Ethics policy | Diversity statement | Corrections policy | Ownership structure | Masthead | Editorial ethics guidelines | Mission statement | Verification/fact-checking standards | Unnamed sources policy | Bylines and signatures | Trust and CTV News | Public engagement policy
This is a summary of CTV News policies and is not meant to be comprehensive. CTV News is committed to producing journalism that is accurate, fair and complete. Our journalists act with honesty, transparency, and independence, including from conflicts of interest.
As part of Bell Media, it is a core principle of CTV News to represent ethnocultural groups, Indigenous people and persons with disabilities in a balanced and accurate manner. Our policy is to seek out diverse voices, not only in the types of stories we cover but also in our sources, on-screen, on-the-air, behind the scenes and within our workforce. Understanding the composition of Bell Media's workforce is at the heart of its diversity and inclusion strategy. Bell Media employees are asked to complete a diversity questionnaire, from which data is analyzed on a monthly basis. Reports on this data along with their action plans are presented to Bell Media's Diversity Leadership Council, so it can monitor progress against benchmarks and established goals in its efforts to employ and build a diverse workforce.
Our commitment to diversity is also reflected in the types of stories we report on at CTV News, including the inquiry into the missing and murdered Indigenous women, athletes at the Invictus Games, and, for Canada’s 150th birthday, a five-part series on new Canadians who came to Canada from all corners of the world. CTV News monitors the statistics of its full-time staff as it is committed to employment equity and diversity. To protect individual privacy, it does not publicly disclose these numbers.
The goal of CTV News is to be accurate and balanced. Our credibility on air and online depends upon such reporting. Accordingly, CTV News will endeavour to promptly correct significant errors of fact in its journalism, once we determine that an error has been made. The placement of a correction made will be dependent upon how critical the error is, when it is discovered and the repercussions of the error. If we are correcting a significant error in an online article, photo caption, video or other content, we should post a correction on the story page explaining the alteration in a timely fashion. Sometimes, our reporting may be accurate, but the wording used may not be as clear as it could be. In these situations, CTV News will consider rewriting the story and/or publishing a clarification.
An online article is not considered inaccurate, or does not contain an error, simply because there have been future developments in a story after publication. However, CTV will consider newly available information to determine whether an update is necessary. In the case of an update, a specific notification to our readers is not usually necessary as a time stamp will indicate that an update has occurred. Our archival material is very important, and in this digital age, reflects a permanent record of the information available at the time of original publication. In some exceptional cases, that material or parts of it may be substantially wrong. In these situations, we will review the material and determine whether the original story should be revised or rewritten, or whether an update, clarification or correction should be published. The content of a significant correction or clarification and its timing and placement will be the ultimate responsibility of senior news management.
Requests to remove online content: Our online journalism is part of the historical record and our archives represent our commitment to accuracy and fairness. Since our online material is available indefinitely and can be searched and retrieved online, we are regularly being asked to “unpublish” or remove online articles or video, often many years after the content was first published. We do not, except in very narrow circumstances, unpublish articles or video. Source remorse or embarrassment is not a reason to unpublish. If someone changes their mind about being quoted, that is not sufficient reason to remove content from our archives.
However, if there is a change in circumstances, for example, criminal charges were dropped after we had reported that a person was charged with an offence, CTV will review the new information and consider whether it is warranted to update our story to include the new facts. If we determine that an update is appropriate, the original story will not be removed, only updated. We will only consider removal requests in very exceptional circumstances. These may include legal considerations or where the named person is facing genuine threats of physical harm. In these rare circumstances, any decision to remove content must be weighed against the public’s right to know and the historical record and only after consultation with senior news management, who will make the final decision, after considering all these issues including legal ramifications.
Founded in 1971, CTV News is from Bell Media, part of BCE, a publicly traded company. CTV News operations include specialty channels CTV NEWS CHANNEL, BNN Bloomberg, CP24, and information programming including CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH OMAR SACHEDINA, CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH SANDIE RINALDO, W5, POWER PLAY, and QUESTION PERIOD. CTV News’ digital operations include flagship news sites CTVNews.ca, as well as CP24.com and BNNBloomberg.ca, and are complemented by the CTV News, CP24 and BNN Bloomberg apps. Part of Bell Media’s vast slate of podcast offerings, CTV News’ podcasts include QUESTION PERIOD, POWER PLAY and TREND LINE. CTV News is committed to upholding principles of journalistic independence and is governed by a Journalistic Independence Policy ensuring independence and non-interference between BCE and CTV News while remaining in compliance with the Broadcast Act and relevant industry codes.
CTV News is funded through advertising revenue and does not receive government funding or subsidies.
Richard Gray
Vice-President, CTV News
David Hughes
Director and Senior Managing Editor, CTV News
Corey Bellamy
Director, Digital Growth, CTV News
Ramneek Gill
Director, Broadcast News Content and Special Program Production, CTV News
Jonathan Kay
Director, News Technology and Production, CTV News
Sophia Skopelitis
Director, Content Creator Talent and People Resources, CTV News
Joel Bowey
Senior Managing Assignment Editor, CTV News
Scott Ferguson
News Director, CTV National News
Alicia Harvey
News Director, BNN Bloomberg
James Lewis
News Director, CTV Toronto
Derek Miller
Executive Producer, W5
Mary Nersessian
News Director, Digital
Stacy Voudouris
News Director, CP24
Joanne Woo
News Director, CTV News Channel
CTV News’ newsgathering is independent of commercial or political interests. We do not accept gifts, including paid travel, in order to avoid any conflict-of-interest or appearance thereof. When we rely on an organization for a product or access to an event, we are transparent about the relationship and note it within the relevant work. The newsroom is insulated from advertisers and underwriters by a firewall. All CTV News properties, news directors, producers, editors, and journalists follow our internal CTV News Policy Handbook which specifies strict adherence to the RTDNA Code of Journalistic Ethics and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Code of Ethics, which mutually govern impartiality in the newsgathering process.
These codes also govern the dissemination of information and news to our readers and viewers. These guiding principles underscore our commitment to journalism that is accurate and reliable in the public interest.
CTV News’ mandate is to uphold journalistic integrity and independence under all circumstances and at all times, without exception. As a reputable news organization in a democracy, it is the fundamental purpose of CTV News to enable Canadians to know what is happening and to clarify events so they may form their own conclusions. This is done through accurate, fair, and relevant stories told in a clear and compelling way.
With a perspective that is uniquely Canadian and via a network of national, international, and local news operations, our mission is to be Canada’s most trusted news source, providing the most timely and relevant news and information on all platforms while adhering to the highest standards of journalism at all times. Our target audience is a broad cross-section of Canadians of all ages who are interested in the world around them.
This news organization commits to do its best to publish accurate information across all of its content. We take many steps to ensure accuracy: We investigate claims with skepticism; question assumptions; challenge conventional wisdom; confirm information with subject-matter experts; and seek to corroborate what sources tell us by talking with other informed people or consulting documents. We verify content, such as technical terms, stats, etc., against source documents or make clear who is providing the information. We may share relevant components of a story with a primary source or an outside expert to verify them.
We stand by the information as accurate, and if it’s not, we will change it as quickly as possible and be transparent with our readers about the magnitude of the error.
We guide our journalists to ask the following questions when they double-check information in a quest for the truth.
We welcome feedback from our readers and sources regarding the information that we publish. Contact: ctvnews.caproducers@bellmedia.ca.
We provide a means for the public to report inaccurate or contested material.
We include the name and contact information for the reporter, as well as the editor’s name, for each substantive news item that we publish.
Our objective is to get everything 'on the record.' Our viewers deserve to know where we get our information, who our sources are and why their comments merit their trust. We should strive to attribute all comments. We must guard against those who wish to use anonymity as a means to hide the truth, deride opponents or manipulate public opinion. But there are circumstances when permitting anonymity is necessary to obtain sensitive information vital to the public good or where the source might face harm, legal jeopardy or loss of livelihood for speaking with us.
We are committed to using bylines except in circumstances as described below, when stories are the culmination of several journalists or when they are supplied by a news agency.
CTVNews.ca staff: If you see the CTVNews.ca staff byline rather than a byline for a specific reporter, writer or producer, it may be that the story was a piece of content based on the work of several people. It may be a collaboration based on the work of several journalists at CTV News, including and not limited to: writers, producers, reporters, trusted content from wire agencies (see information below). On some pages you will see bylines from news agencies rather than CTVNews.ca staff. We trust news agencies to help us cover the world as fully as possible and to adhere to the highest journalistic standards.
The Canadian Press: CP has been Canada's trusted national news agency for more than 100 years, a news source and leader in providing real-time, bilingual multimedia stories across print, broadcast and digital platforms. Through words, photos, graphics, audio and video, more than 180 journalists cover news stories that impact Canadians with fairness, compassion, accuracy and taste. CP, a for-profit enterprise owned jointly by three of Canada's largest media companies, gives Canadians an authentic, unbiased source, driven by truth, accuracy and timeliness. More details about CP's news principles are available here.
The Associated Press: AP is an independent, not-for-profit news co-operative, serving member newspapers and broadcasters in the U.S., and other customers around the world. CTV News is proud to be one of them. AP journalists in more than 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting to visual storytelling. Since 1846, AP has been covering the world’s biggest news events, always committed to the highest standards of objective, accurate journalism. Learn more about policies and standards in AP’s Statement of News Values and Principles.
AFP: Agence France-Presse’s network of 201 bureaus covers 151 countries, with 80 nationalities represented among its 2,400 collaborators. AFP is a global news agency delivering in-depth coverage of the events shaping our world from conflicts to politics, economics, sports, entertainment and the latest breakthroughs in health, science and technology.
The Agency operates regional hubs in five geographical zones: Africa, North America, Latin America, Asia, Middle East. Learn more about AFP’s editorial standards and best practices here.
CNN: Staffed 24 hours, seven days a week by a dedicated team in CNN bureaus around the world, CNN's digital platforms deliver news from almost 4,000 journalists in every corner of the globe.
CTV News is a member of the Trust Project, a global network of news organizations.
Founded by award-winning journalist Sally Lehrman, the Trust Project aims to build standards that affirm and amplify journalism’s commitment to transparency, accuracy, inclusion, and fairness.
Tools developed by the Trust Project, such as a system of trust indicators, are designed to inform the public so they can make informed news choices.
CTV News holds itself accountable to our commitment to journalistic standards. And in a time when readers are bombarded with information online, we want to make it easier for the public to understand how our journalism is produced.
For these reasons, CTV News has taken several measures to enhance trust and improve transparency:
Trust indicators include:
These indicators of credible journalism are also “machine-readable,” signalling to search engines and social media platforms that they are reliable sources of information.
You can find more information on the Trust Project here.
We believe that public feedback is not a one-way street -- that is, simply publishing your comments or letters. Instead, we are committed to engaging with you and taking action based on your suggestions, complaints and other feedback. You may help us develop an individual story or line of coverage, answer questions that a story may raise, identify related or under-covered issues, and teach us about new and diverse sources, experts and perspectives. In line with this, we are committed to providing greater transparency about our journalism and offering regular points of contact and interaction. We believe that news organizations have a responsibility to engage with the public on the values, issues and ideas of the day, and that we have much to gain in return.
Here’s how you can reach us: 416-384-6300 or ctvnews.caproducers@bellmedia.ca.
Here’s how you can reach our local teams:
Jakub Stancl scored his second goal of the game with 11.7 seconds left in third period as Czechia survived a blown 2-0 lead to defeat Canada 3-2 and advance to the semifinals at the world junior hockey championship on Tuesday.
With 75 countries and territories visited, a retired Canadian couple is making the most of life as they cruise full-time, from coast to coast. They're part of a growing trend of people opting to retire at sea.
A passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday and burst into flames. Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed that all 379 occupants of Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 got out safely before the plane was entirely engulfed in flames.
An explosion shook the Lebanese capital's southern suburbs Tuesday evening causing chaos in the militant Hezbollah group's stronghold, but the nature of the blast was not immediately known.
Police specializing in missing people and cold cases have discovered the identity of a woman with no memory in one of the most unusual investigations the sheriff's office has pursued and one that could change state law.
Extraordinary demand, and high prices, for powerful weight-loss drugs will keep them out of reach in the coming year for many patients who are likely to benefit.
A woman who fell out of an Edmonton city bus Friday has died, police said in a media release issued Monday.
Canada's 100 highest-paid CEOs broke records with their compensation in 2022, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Ukraine's two largest cities came under attack from Russian hypersonic ballistic missiles on Tuesday morning, killing at least four people and injuring almost 100, officials said.
It’s been an historic day for women’s sports with the puck drop in the inaugural PWHL game in Toronto.
A B.C. man says his insurance provider has decided to cancel his and his wife’s coverage for failing to disclose a visit to the emergency room to the insurance provider nearly three years before he was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer.
By day, Byron Spriggs is a goalie coach helping kids hone their skills between the pipes. By night, there is a chance Spriggs could take the ice at Canada Life Centre as an emergency backup goaltender in an NHL game.
New Brunswick communities along the path of this spring’s total solar eclipse are already getting ready for the big day on Monday, April 8, 2024.
With the death of Tom Smothers at age 86, another piece of Montreal history has left as well. Tom was among those crowding John Lennon and Yoko Ono's bed-in for peace on May 26, 1969 at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in downtown Montreal.
The story of a 21-year-old Ottawa woman whose lack of a family doctor led to a late stage cancer diagnosis touched the heart of a stranger.
An iconic Toronto diner that was featured on a popular Food Network television show will be closing its doors at the end of the year.
NB Power says almost every customer who lost power from last week’s windstorm has been reconnected, but those still off the grid are wondering if they’ve been forgotten.
Highway 15 was closed for several hours while Smiths Falls Police and Ontario Provincial Police investigated the incident Tuesday night.
Tickets sold out within minutes for the historic first game in the Professional Women's Hockey League. Janice Golding reports.
Manitoba's police watchdog agency is looking into a fatal officer-involved shooting in Fort Richmond Sunday afternoon.
A woman who fell out of an Edmonton city bus Friday has died, police said in a media release issued Monday.
Thousands of people across Canada shrieked, shivered and smiled their way into a new year on Monday as they took part in the long-standing tradition of Jan. 1 polar bear dips.
From tougher bail rules to a new dental care plan, a range of new measures are taking effect across Canada in 2024, aiming to address human rights, public safety, health and other concerns.
No Canadians have been reported injured or missing following the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck the west coast of Japan's main island on Monday, according to Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
Sudbury police say a 60-year-old man from of the community of Hanmer has died after venturing onto the ice of Onwatin Lake.
Israel will defend itself before the United Nation's top court against charges that it has engaged in genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, officials said Tuesday, a rare engagement with the world body, which Israel often denounces as biased against it.
Prominent activist and publisher Jimmy Lai on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to three charges of sedition and collusion with foreign countries in a landmark national security trial in Hong Kong.
Ukraine's two largest cities came under attack from Russian hypersonic ballistic missiles on Tuesday morning, killing at least four people and injuring almost 100, officials said.
A series of powerful earthquakes that hit western Japan have left at least 55 people dead and damaged thousands of buildings, vehicles and boats. Officials warned Tuesday that more quakes could lie ahead.
Police specializing in missing people and cold cases have discovered the identity of a woman with no memory in one of the most unusual investigations the sheriff's office has pursued and one that could change state law.
Thailand and China will soon implement visa-free entry for each other's citizens, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said Tuesday. Chinese nationals will be granted visa-free entry on a permanent basis beginning March 1, Srettha said after his Cabinet's weekly meeting.
For more than a year, Canada has been mulling the creation of a foreign agent registry to fight interference in the country's democratic processes. Some say it doesn't belong in the toolbox at all.
Looking ahead to 2024, the commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command said he thinks the pressure will continue to mount, and Canadians are "overly comfortable" about their safety as the world changes.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the phone on Monday, reassuring him that Canada will continue to support the fight against Russia's invasion.
Extraordinary demand, and high prices, for powerful weight-loss drugs will keep them out of reach in the coming year for many patients who are likely to benefit.
Enfamil is recalling its Nutramigen A+ LGG Hypoallergenic Infant Formula over possible bacterial contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii.
A new study shows a low-cost plant-based drug may be more effective than nicotine replacement therapy for people trying to quit smoking.
An international team of researchers, including those from MIT and the University of Birmingham, have discovered a new way to determine whether exoplanets are habitable or potentially inhabited.
New Brunswick communities along the path of this spring’s total solar eclipse are already getting ready for the big day on Monday, April 8, 2024.
The U.S. military's X-37B space plane blasted off Thursday on another secretive mission that's expected to last at least a couple of years.
A former Los Angeles-area gang leader charged with killing hip-hop music icon Tupac Shakur in 1996 in Las Vegas plans to ask a judge on Tuesday to release him to house arrest ahead of the trial in June.
Hollywood closed out an up-and-down 2023 with 'Wonka' regaining No. 1 at the box office, strong sales for 'The Color Purple' and an overall US$9 billion in ticket sales that improved on 2022's grosses but fell about US$2 billion shy of pre-pandemic norms.
Gloria Knowlan never dreamt of boldly going where no one had gone before and was content to leave the journey to the 'Star Trek' actors she came to love, but 12 years after her death, her family has ensured the final frontier will be her ultimate resting place.
Canada's 100 highest-paid CEOs broke records with their compensation in 2022, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy's annual list of the biggest charitable donations from individuals or their foundations totalled more than $3.5 billion in 2023. Four universities received big gifts in 2023, along with four scientific research institutes and a health-care system. The other gifts went to a family foundation and a racial-justice group.
Tesla beat estimates for fourth-quarter deliveries on Tuesday after a push to hand over more Model 3 electric cars before some variants of the compact sedan lose federal tax credits in the New Year under the Inflation Reduction Act.
With 75 countries and territories visited, a retired Canadian couple is making the most of life as they cruise full-time, from coast to coast. They're part of a growing trend of people opting to retire at sea.
Someone in Michigan has won an US$842.4 million Powerball jackpot on the first day of 2024, the first time it has been won on New Year's Day since the game's start in 1992. The winning numbers drawn were: 12, 21, 42, 44, 49 and red Powerball: 1.
With memories of the tar ponds receding, Sydney, N.S., is now trying to cultivate an upscale vibe — one that includes appealing to billionaires and their toys. It wants to become a destination for superyachts, the most expensive, luxurious boats in the world.
Jakub Stancl scored his second goal of the game with 11.7 seconds left in third period as Czechia survived a blown 2-0 lead to defeat Canada 3-2 and advance to the semifinals at the world junior hockey championship on Tuesday.
Novak Djokovic endured a wrist injury to lead Serbia into a United Cup mixed teams quarterfinal showdown against host Australia.
England great Wayne Rooney was fired as the manager of second-tier club Birmingham on Tuesday after 15 games. Rooney earned only two wins since his controversial appointment in October. Birmingham was sixth in the Championship when he started, and has fallen to 20th.
Electric pickup trucks are built to efficiently lug heavier weights such as towing or pulling a trailer, similar to gas-powered ones. The gas-guzzling stereotype carries over, too: EV pickup trucks need a big electrical charge.
Next year will see the introduction of some new, genuinely affordable electric vehicles as well as a couple of interesting options for the ultra-wealthy. We'll also see the return of some classic model names.
Honda Canada announced up to 297,836 vehicles have been affected by its latest recall due to a fuel pump defect potentially increasing the risks of engine failure or stalling while driving.
