
Roger-Luc Chayer (Image: Generated by AI – Gay Globe)
A reader asks if the ethical standards for media aimed at LGBTQ+ communities are the same as those applied to traditional and national media. This is an excellent question that deserves a thorough explanation.
First, it is important to understand that, in most democratic countries in America and Europe, the press benefits from freedoms guaranteed by constitutions or laws. In Canada, for example, press freedom is protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Section 2 of the Charter states:
« Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: a) freedom of conscience and religion; b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; c) freedom of peaceful assembly; d) freedom of association. »
The Canadian Charter applies to all provinces and territories in the country, including Quebec. Additionally, Quebec also protects freedom of expression in its own Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
Thus, in theory, media aimed at LGBTQ+ communities, like all other media, are subject to the same freedoms and responsibilities under these legal protections. However, this is not always the case in practice.
Gay Globe and Ethics
The Gay Globe Group, while subject to Canadian and Quebec laws, publishes and disseminates its own ethical guidelines at the following address: https://gayglobe.net/ethics-and-privacy/. This document explains in detail the ethical principles we follow in order to ensure that our readers receive high-quality articles and journalistic content.
It is important to note that each media outlet is independent and can establish its own ethical rules.
The Quebec Press Council and the FPJQ
The Quebec Press Council and the Professional Federation of Journalists of Quebec (FPJQ) are two important organizations that play a major role in journalistic ethics. The Press Council, a rare institution in the world, even describes itself as a « moral tribunal. » It receives public complaints about the media and issues decisions that, while not enforceable, can have repercussions on the reputation of the media and journalists found at fault, in theory.
I say « in theory » because the decision-making processes of the Press Council sometimes lack transparency. Unfortunately, some decisions contain factual errors, forcing the media and journalists concerned to turn to civil courts for redress.
That being said, it is worth highlighting that the Press Council and the FPJQ publish two excellent ethical guidelines. These resources can be particularly useful for guiding LGBTQ+ media and journalists in their work.
The Absence of LGBTQ+ Representatives in Journalistic Organizations
At Gay Globe Media Group, we have chosen to define and publish our own ethical rules in order to better address the concerns of our readers from LGBTQ+ communities. Unfortunately, despite our repeated requests over the years, the Quebec Press Council continues to examine complaints against LGBTQ+ media without disclosing the identities of the people studying these complaints and without including any representation from LGBTQ+ media in its complaint study committees or its board of directors.
At the time of writing this article, the board of directors of the Press Council was composed of 21 members representing media companies, journalists, or the public. An analysis of the composition shows that no LGBTQ+ media is represented among the media companies, that the journalist members come exclusively from national media, and that, among the public representatives, there is a prestigious list of personalities from law, municipalities, and other influential sectors. However, there is no representative from the LGBTQ+ communities.
It is therefore clear that the Quebec Press Council is not representative of LGBTQ+ communities. As a result, the lack of representatives from these communities raises a legitimacy issue and potentially puts the Council in a conflict of interest when making decisions that affect LGBTQ+ journalists or media.
The same goes for handling complaints filed by members of the public who identify with LGBTQ+ communities, as these communities have no representation within the Quebec Press Council (CPQ).
You’re Often Better Served by Yourself
This is why Gay Globe publishes and enforces its own ethical guidelines, which are partly based on the ethical guide from the CPQ, the FPJQ, Radio-Canada, and our expertise in the field for over 30 years. We also encourage other LGBTQ+ media worldwide to adopt ethical guidelines aimed at protecting their audience and readers, while ensuring the publication of professional content.