Media accreditation: Global Affairs Canada

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) accredits media representing a broad range of organizations so that they may attend and cover events hosted by the Government of Canada. The media accreditation process is open to journalists (print, radio, television, film, news agencies and online media) who are on assignment for a bona fide media organization.

The GAC accreditation process serves to register media in a consistent and fair way, with a view to ensuring a well-managed event.

General criteria

Media representatives wishing to have access to an event must be registered, accredited and hold a valid GAC media identification badge.

The onus is on the applicant to supply all required information and supporting documentation at the time of the application. Incomplete applications will not be processed.

All information submitted as part of a media accreditation application are reviewed and validated by officials prior to the approval or refusal of an application.

Supporting documentation and information

Applicants must present valid press credentials, where possible. Where a press credential is not available, a government-issued photo ID (passport for media not residing in Canada) is required.

A letter of assignment is also required, on the official letterhead of the media organization, identifying the applicant as being assigned to the event, explaining the role of the applicant at the event and signed by an authorized editor or publisher within the media organization with their contact information.

Individuals who do not work for a media organization, but rather work as independent members of the media, and therefore unable to provide a letter of assignment, will have to provide proof of recent publications relevant to the specific event, under the applicant’s byline, with reporting and content that can be readily found in the public realm.

To assist in verifying that those applying for media accreditation are members of the media, GAC may also refer to the applicant’s publicly available content to authenticate their role as a journalist.

In all cases, assuming eligibility criteria are met, accreditation confirmation will be issued only after a successful security screening performed by competent authorities of the Government of Canada is completed.

Limits

GAC endeavours to accommodate all applicants who satisfy media accreditation eligibility criteria. Nevertheless, constraints in terms of space and costs may require GAC to impose limits on providing access to an event.

Should the number of applicants exceed the capacity of the media centre and related facilities, a limit on the number of applicants permitted will be necessary. In such a case, GAC will provide access to the media centre and related facilities in a manner it believes will accommodate the broadest representation from as many organizations as possible.

Revocation of accreditation

Accreditation and access to the event and any related facilities is granted on the condition that media representatives will operate in accordance with the policies established by GAC to ensure the proper functioning of the event, the media centre and any related facilities.

Activities must not disturb the safety, security and order of the event. Further, if for any reason there is a breach of the representations made in the application provided or if an individual misrepresented himself/herself, GAC reserves the right to revoke the accreditation.