Journalists shouldn’t have to pledge allegiance to the government or the monarchy to do their jobs

Press Release

Toronto, ON: The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) calls on Ontario premier Doug Ford and education minister Jill Dunlop, to exempt all journalists working at TVO and TFO from having to sign oaths of allegiance to the provincial government and the monarchy.

“In Canada, journalists are not agents of the state,” said Brent Jolly, president of the CAJ. “Forcing working journalists to hold back government secrets and swear allegiance to a distant Crown are misguided, unethical, and antithetical to the values of independence and accountability journalists hold dear.”

In Ontario, current regulations stipulate that individuals who work for the public service sector are obliged to sign two pledges of allegiance when beginning their jobs.

Earlier this month, journalists at TVO and TFO, which are both publicly-funded educational television networks and media organizations in Ontario, informed the CAJ they would be compelled to sign pledges.

“Journalism cannot serve two masters,” Jolly said.

The text of these oaths are:

“I swear (or solemnly affirm) that I will faithfully discharge my duties as a public servant; I will respect the laws of Canada and Ontario, including the recognition and affirmation of the aboriginal and treaty rights of Indigenous peoples in the Constitution; and, except as I may be legally authorized or required, I will not disclose or give to any person any information or document that comes to my knowledge or possession by reason of my being a public servant. So help me God.”

and

“I swear (or solemnly affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second (or the reigning sovereign for the time being), her heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”

Currently, individuals can be exempted from signing the pledges if taking the oath could result in the loss of a second citizenship or if “making the oath or affirmation would be inconsistent with his or her views regarding the relationship between the Crown and Indigenous peoples.”

“Journalists must always be independent and their service of the public’s right to know must never be compromised,” Jolly said.

The CAJ is Canada’s largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing members across the country. The CAJ’s primary roles are to provide high-quality professional development for its members and public-interest advocacy.

For further information: Brent Jolly, president, Canadian Association of Journalists, brent@caj.ca

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