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October 20, 2025 – Canada –
The Canadian union Unifor has announced its support for the upcoming International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists on November 2, 2025, underscoring the essential role journalists play in democratic societies.
Unifor emphasizes that despite journalistic efforts to expose wrongdoing, hold power to account and inform citizens, many media workers continue to face threats, legal intimidation, harassment and deadly attacks—often without any accountability for the perpetrators.
The union calls for several concrete changes to protect journalists, including:
- Crafting laws that specifically punish doxxing, online harassment, surveillance, and physical attacks on media workers.
- Ensuring law enforcement and judicial systems are funded and trained to respond swiftly to crimes against journalists.
- Extending protections and support to freelancers and contract media workers who often lack institutional safety nets.
- Recognizing the heightened risk faced by women, racialized, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQIA+ journalists and developing tailored protections accordingly.
- Supporting local journalism infrastructure, acknowledging that weakening local news reduces watchdog capacity and erodes democratic accountability.
Unifor points out that the union itself offers resources such as the “Help Is Here” portal, which assists journalists facing harassment or threats—whether they are union members or freelancers.
In declaring journalism a “public good,” Unifor stresses that societies that tolerate attacks on the press without holding the attackers responsible risk losing transparency, accountability, and ultimately, democratic vitality.
As the observance day approaches, Unifor’s message aligns with broader global efforts to end the cycle of violence and silence that too often greets crimes against media workers. It calls on governments, employers, and civil society to act—not just symbolically but with measurable reforms.
Unifor’s statement offers a clear reminder: the safety and freedom of journalists matter not only to media professionals themselves but to all citizens whose access to truth and accountability depends on a free press.
Reference –
https://ebs.publicnow.com/view/92AAD7822956D6BD398684EA5281C9A64717C27A
