MONTREAL – Quebecor said Wednesday that it has filed a motion in Quebec Superior Court seeking an injunction and damages from the Quebec Press Council, a private, nonprofit organization that claims to be devoted to “the protection of the freedom of the press and to the defense of the right of the public to quality reporting.”
According to Quebecor, the Press Council recently issued two decisions “tarnishing the reputation and image of Quebecor's media properties”, despite the withdrawal of TVA Group and Quebecor's newspapers from the voluntary organization in November, 2008 and June, 2010, respectively.
The company added that it is also calling on the Council to rescind those decisions and to refrain from making further decisions about their news coverage.
"Today, although Quebecor's media outlets are no longer members of the Press Council, the Council continues to make erroneous, unfair and defamatory decisions about us," said Dany Doucet, vice-president of news for QMI Agency and editor-in-chief of Le Journal de Montréal, in a statement. "The current situation is unacceptable. Our right not to associate with this organization, a principle enshrined in the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, is being violated."
"As a broadcaster, we are subject to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council's standards," added TVA News and TVA Sports VP Serge Fortin. "It is therefore unacceptable that the Press Council should take it upon itself to pass judgement on our reporters when we are opposed to being members of the Council or participating in it."
