Canadian Association of Journalists on ropes; pleads for support and members

In an open letter to its members and the wider journalistic community, the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is appealing for help, money and members.

The appeal, published today on J-source.ca, was over the byline of CAJ president Mary Agnes Welch, a reporter at the Winnipeg Free Press, who said the organization -- which has lost 36% of its members in the last year and put its longtime executive director John Dickins on part-time pay -- was "in crisis".

There’s no point mincing words. The last year has been our toughest one in 15 years, and certainly the toughest since I joined the board nearly five years ago. The same financial turmoil that resulted in well over 1,000 layoffs at newspapers and broadcasters in Canada has also battered the CAJ. We’re at a crossroads.

Not only has membership declined as journalists are laid off and traditionally generous large publishers such as the Toronto Star cut back on their sponsorship, but the organization has had a difficult time conveying the value of a $75 membership fee. Volunteers to maintain a network of chapters across the country are simply too thin on the ground, she said.