OCTOBER 24, 2024
Unifor is proud to support Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) in its work to aid journalists persecuted under repressive regimes, to protect the public from disinformation and to advocate for the rights and freedoms of the media internationally.
At the 2024 “A Night to Celebrate Courage in Journalism” gala, journalists and supporters gathered to pay tribute to those who bravely report here in Canada and around the globe and fundraise to support ongoing CJFE initiatives.
The evening highlighted the growing threats and challenges faced by media workers, culminating in a sombre moment of silence for the 142 journalists who lost their lives in the past year with the vast majority killed in Gaza.
National President Lana Payne, Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi and Media Director Randy Kitt joined Unifor media members at the gala, held October 23 in Toronto.
“This event is a powerful reminder of the risks journalists take to uncover and make the truth public and of the growing personal harassment and general attacks on the credibility of mainstream media,” said Payne, who is also a veteran print journalist. “The villainization of media workers led by right wing politicians undermines public confidence in our democracy and risks taking Canadians down the U.S. path of alternative truths and information silos.”
Luke LeBrun, Editor of PressProgress, was recognized for his work in exposing the growing influence of the far-right media citing his coverage of COVID-19 and the Freedom Convoy occupation in Ottawa.
The CJFE honored two International Press Freedom Award recipients. Investigative reporter Rana Ayyub told a harrowing tail of government harassment and intimidation following publication of political exposés. Ayyub shared that she is frequently followed, including in the bathroom and on airplane flights, that her bank accounts have been frozen multiple times and that she is facing an arrest warrant upon her return to India.
Samar Abu Elouf spoke of hr fear of finding her own children among the dead when photographing children killed in the Gaza war. A leading Palestinian photojournalist, Abu Elouf was forced to use a pot as a helmet and sleep in vehicles as she documented the harsh realities of the conflict.
“The courage of these women and their ability to not just endure but to overcome the dire circumstances they are forced to work under is awe inspiring,” said Hashi. “Unifor remains committed to supporting journalists in their quest for the truth, to protect against harassment and to stop the erosion of media jobs across the country.”
Unifor donated $15,000, ten thousand from the National union and five thousand from the Ontario Region, to support the ongoing work of the CJFE Journalists in Distress Fund and its Canadian Issues Committee, which advocates for stronger free expression rights and policies in Canada and abroad. For more information visit cjfe.org. View the gala photo gallery here.
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