Independent Advisory Board on Eligibility for Journalism Tax Measures

In March 2020, as a result of the tax measures to support Canadian journalism organizations announced in Budget 2019, the Government created the Independent Advisory Board on Eligibility for Journalism Tax Measures (Advisory Board) by way of Order in Council and appointed its first members.

Mandate

The Advisory Board's mandate is to provide an independent assessment and make written, non-binding recommendations as to whether an organization meets certain criteria to be designated as a qualified Canadian journalism organization (QCJO). Specifically, whether an organization produces original news content, and regularly employs two or more journalists who deal at arm's length with the organization in the production of its content.

Board Members

Members of the Advisory Board were selected with consideration given to the linguistic, cultural, and ethnic diversity of the country. The Advisory Board is composed of journalism experts whose experience is drawn from their work as current and retired faculty members from post-secondary journalism schools across Canada, as well as in the journalism industry.

Advisory Board members

Margo Goodhand – Victoria, British Columbia (Chairperson)

Ms. Margo Goodhand is President of the Michener Awards Foundation Board. A former governor of the National Newspaper Awards, Ms. Goodhand was the founding editor of Okanagan Business Magazine, served as the first female editor of the Winnipeg Free Press, and went on to become the editor-in-chief of the Edmonton Journal. She is the author of Runaway Wives and Rogue Feminists (2017 Fernwood Publishing), a history of the women's shelter network in Canada.

Ms. Goodhand holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English and Politics from the University of Winnipeg and the designation of Institute of Corporate Directors, Director from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto (2018). She is also Chair of Our Place Society Board in Victoria, British Columbia.

Robert Cox – Winnipeg, Manitoba (Vice-Chairperson)

Mr. Bob Cox is a retired news executive living in Winnipeg. He served as publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press (2007 to 2023) and as chair of News Media Canada (2014 to 2021). He has a 40-year career in Canadian newsrooms, including time as editor of the Winnipeg Free Press, national editor of the Globe and Mail, parliamentary correspondent for the Canadian Press in Ottawa and city editor of the Edmonton Journal. He has extensive experience in written journalism, newsroom operations and business operations of news organizations.

Mr. Cox is a graduate from Carleton University's journalism program. He currently serves as the returning officer for the federal electoral district of Winnipeg North as well as chair of The Convalescent Home of Winnipeg, a not-for-profit long-term care facility.

Linda Hughes – Edmonton, Alberta

Ms. Linda Hughes is a retired publisher and President of the Edmonton Journal (1992-2006), and the first woman in Canada to hold the position of publisher of a major newspaper. She has significant experience in the journalism industry having previously held positions such as a reporter, legislature bureau chief, editorial writer, columnist, city editor and editor-in-chief.

Ms. Hughes served on the Board of Directors of the Torstar Corporation (2011 to 2020) as a member and Lead Director. She was also Chancellor of the University of Alberta (2008 to 2012), Chair of the Board of Alberta Health Services (2015-2019), and served as Chair of the National Newspaper Awards.

Ms. Hughes holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History and Economics from the University of Victoria and attended the University of Toronto's Massey College on a William Southam Journalism Fellowship. She was appointed to the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2016 and is a recipient of the Alberta Centennial Medal and the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal.

Ravindra Mohabeer – Etobicoke, Ontario

Prof. Ravindra Mohabeer is an Associate Professor and Chair of the School of Journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). His current work engages the factors that inform how and why things come to matter in social and public life by considering multiple layers of invisibility. Prior to joining TMU, Prof. Mohabeer spent 13 years teaching at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, looking at how people experience Canadian media outside of the main zones of production.

He was a founding participant in the Racialize and Indigenous Scholars Network of the Canadian Communication Association and is committed to increasing community engagement with and through inclusive information gathering and dissemination practices.

Prof. Mohabeer holds a PhD in Communication and Culture from York University in Toronto that explored how youth can approach media use as a life-skill and he has an MA from the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University in BC.

Brenda O’Farrell – Saint-Lazare, Quebec

Ms. Brenda O'Farrell is a journalist. She is the editor-in-chief of two community newspapers, The 1019 Report and The 1510 West. She also served as senior news editor and national editor of The Gazette in Montreal, and worked for an international media network covering the Canadian and U.S. stock markets. She has also written for Maclean's and Home Canada magazines.

Ms. O'Farrell is currently the president of the Quebec Community Newspapers Association and a member of the Consortium of Official Language Minority Community Media. She is also currently the executive director of the Quebec Farmers' Association (a provincial non-profit organization), and a regular contributor to CJAD Radio in Montreal.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Political Science from Concordia University in Montreal, where she also taught journalism.

In 2019, she was named to the federal government's Journalism and Written Media Independent Panel of Experts. She is also the recipient of Quebec National Assembly Medal of Honour.

Mariève Paradis – Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec

Mariève Paradis is responsible for service delivery at Espace MUNI, where she supports municipalities across Quebec in developing and updating social policy frameworks. A journalist for fifteen years, primarily as a freelance reporter, she has contributed to numerous media outlets, including Radio-Canada, 98.5 FM, L’actualité, and Agence Science-Presse, covering social issues, science, and public affairs.

A co-founder of Planète F Magazine, a publication focused on societal issues affecting families, she also served as President of the Association des journalistes indépendants du Québec. In 2008, she was awarded the Fernand-Seguin Fellowship, and in 2012, she received a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to produce reports from Nunavik and Greenland.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the Université de Montréal and is completing a Master’s degree in Digital Innovations in Journalism at Concordia University, expected in 2026.