its member newspapers. But rapid changes in the communications industry have changed the way the news agency fulfils its mandate of keeping ��s informed, including the addition of a consumer-facing news site at .

�� serves many of the daily news publishers in Canada, providing reliable and relevant news, photos, video and graphics. But beyond the traditional printed word, its role in new media continues to expand. Regardless of whether ��s are getting their news from social media, their smartphones or all-news television channels, there’s a good chance much of the information comes from ��. It is truly Canada’s No. 1 source for news – in French and English. Newsgathering is an imprecise science, but the depth of the agency’s network makes its newsgathering reach unmatched: a dedicated staff in bureaus and correspondent points across the country; a working partnership with newspaper, TV and radio newsrooms; and an exclusive relationship with The Associated Press, the largest news agency in the world.

There’s a difference between providing information and telling ��s what is happening in their vast country – and how events beyond our borders affect them. Context and perspective are fundamental parts of the report of ��. It’s the goal of its reporters and editors to focus on real people – not just institutions – to show in human terms how events affect our lives. It’s a busy world out there so every story needs to convince people that they should make time for it. If the news report doesn’t strive to be interesting or tell the reader why they should care, ��s will click to another website, turn the page or flip the channel.

Although our role continues to evolve, the principles that guide our work are unchanged. Everything that we do must be honest, unbiased and unflinchingly fair. We deal with facts that are demonstrable, supported by sources that are reliable and responsible. We pursue with equal vigour all sides of a story.

Accuracy is fundamental. Discovery of a mistake calls for immediate correction. Corrections to stories already published or broadcast must not be grudging or stingy. They must be written in a spirit of genuinely wanting to right a wrong in the fairest and fullest manner.

Our work is urgent. Speed must be a primary objective of a news service committed to round-the-clock deadlines. But being reliable is always more important than being fast.

Good taste is a constant consideration. Some essential news is essentially repellent. Its handling need not be.

DIVERSE STAFFING REPORT

�� is committed to fostering an inclusive, barrier-free and accessible environment and supports the goals of employment equity. An equal opportunity employer, we respect all diverse groups, including but not limited to women, Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized groups and people with disabilities.

Our commitment to diversity extends to our journalism, in the ways we think about which stories to cover, finding diverse voices when appropriate for those stories, and striving to reflect our communities in our journalism.

For several years now, the company has been committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and has demonstrated this in various ways. In 2020, within CP editorial, we established our first Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee with the intention of making CP a more inclusive and diverse newsroom, both in terms of our coverage and our composition. At the launch of the committee, we sent out a survey to editorial staff to understand newsroom knowledge, experience, and interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion issues to help guide committee discussions. We also held a speaker session for staff on strategies to improve diversity in media coverage.

In 2021, managers, executive leaders and staff in our French editorial department in Quebec were trained on unconscious bias. We would like to see these learning and development opportunities expanded to all staff at the company.

We have been updating the CP Stylebook and Guide de rédaction to include more inclusive and current language. We have also been successful in securing sponsorships with external organizations to help support Indigenous Peoples and an Afghan national pursue careers in journalism.

These are just a few examples of our efforts until now. We know there is still a lot to be done; particularly to expand our actions not only within editorial, but enterprise wide, across all departments. We recognize that in order to make informed decisions about future and ongoing efforts, and for those decisions to be effective, they must be rooted in data-driven analysis.

In October 2020, the company launched its first diversity self-identification survey for employees. From this point forward, the company began collecting diversity data at the onboarding stage of the recruitment process and we continue to do so.

OWNERSHIP AND FUNDING

�� is the operational brand of �� Press Enterprises Inc., a privately held corporation headquartered in Toronto. The three shareholders are Torstar Corp., the owners of the Toronto Star and many other �� publications and platforms; the Globe and Mail newspaper, through a related holding company; and Montreal’s La Presse, also through a related holding company.

In instances where we report on stories involving our owners or their corporate interests, we declare that in the copy. Stories involving any of our owners are flagged for review by a department head, managing editor, or editor in chief, and appropriate declaration is added to the body of the story. All of our coverage is independent from any direction of the ownership group.

CP has been serving �� media and �� readers and audiences since 1917, when it was created by an act of Parliament as a news co-operative, largely driven by the need to inform ��s about the war in Europe.

In 2010, CP was acquired by the current ownership partners and became a privately held corporation. CP is a self-sustaining business that sells content and services to generate its revenue.

CPE is the owner of Pagemasters North America, an editorial services company that provides a wide range of editorial services including bespoke text, video and audio content, page pagination, editing and content curation, and more.

�� participates in a program funded by the �� Medical Association to fund three full-time reporting positions covering health and wellness in Canada, from government and regulatory matters to consumer-oriented content. The CMA plays no role in the creation, editing, handling or distribution of the content, which is exclusively handled by CP editors.

ACTIONABLE FEEDBACK

��’s main business line is licensing news to other media for them to use in their own coverage.

But we also have a consumer-facing website at where a large portion of our reporting can be viewed, on a time-delayed feed. Our clients get the content in real time.

We do have a lower public profile among ��s who may be more familiar with consumer news brands they have subscribed to for years. But we are no less responsive to the public and we like to hear feedback.

��s who have a question about a CP news report they saw or heard can easily reach our editorial leadership through our contacts page or the contact link on the website here. Through this page we receive shared news story ideas, concerns and comments on stories, permission requests, and other inquiries.

If you want to contact a specific bureau, you can get that information .

EDITORIAL STANDARDS

The principles guiding us have been unchanged for more than a century, albeit with adjustments for the advent of radio, TV and the internet, and the evolving nature of society, the laws that govern us, and changes in technology.

We must be honest, unbiased and unflinchingly fair. Speed is of course our objective, but being reliable is always more important than being fast. We are driven by accuracy and impartiality. We deal with facts that are demonstrable, supported by reliable, responsible sources. We pursue with equal vigour all sides of a story. We admit and correct errors promptly and frankly. Context and perspective are fundamental parts of our report. We focus on real people, not just institutions, and show in human terms how events affect lives.

Our obsession with making sure we get it right (and fixing it when we get it wrong) is the guiding mission behind �� Stylebook, the style bible for generations of �� journalists and other information professionals. It’s impossible to summarize the advice it dispenses, but you can click here to explore important guidelines from our editorial standards.

ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR

Part of our responsibility as journalists is to ensure we don’t do anything that demeans the craft or weakens our credibility. Because we deliver the bad news about politicians who turn dirty, caregivers who abuse their trust and business people who discard ethics for gain, we must observe stringent ethical practices, and be seen to be doing so.

It is impossible to raise all potential ethical challenges. But the following guiding principles are offered in the spirit of wanting to advance, not restrain, our work.

Pride in yourself and in the practice of journalism nourishes ethical behaviour.

�� pays its own way. Staff should not accept anything that might compromise our integrity or credibility.

�� does not pay newsmakers for interviews, to take their pictures or to film or record them.

�� Press reporters do not misrepresent themselves to get a story. They always identify themselves as journalists.

COVERING ISSUES OF RACE AND ETHNICITY

�� Press reporting should reflect the ethnic diversity of the country in a natural way, free of explicit or unconscious racism.

Identify a person by race, colour, national origin or immigration status only when it is truly pertinent. It is appropriate to report that a woman facing deportation is Polish. Similarly, the victim of hate mail may be referred to as a Jew. A full description, including but not limited to colour, may be used if a person wanted by police is at large.

The appearance of racial minorities in news reports should not be confined to accounts of cultural events, racial tension or crime. Comments on subjects that are a matter of public interest should come from a wide variety of people of different backgrounds. And we should be sensitive to present relevant perspectives from affected communities, whether the issues are race based or rooted in other factors.

Remember that what is obvious to a university-educated Christian whose parents were born in Britain might need explanation for persons from a variety of other backgrounds. It should not be taken for granted that a Muslim ceremony needs explanation while a Roman Catholic mass does not. Too often journalists – a profession that is only slowly starting to reflect the many faces of Canada – assume their readers share their WASP background. Watch the labels – labelling a fruit as “exotic” might make sense to someone raised in rural Saskatchewan but would not ring true to many foreign-born readers in Toronto who grew up eating it for breakfast.

Race and ethnicity are pertinent when it motivates an incident or when it helps explain the emotions of those in confrontation. Thus references to race or ethnic background are relevant in reports of racial controversy, immigration difficulties, language discussions and so on.

When an incident cuts across ethnic lines, say so, as when a sizable number of ��-born individuals join Chinese immigrants demonstrating against immigration procedures.

The ethnicity of a person found guilty of shoplifting is usually irrelevant and should not be included.

Race is pertinent in reporting an accomplishment unusual in a particular race: for example, if a �� of Chinese origin is named to the �� Football Hall of Fame.

Beware of playing up inflammatory statements at the expense of the main story. Be certain that a spokesman indeed speaks for a community or organization, and give a brief description of that organization, its aims and number of members.

Don’t always turn to the same minority spokespeople and organizations for reaction. This can give unwarranted standing to groups that don’t necessarily reflect the full range of views of their communities.

Arguing that humour was intended is no defence for a racial slur.

Always consult supervisors before using racially derogatory terms, and only in a direct quotation and when essential to the story.

DIVERSE VOICES

�� is committed to bringing diverse voice to our reporting and we have embarked on two important initiatives on this.

The first initiative, based on the BBC’s 50:50 program, began in 2021 by tracking the gender of sources in our business copy. We are expanding this to all departments with the goal of achieving a balance of gender voices. Obviously we can’t control who is the CEO of a company we need to quote, but we can – and do – dig harder to find a better range of analysts, legitimate commentators, political voices, community representatives, etc. We have seen significant improvement.

The other initiative began with CP working with Carleton University’s School of Journalism to identify, track, and analyze the choice of interview subjects by our journalists, with the goal of better understanding who we are – and are not quoting – and learn from the data and adjust and expand our approach and sourcing. The goal is not just diversity in voices – the goal is better journalism that comes when reporting is truly representative of the communities it is reporting on.

FACT CHECKING/ACCURACY

Responsibility for upholding �� Press standards rests with our reporters, editors and supervisors. So much individuality is involved in reporting, writing and editing news that it is impossible to have precise rules covering every eventuality. Being guided by proven practices is the surest way of meeting the standards that ��s have come to expect from their national news agency.

Among the most important of these practices:

1. Investigate fully before transmitting any story or identifying any individual in a story where there is the slightest reason for doubt. When in doubt cut it out. But never make this an excuse for ditching an angle without thorough checking. The doubt must be an honest doubt, arrived at after examination of all the facts.

2. Cite competent authorities and sources as the origin of any information open to question. Have proof available for publication in the event of a denial.

3. Be impartial when handling any news affecting parties or matters in controversy. Give fair representation to all sides at issue.

4. Stick to the facts without editorial opinion or comment. Reporters’ opinions are not wanted in copy. Their observations are. So are accurate backgrounding and authoritative interpretation essential to the reader’s understanding of complicated issues.

5. Admit errors promptly, frankly. Public distrust of the media is profound and troubling. The distrust is fed by inaccuracy, carelessness, indifference to public sentiment, automatic cynicism about those in public life, perceived bias or unfairness and other sins suggesting arrogance.

6. �� can help overcome such public attitudes through scrupulous care for facts and unwavering dedication to fairness. We must not be quick to dismiss criticism and complaints, a trait journalists refuse to accept in others.

7. The power of news stories to injure can reach both the ordinary citizen and the corporate giant. ��’s integrity and sensitivity demand that supervisors and staff respond sympathetically and quickly when an error has been made. It doesn’t matter whether the complaint comes from a timid citizen acting alone or from a powerful figure’s battery of lawyers.

8. Every story shown to be erroneous and involving a corrective must be drawn to the attention of supervisory staff.

CORRECTIONS

�� Press stories exist in continuous publication online for at least 24 hours, though some types of items can be online much longer. Unlike a newspaper version, online stories aren't frozen in one form. They can be changed at any time in their life as current online news. This means the window for doing a writethru to correct a mistake is much larger than the traditional deadline cycle for newspapers.

Corrections and clarifications are appended to the bottom of a story. A writethru contains an editors note explaining what has been changed in a story. If a story is killed, an urgent note is sent to clients via email and the wire. Technical measures are also taken to remove the story from sites that autopost our content. We then manually look for the story to see if clients have missed our note and do individual outreach advising them it has been killed.

�� uses the following forms to deal with problems or potential problems with stories:

Writethru Correction — a new version of a story makes a change in fact or wording.

Kill — eliminates a story that is wrong, legally dangerous or damaging.

Writethru Correction Sub — replaces a story that has been killed.

Corrective — used to catch up with an error that has probably already been published. It is specifically designed to face the error head on and set the record straight frankly. It deals only with information shown to be in error.

Reporting an error – If a reader thinks we’ve made an error, they can report it via email at newsroom@thecanadianpress.com and it will be promptly reviewed. All of our content is date stamped so platforms using our content can easily see the latest version of a story.

CLARIFICATION

A Clarification is carried when a story is not essentially wrong but is incomplete or may have left room for a possible misunderstanding. It is a brief placelined item that carries the slug CLARIFICATION in the version field. Follow the handling steps set out for Correctives.

A Clarification should make clear that the original story — or in the case of a pickup, a story distributed by �� — left out important information or could be misinterpreted. The Clarification would then provide a fuller version or straighten out the possible misunderstanding.

A Clarification would be appropriate, for example, if a story gave only one side of an issue, or if the wording could be read two ways, or if someone felt unfairly treated, even though there were no errors of fact.

UNNAMED SOURCES

The public interest is best served when someone with facts or opinions to make public is identified by the press by name and qualifications. Readers need to see named sources to help them decide on the credibility and importance of the information.

Regular use of unnamed sources weakens our news reports. �� firmly discourages the quoting of sources who want to hide their identities. Leaks, especially in government and business, are often designed to undermine new policies or to damage rivals.

A senior editor must be consulted before we agree to give a source anonymity. If it is granted, we must say why we are doing so and include a description of the source.

There are of course many situations when people with information important to the public insist on concealing their identity for understandable reasons. �� would be foolish, and in some cases irresponsible, never to grant anonymity in news copy, but it can show leadership in working to stop misuse of unnamed sources.

Some guidelines include that the use of unnamed sources is only permissible if the material is information — not speculation or opinion — that’s vital to the report and available for use only under the condition of anonymity.

Such material should always be accompanied by an explanation of how �� justified the decision to refrain from identifying the source.

Whenever possible, additional details about the source’s credibility should be included, taking care not to reveal identifying details.

OUR EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP

Malcolm Kirk, President and CEO

Andrea Baillie – Editor-in-Chief

Gerry Arnold – Executive Editor

Tim Cook – Managing Editor

Frédéric Vanasse -- Directeur général et éditeur

OTHER NEWSROOM CONTACTS

Our contacts page has all our bureau contact information at this link, .

PRIVACY POLICY

�� respects your right to privacy and recognizes the importance of protecting the privacy of personal information that may be provided to us by individual users or viewers of �� content online. We have adopted a privacy policy to govern how we treat such information. The terms of this policy apply to all websites and associated products or services of �� that link to this privacy policy (the “websites”), and do not apply to websites or products or services that link to a different privacy notice.

Your provision of personal information to �� means that you agree and consent to our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information under this privacy policy. If you do not agree with these terms, do not provide any personal information to us. However, while providing some personal information is optional, we may not be able to offer you certain products or services if you choose not to provide us with required personal information.

A complete review of our privacy policies including cookies, collection of personal information, data security, social media and more is available at Privacy Policy.

THE TRUST PROJECT

The Trust Project is a global network of news organizations that implement standards of transparency, called Trust Indicators, to help audiences evaluate the quality, integrity and reliability of journalism

��

��������

Log In Using Your Account

Sections

��