Canadian Medical Association Journal FIRES two more editors

[Guest guest]

CAJ seeks CMAJ commitment on editorial independence

 

OTTAWA, March 3 /CNW/

 

- The Canadian Association of Journalists is deeply

troubled by the sudden firing of two senior editors at

the Canadian Medical

 

Association Journal (CMAJ) on Feb. 20, 2006. The

association calls on the

Canadian Medical Association, which publishes the

journal, to clarify its

position on editorial independence in the pages of the

CMAJ.

" There is great concern within the journalistic

community about the

appearance of interference with editorial freedom at

the CMAJ, " said CAJ

past-president Robert Cribb. " Such actions undermine

the important work of

journalists who seek to publish the truth regardless

of how controversial it

might be.

" The CMAJ has earned a prestigious reputation by

digging into matters of

great public interest. We are saddened that its

editorial leaders have been

removed and we ask the CMA to clearly explain its

decision. "

 

CMAJ editor Dr. John Hoey and deputy editor Anne

Marie Todkill were both

fired last week following the publication of a story

criticizing the way some

pharmacies are selling Plan B, an emergency

contraceptive pill.

 

The situation

became even more troubling after the CMAJ's new editor

Stephen Choi and

editorial fellow Sally Murray resigned from the

publication on Feb. 28.

The CMAJ's own editorial policies support the

World Association of

Medical Editors' (WAME) definition of editorial

freedom. The WAME's policy

states in part that, " Owners should not interfere in

the evaluation,

selection, or editing of individual articles, either

directly or by creating

an environment in which editorial decisions are

strongly influenced. "

 

The Canadian Medical Association has denied the

firings were tied to the

article's publication.

Two deans of medicine and an independent panel

appointed to investigate

the incident have raised serious concerns about

editorial autonomy at the

journal.

The panel report, published Feb. 28 and authored

by Jerome Kassirer,

Frank Davidoff, Kathryn O'Hara and Donald Redelmeier,

does not directly

address the reasons behind the two firings. But it

does conclude that the

CMAJ's " editorial autonomy is to an important degree

illusory " and that the

Plan B story is not the first instance of interference

by the CMA in the

journal's content.

 

" The CMAJ can either be a progressive voice that

tackles important issues

or a mouthpiece for the medical community, " said

Cribb. " It can't be both. We

call on the CMA to reaffirm its commitment to

editorial independence and make

it clear to its readers and the public. "

 

The Canadian Association of Journalists is a

national non-profit

professional organization with more than 1,500 members

across Canada. The

CAJ's primary roles are public interest advocacy work

and providing

high-quality professional development for journalists.

 

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