Oops, the Government Determined Who Was a Journalist ft. Jeremy Appel (Podcast)
The IRCC said they'd change policy, but questions remain unanswered
This week on The North State, I spoke with Jeremy Appel, founder and journalist at The Orchard about learning that federal government agencies were using government criteria to determine who was a journalist worthy of a response. RSS feed here. Apple Podcasts link here.
Description
In 2019, Canadian journalism outlets meeting certain requirements were able to receive a tax credit under federal law. These were codified under the federal government's Qualified Canadian journalism organization (QCJO) guidelines. Now, seven years later, it turns out at least two government agencies were basing their response to journalist inquiries on these qualifications. The Orchard founder and journalist Jeremy Appel discovered that he initially didn't qualify as a journalist when inquiring Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada about a different story. IRCC has since backtracked, but what does this say about government designation of journalists? Scott and Jeremy discuss.
Check out Jeremy's work at The Orchard.
Follow Jeremy on Bluesky.
Sources and Further Reading
Canadian government backtracks on using media subsidy criteria as accreditation - The Orchard
“‘Let’s fix this’: IRCC reviewing media rules, reverses decision after refusing comment to independent journalist” - The Hill Times
The Canadian government is now deciding who’s a journalist - The Hub
Relevant Section of Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Postmedia Tells Shareholders $35 Million in Federal Government Handouts is Now a 'Ke Pillar' of Its Business Strategy - PressProgress
