TORONTO (23 September 2016) —  John Fraser, President and CEO of the National NewsMedia Council of Canada (NNC), announced today that Shelley Chrest of Victoria, B.C., the former director and chair of the British Columbia Press Council, and an inaugural vice chair of the NNC, has succeeded the Hon. Frances Lankin as Chair of the year-old council.

Ms. Lankin was named to the Senate of Canada earlier this year. At that time she announced she would step down from her formative role in the country’s first national news media council as soon as her successor could be named. The change was part of a quarterly meeting by members of the council on Sept. 22.

Mr. Fraser also announced that Joanne De Laurentiis, the former President and CEO of the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC), was elected a new vice chair (central) of the organization. Moreover, the highly-accomplished Ann Dillon was elected a new public council member.

The NNC, which was created when four former Canadian press councils joined together to create a national body in September 2015, is made up of eight public members and seven members from the news media industry. Its task is to guarantee ethical standards in media coverage and to educate the public.