On May 28 the Canadian
Association of Journalists opens its national conference amid trying
times. The Winter
2010 issue of Media Magazine – the CAJ’s house journal – contains a candid
look at how the organization became strapped for cash, including the fall-out
of ‘the
Stevie Cameron affair.’ In addition to critical financial woes, the CAJ
recently seemed out of step over the Supreme Court source protection ruling, declaring defeat where others, like
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, saw victory.
When president Mary Agnes Welch published an open
letter stating the organization was in crisis, J-Source readers weighed in
on what the CAJ
should do.

Obviously, people care enough to have an opinion. Over the
years, the CAJ has provided quality training, networking and advocacy for its members,
in addition to publishing Media Magazine
and developing a Code
of Ethics. Special educational events like January’s Innovate News conference help
journalists stay ahead of the curve. The upcoming Montreal conference will
include a full
roster of seminars, on topics such as collective action
for safety training and story-telling for
broadcast.

Whether or not CAJ can maintain its relevancy – and
solvency – in the years to come remains in the hands of its members. As Welch
put it in her letter: “The CAJ is only as strong as you make it.”