On Friday night at the Ontario Community Newspaper Awards Hall of Fame banquet, I listened intently to one of the recipients, who is also a Canadian Armed Forces historian. His message was that it was important for newspapers to be vigilant and to always get to the truth.
He related a story from Ross Monroe, embedded with the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, who landed at Juno Beach on D-Day. He began sending back stories as soon as the beach had been secured, which were unedited by the command structure. His accounts were the first to be published, giving Canadians and the world an immediate and unfiltered look at the success and costs of Juno Beach.
Today, embedded usually means you are allowed to see what the military wants you to see and then have all your writing and filming of action vetted by command.
Beginning in late 2025 in the U.S., the Pentagon imposed new credentialing rules that restricted what reporters could cover, removed long‑standing media workspaces, limited access to more favourable outlets, and barred journalists who “solicited” sensitive information, prompting more than 50 reporters to walk out.
A federal judge ruled the policy unconstitutional in March 2026 and ordered pre‑2025 access restored, but the Pentagon instead closed media spaces, required escorts, and planned to move reporters off‑site. The judge found in April 2026 that this still violated his order, though an appeals court temporarily allowed the escort requirement to remain while the case continues.
In Ontario, an update of the Freedom of Information Act will make the Ontario Government the most secretive in Canada. It all began when, under the current freedom of information rules, reporters asked for information from Premier Doug Ford’s personal phone. It is widely known that the premier does a lot of provincial work on his personal phone rather than the one assigned to him by the government. He refused to release that information. The request then wound its way into the court system, and the outcome favoured the people asking for the information.
Then, this new legislation came into being and was quickly passed, which removed the premier and his ministers from freedom of information requests. When the bill receives royal assent and becomes law, the premier’s office, as well as cabinet ministers and parliamentary assistants, will no longer be subject to freedom-of-information requests and will be able to keep documents and emails of their decision-making secret.
This new law, which never went to committee or to the public for discussion, also applies retroactively to current requests for information under the existing law.
In Ontario, we are taking a step back, and municipal governments and provincial boards will seek similar exemptions to hide how decisions are arrived at. We must remain vigilant to make sure that all decisions of councils and boards are open, and any requests for information regarding how decisions are made are available to the public. News organizations must report with accuracy the actions and decisions of councils.
