Canada: CFWIJ Condemns the Threats Against Cbc Journalist Meghan Grant
Location: Canada
Date: October 5, 2021
CBC journalist Meghan Grant alongside NDP MLA Shannon Phillips received retaliatory threats from officers of Lethbridge Police Service for exposing misconduct within the police force. The threats came to light through a whistleblower who revealed the nature of the discussions within police offices regarding the ongoing investigations, claiming that retaliatory action is being discussed against the journalist and the lawmaker due to their activism and reportage.
The information was revealed by Michael Bates, a lawyer representing MLA Phillips as well as a woman who had accused a retired LPS officer of sexual assault. Both Phillips and the woman received similar letters in June that appear to be from an insider at the LPS office, revealing the threat to their safety, as well as the safety of Meghan Grant.
"In one of the disclosures, there is a suggestion of a potential plan of retaliation against a named member of the professional media as well as a sitting member of the legislative assembly of Alberta for what can be inferred as [them] having sought public accountability of the Lethbridge police service," Bates said at a Lethbridge Police Commission meeting on Wednesday night.
CBC News, Meghan Grant’s employer organization, confirmed that the journalist in discussion is indeed her. As an investigative reporter, Meghan has published several stories on the misdealings in the police force. However, on twitter, while announcing that she has knowledge of the threats against her she also clarified that she will no longer be reporting on the beat due to the conflict she finds herself in.
THREAD: Yesterday, when I was preparing to write a story about a call for an inquiry into alleged threats made by Lethbridge Police Service officers against members of the public, I learned that I (along with Shannon Phillips) was the subject of those threats
— Meghan Grant (@CBCMeg) September 30, 2021
Anonymous whistleblower letters were sent to two women in June, Shannon Phillips (who has been repeatedly targeted by LPS officers) and "Emma," a woman I have written about. Background on Emma's story here:https://t.co/jqzPlrUYHk
— Meghan Grant (@CBCMeg) September 30, 2021
We are extremely concerned for Meghan Grant’s safety and demand that Calgary state authorities and her workplace ensure her security immediately
Bates has since requested an investigation into the matter and has been assured by authorities that the matter is being looked into and will be dealt with seriously.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled at these threats. We are extremely concerned for Meghan Grant’s safety and demand that Calgary state authorities and her workplace ensure her security immediately. We also condemn the work culture at the LPS offices that had allowed for such a situation to emerge. Law enforcement agencies are not above accountability and the presence of such threats against journalists and lawmakers is indicative of a rot in the system. The officers responsible for these retaliatory threats and plans should be immediately brought to account.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
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