Canada Perspective (canadaperspective.org) is committed to protecting the safety, dignity and privacy of minors in all our journalism. This policy sets out the specific safeguards we apply when covering children and young people, the additional editorial review required, and how to raise concerns. It is published by Northern Beacon Media Inc. (Ontario Business Registry number 1003194827), owner and operator of Canada Perspective, with registered office at Unit 12, 95 King Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 1G4.
Who is responsible for safeguarding minors in our journalism?
Editor-in-Chief Catherine Roy holds ultimate responsibility for editorial standards and publication decisions involving minors. Day-to-day oversight of this policy is delegated to Andrew Leblanc, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, who must review any article that names, identifies or features a minor before publication. Managing Editor Marc Tremblay ensures that all newsroom staff and contributors are aware of this policy and receive guidance on its application.
What additional review is required for stories involving children?
Any article that includes a minor—whether as a subject, source, witness or in a photograph—must be flagged for additional review by Andrew Leblanc at editorial-policy standards. This review assesses whether the minor’s involvement is necessary to the story, whether consent has been obtained from a parent or guardian, and whether any identifying details could put the child at risk. No story featuring a minor may be published without this sign-off.
When do we name or identify a minor?
We do not name or otherwise identify minors under the age of 16 in news coverage unless there is a compelling public-interest justification—such as a major court case or a missing-child alert—and explicit written consent from a parent or guardian has been obtained. For minors aged 16 or 17, we assess each case individually, balancing the young person’s right to privacy against the public’s right to know. In all cases, the decision is documented and approved by Andrew Leblanc.
How do we handle images and multimedia of minors?
Photographs, video and audio recordings of minors are treated with the same care as written identification. We avoid publishing images that show a minor’s face unless consent has been given and the image is essential to the story. Where possible, we use silhouettes, blurring or other anonymisation techniques. Our AI-automation-policy prohibits the use of generative tools to create or alter images of minors.
What about interviews with children?
Interviews with minors are conducted only with the knowledge and consent of a parent or guardian, who may be present during the interview. Journalists are trained to use age-appropriate language, to avoid leading questions, and to stop the interview if the child shows signs of distress. No interview with a minor is used without the explicit approval of the Standards & Fact-Checking Lead.
How can readers raise concerns about coverage of minors?
If you believe that Canada Perspective has published content that fails to protect a minor’s safety or privacy, please contact our complaints team immediately at complaints-procedure or email complaints@canadaperspective.org. All complaints are handled by Catherine Roy and Andrew Leblanc, who will acknowledge receipt within two business days and provide a full response within ten business days. We take every concern seriously and will issue a correction or removal if warranted.
How does this policy relate to our broader editorial standards?
This Safeguarding & Minors Policy is part of a suite of editorial policies that govern our work. It should be read alongside our editorial-policy, fact-checking-policy and corrections-policy. Our full editorial team is listed on the our-team page, and our ownership and funding structure is detailed in ownership-funding.
Our commitments
- We will never publish identifying information about a minor under 16 without parental consent and a documented public-interest justification.
- Every article involving a minor will be reviewed by Standards & Fact-Checking Lead Andrew Leblanc before publication.
- We will obtain written parental or guardian consent before interviewing or photographing any minor.
- We will respond to all complaints about minor-related content within two business days and resolve them within ten business days.
- We will train all editorial staff and contributors on this policy annually and update it as best practices evolve.