Current News & Events / Press Releases





For Immediate Release

The Directors of the Alberta Press Council are pleased to announce the selection of Mr. Arne Handley as its newest Public Board member from the readership area of the Medicine Hat News. Mr. Handley brings to the Board a wealth of experience as a teacher/librarian, a professional artist, business owner and community volunteer. His work can be viewed at Scott Gallery in Edmonton. He will begin his term on January 1, 2012.

The Alberta Press Council was established in 1972, and was the first such body in Canada. Consisting of members from the public and the press, the Council’s mandate is:

• to hear and mediate complaints brought against member newspapers
• to defend the established freedoms of the press, and
• to protect against limitations on access to public information


For further information:

Colleen Wilson
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Alberta Press Council
PO Box 2576, Medicine Hat, AB T1A 8G8
Telephone: 1-888-580-4104 (Alberta) or 1-403-580-4104
E mail: abpress@telus.net
www.albertapresscouncil.ca





November 7, 2011 - For Immediate Release

The Directors of the Alberta Press Council are pleased to announce the selection of Reverend Dr. Doreen Sturla Scott as its newest Board member from the readership area of the Red Deer Advocate. Reverend Scott brings to the Board a variety of experiences as a nurse, writer, church deacon and consultant, as well as prior experience as a director of the Council from 2000-2007. She will begin her term in November 2011.

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November 3, 2011 - For Immediate Release

The Directors of the Alberta Press Council are pleased to announce the selection of Ms. Wendy Kalkan as its newest Board member from the readership area of the Lethbridge Herald. Ms. Kalkan brings to the Board over 25 years of experience in municipal government, land use planning, and human, community and economic development. She will begin her term in November 2011.

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October 10, 2011
The Directors of the Alberta Press Council are pleased to announce the selection of Mr. Gordon MacIvor as its newest Public Board member from the readership area of the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association. Mr. MacIvor is currently the manager of the ATB Financial branch in Fort Macleod and brings valuable private sector and banking experience to the Board. He will begin his term on the Board on November 1, 2011.

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September 1, 2011
The Directors of the Alberta Press Council are pleased to announce the selection of Dr. Joanna Harrington as the organization's new chairman. Dr. Harrington begins her three-year term on September 1, 2011

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June 21, 2011
Keeping You Informed - The Annual General Meeting of the Alberta Press Council was held June 2, 2011, in Calgary, Alberta. Bruce Hogle, CM, a former chair of the Council, was guest speaker. He shared the history of the APC and challenged directors to look to the future.

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June 6, 2011 - 2011 Scholarship Winner Announced
Joan Scott, acting chair of the Alberta Press Council, is pleased to announce that Sarah K. Feutl is the winner of the 2011 Essay Competition. A Grade 12 student at Victoria School of the Arts in Edmonton, she receives $2,000 towards her studies at the University of Alberta.

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2010 Fall Meeting Summary:
The Fall Meeting of the Alberta Press Council, held October 15th in Calgary, proved to be productive and exciting in setting a revised course for the APC as it navigates the uncharted waters of the new environment in which the newspaper industry finds itself.

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APC Rules on Complaint Regarding Climate Change Column
The Alberta Press Council has presented its ruling in a case against the Edmonton Journal, following a complaint made under Clauses 1 (Accuracy) and 4 (Balance) of the Code of Practice by Dr. Geoffrey S. Strong. The complaint was not upheld.

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Spring 2010 Newsletter - Volume 3
Keeping you informed with our current newsletter.

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2010 Scholarship Winner Announced
Ed Kamps, chair of the Alberta Press Council is pleased to announce that the 2010 Essay Competition Scholarship of $2,000 is presented to Mr. Marjun A. Parcasio, a grade twelve student at Old Scona Academic High School, Edmonton, AB. Mr. Parcasio has been accepted to the Joint Honours Baccalaureate in Social Sciences in “History and Political Science (French Immersion) program offered in English, for the Fall 2010 session at the University of Ottawa, ON.

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Brown Vs. Brooks
Friday, July 3, 2009 - The Alberta Press Council has upheld a complaint against The Brooks & County Chronicle made by Rob Brown, of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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2009 Scholarship Winner Announced
Ed Kamps, chair of the Alberta Press Council is pleased to announce that the 2009 Essay Competition Scholarship of $2,000 will be presented to Ms. Erin C. Valentine, a grade twelve student at Strathcona High School, Edmonton, AB. Ms. Valentine plans on attending the University of Alberta in the fall in the Bachelor of Science program.

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Spring 2010 Newsletter - Volume 2
Keeping you informed with our current newsletter.

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February 9, 2009
Ed Kamps, chair wrote to the Edmonton Journal as a letter to the editor regarding National Media Councils.

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December 19, 2008
The Alberta Press Council has dismissed a complaint by Tony Morneau of Edmonton, that an October 19, 2008 headline in the Edmonton Journal, “TERRORISTS TARGET U.S.A. VIA ALBERTA” was not an accurate statement.

Mr. Morneau complained that “nowhere in the ensuing article is this unequivocal statement of fact supported”. He also stated that the Edmonton Journal didn’t know if terrorists are targeting Alberta – it is pure speculation. Mr. Morneau pointed out that there had been two explosions at sour gas pipelines in British Columbia in the preceding week and felt that the Journal was reporting to its readers that it had determined that terrorists are targeting the US by hitting the energy supply that travels through the energy infrastructure that travels through Alberta.

The story, printed on the front page, described a conference in Calgary attended by specialists and consultants in the field of security and emergency response. The story contained numerous quotes from several of the consultants.

With respect to accuracy, the Alberta Press Council’s Code of Practice states that “It is the duty of newspapers to avoid publishing inaccurate or misleading statements and further, that it is the duty of newspapers to correct promptly, and with due prominence, significant inaccuracies or such misleading statements”

In dismissing the complaint, the Alberta Press Council did note that the headline was provocative, but it did reflect the proposition being put forward by the persons being quoted in the news story, adding that the function of a headline is not to tell the full story, but rather to draw the reader’s attention to the story.

Respectfully submitted,

Colleen Wilson
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Alberta Press Council
P O Box 2576
Medicine Hat, AB T1A 8G8

abpress@telus.net
www.albertapresscouncil.ca
Telephone: 1-888-580-4104 (Alberta)
Telephone: 1-403-580-4104



The Future Of Press Councils
Ed Kamps, chair was a member of a panel on the “Future of Press Councils” at the Canadian Press Council bi-annual meeting in Quebec City in October. This is the text of his speech.

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Fall Newsletter
Keeping you informed with our current newsletter.

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Fall Forum 2008
: VIEW POSTER :



May 22nd, 2008 - Scholarship Winners Announced
Ed Kamps, chair of the Alberta Press Council is pleased to announce that the 2008 Scholarship of $1500. is presented to Ms. Caitlin Marie Fortier, a grade twelve student at Sturgeon Composite High School, Namao, AB. Ms. Fortier lives in Gibbons, AB. and plans on attending the University of Alberta in the fall.

Caitlin’s essay titled:
“Treasure in the Trash: Why Society Needs Sensationalism”
was judged to be the winning essay over 41 submissions received on the topic: “Has Newspaper Reporting On Crime Become Too Sensational?”

Mr. Kamps also announces the 2008 Scholarship of $500. is presented to Ms. Lynsey Grosfield, a grade twelve student at Bev Lacey Community High School, Sherwood Park, AB. Ms. Grosfield plans on attending McGill University in Montreal, Quebec in the fall.

Lynsey’s essay titled:
“Sordid Stories of Scandals, Sex and Slayings”
was judged to be the second place essay over 41 submissions received on the topic:
“Has Newspaper Reporting on Crime Become Too Sensational?”

Dr. Ian MacLachlan, chair of the Scholarship Committee states: the scholarship committee comprised of Tanis Fiss, public member, Calgary Herald readership area; Clare Gauvreau, press member, AWNA and David Forbes, public member, Medicine Hat News readership area “has now completed its work and read and graded 41 essays that were received from across the province from grade twelve students”. “The scholarship committee spent considerable time reviewing and scoring each paper based on creativity, style and content. The winning essays were selected from among a large and competitive field with many fine qualities and interesting arguments about crime reporting in newspapers. The difficult adjudication process was made all the more challenging by the high quality of essays received”. Each student submitting an essay “brought their intellect to bear on a problem of social relevance and this was done very well indeed.”

2008 Essay Winners
Congratulations to our 2008 Essay Winners.

1st Place - Caitlin Marie Fortier
: READ ESSAY :

2nd Place Essay - Lynsey Grosfield
: READ ESSAY :

For more information on our scholarships and our 2009 eligibility criteria, please view our SCHOLARSHIPS page.



Announcing - World Press Freedom Day.
Before this day is over, two journalists will be imprisoned somewhere in the world. By the end of the week a reporter will be killed.

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Fall Forum 2007
The Fall Forum Was A Success!

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2007 Essay Winners
Congratulations to our 2007 Essay Winners.

1st Place - Emma J. Curran - Grade 12 Student at Ponoka Composite High School
: READ ESSAY :

2nd Place Essay - Melissa Tierney - Grade 12 Student at Cochrane High School
: READ ESSAY :

For more information on our scholarships and our 2009 eligibility criteria, please view our SCHOLARSHIPS page.