Carney grilled over censorship, media subsidies on World Press Freedom Day
In a post on X, Carney wrote that journalism “empowers us with the truth and protects our democracy,” adding that Canada “continues to support a free and open press.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s World Press Freedom Day message praising Canada’s “free and open press” backfired and triggered a wave of criticism online Saturday, with commentators accusing the federal government of undermining media independence through subsidies, regulation and selective access to journalists.
In a post on X, Carney wrote that journalism “empowers us with the truth and protects our democracy,” adding that Canada “continues to support a free and open press.”
Mark Carney@MarkJCarney
Journalism empowers us with the truth and protects our democracy. In a world where it’s increasingly under threat, Canada continues to support a free and open press — and we are stronger for it. #WorldPressFreedomDay
6:27 PM · May 3, 2026 · 118K Views
2K Replies · 319 Reposts · 1.21K Likes
The statement quickly drew pushback from conservative commentators, independent journalists and free speech advocates, many of whom argued that government funding for media organizations compromises journalistic independence.
