There is no compulsory national-level code of ethics in Canada. All of the major news organisations in Canada have their own code, rulebook, or standards of practice. Generally, all of them highlight core journalistic principles such as accuracy, fairness, balance, independence, and integrity. The CAJ offers ethical guidelines for the ethical behaviour of journalists, and the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) also has a code of journalistic ethics. The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) acts as a voluntary programming-standards watchdog for the country’s private broadcasters, providing a code of conduct on a range of issues including violence on television, equitable portrayal, and journalistic ethics. The CBSC does not apply to print or online news services (for more information on the CBSC, see Indicator E8 – Level of self-regulation).
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