File a Complaint Online - National NewsMedia Council

To assist you in ensuring that your complaint falls within the mandate of the National NewsMedia Council complaint process, please answer the following questions.

Is your complaint about a specific piece of journalistic content (a news article, opinion column, or image) published by a Canadian news organization?

Yes

Please note that the NNC does not take complaints about broadcast news, advertising content, or delivery issues.

The NNC only accepts complaints about journalistic content published by its member news organizations in Canada. For more information on other matters, please see the relevant section below.

Advertising: The NNC upholds the standard practice of clearly labelling advertisements and sponsored content. If your complaint is about improper labelling of an advertisement or sponsored content to distinguish it from journalistic content, please select “Yes” to proceed with the next question. That said, placement of advertising is a business decision of the news media organization, and complaints about the content of the advertising are not within the NNC mandate. Complaints about advertising material may be directed to Advertising Standards Canada.

Broadcast: The NNC does not handle complaints about television and radio, which are under the mandate of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC), nor does it deal with content published by the CBC. You may wish to direct your complaints about broadcast content to the appropriate regulator such as the CBC ombudsman or CBSC.

Delivery: the NNC does not deal with delivery or subscription issues, as those are matters of business operations and fall outside our mandate. Please contact the news media organization directly for help with this matter.

Other: If your concern is about general trends in news coverage or another matter outside the scope of journalistic standards, your complaint does not fall within the NNC mandate. If you still have questions, you may wish to review the information on the NNC website or contact the office for more information.

Please select the publication you wish to file a complaint about:

The NNC only accepts complaints about journalistic content published by its member news organizations, as other news organizations are not bound by the NNC complaints process. However, if you feel that your concern is about a member organization not listed here, you are welcome to send a query to complaints@mediacouncil.ca.

Was the content published within the last month? Or, if the publication is monthly or less frequently, was the content published within the last two months?

Yes, it was published within the last month (or two months for less frequent publications).

No, it was published more than a month ago (or more than two months for less frequent publications).

The NNC accepts complaints about articles published within the last month. It appears that your complaint may not be eligible for consideration. You may still wish to contact the news organization directly with your concern or contact complaints@mediacouncil.ca for more information.

Do you currently have an open complaint with the NNC?

Yes

In order to ensure a timely response and equitable access to our dispute resolution process for all complainants, the NNC reserves the right to accept one complaint per individual or organization at a time. Individuals and organizations with open complaint files are asked not to submit additional complaints on other matters while their complaints are being processed. You may contact the office at complaints@mediacouncil.ca if you have questions about the complaints process.

Did the news organization respond to your concern?

No, I did not contact the news organization.

No, I contacted them within the last five business days and have not heard back.

No, I contacted them more than a week ago and have not heard back.

Yes, I heard from the news organization but am not satisfied with their response.

The NNC encourages resolution at the local level. Before filing a complaint with the NNC, individuals are first expected to work towards a resolution with the news organization, allowing for reasonable opportunity for the news organization to address their concerns. We would suggest you reach out to the relevant editor of the news organization with your concern. It is reasonable to allow several days for the news organization to give a considered reply to your concern. However, if you still wish to pursue your complaint with the NNC after hearing from the news organization, you are welcome to file a complaint at that time. If you require assistance or more information, you are welcome to contact our office at complaints@mediacouncil.ca.

It is reasonable to allow several days for the news organization to give a considered reply to your concerns. We urge you to be patient as you await a response from the news organization. However, if you have not received a satisfactory response from the news organization after one week, you are welcome to file a complaint at that time. If you require assistance or more information, you are welcome to contact our office at complaints@mediacouncil.ca.

Have you started, or are you thinking about taking, legal action on this matter?

Yes

Please note that the NNC is an alternative to legal action and cannot accept complaints where legal action has started or is anticipated.

Which best describes the reason for your complaint?

Please note that the NNC only accepts complaints alleging specific breaches of journalistic standards, such as accuracy, in individual articles. If you believe your complaint meets the eligibility criteria as outlined on the NNC website, you are welcome to proceed to the complaint submission form. More information about the types of complaints we accept can be found here.

Please note that the NNC upholds the long-accepted journalistic practice giving columnists and opinion writers wide latitude to use strong language and express unpopular views. Generally speaking, the NNC will not consider a complaint about opinion writing except in the case of an error of fact. It appears that your complaint may not meet the eligibility criteria for filing a complaint at this time. If you believe that your complaint does in fact meet eligibility criteria as outlined on the NNC website, you are welcome to contact our office at complaints@mediacouncil.ca.

NNC Complaint Terms:

Before proceeding, please review the terms of the complaints process below. If you agree to the below terms, you will be directed to the complaints form to complete your submission.

By submitting a complaint to the National NewsMedia Council (NNC), you agree to the following terms and conditions.

1) Not to pursue legal action on the matter: Please note that the NNC will not accept or continue with complaints where legal action is planned or has been taken.

2) Confidentiality: Please keep the contents of your complaint and related correspondence confidential throughout the NNC’s dispute resolution process. This is to ensure parties work towards a resolution in good faith. Publicly posting information about the complaint may result in the termination of the process.

3) Transparency: The NNC may publish your name and relevant details of the complaint in reporting a final decision to ensure transparency. If Council accepts your complaint for consideration, you will be notified of a final decision.

4) Respectful communication: The NNC process encourages the civil exchange of viewpoints and information to promote mutual education and resolve matters of journalistic and community standards. We ask that parties remain respectful in their communications at all times. Abuse of process or abusive language directed towards any party will not be tolerated.

5) Termination: A breach of the NNC terms at any stage in the process may be grounds for termination of the complaint at the discretion of the NNC.

Do you agree to abide by the terms of the complaints process as outlined above?

Yes

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