Slack Community

Slack Community: Member Guidelines & Terms of Participation

Effective Date: June 26, 2026 · Version 1.0

These Guidelines constitute a binding agreement between each member and the Investigative Journalism Foundation ("IJF"). By joining or continuing to participate in this Slack workspace, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Guidelines in their entirety. The IJF reserves the right to amend these Guidelines at any time; continued participation following notice of amendments constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

1. Purpose and Scope

This Slack workspace (the "Community") has been established by the Investigative Journalism Foundation ("IJF," "we," "us," or "our") exclusively for members of the IJF Free Access for Journalists Program ("Program"). The Community exists to:

• Enable members to connect with fellow journalists from around Canada;
• Facilitate discussion and peer support around the use of IJF databases and research tools;
• Provide a forum for professional journalism discussion, story development, and craft;
• Host IJF-organized programming, including Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) sessions with IJF staff and guests;
• Disseminate news, updates, and resources from the IJF and the broader journalism community.

Access to this Community is a privilege extended as part of Program membership. Participation is subject at all times to these Guidelines and to IJF's overarching Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

2. Off-the-Record Environment

IMPORTANT: All communications within this Community are strictly off the record. Nothing shared here may be reported, published, quoted, or attributed — directly or indirectly — without the express written consent of the individual who made the statement.

The off-the-record nature of this Community is foundational to its purpose. Members are here as peers and colleagues, not as sources. Accordingly:

• No member may use information shared in this Community as the basis for, or as a source within, any published journalistic work without the explicit prior consent of the person who shared it.
• Paraphrasing or reconstructing another member's statements in a way that identifies or could identify the speaker is equally prohibited.
• This rule applies to all channels, direct messages between members, and any other communications facilitated through the Community.
• Members who are unclear about whether a specific use is permitted must seek clarification directly from the relevant member before proceeding.

Violation of the off-the-record rule is a serious breach of professional ethics and of these Guidelines, and will result in immediate removal from the Community.

3. Professional Conduct Standards

This is a professional environment. Members are expected to conduct themselves at all times with the same standards of integrity, courtesy, and professionalism they would bring to any journalism industry setting.

3.1 Respectful Engagement

• Treat all members, IJF staff, and guests with courtesy and respect, regardless of differing viewpoints, backgrounds, or experience levels.
• Disagreements are welcome; personal attacks, contemptuous language, and hostile conduct are not.
• Be mindful of power dynamics, seniority differences, and cultural contexts within a diverse community.

3.2 Prohibited Conduct

The following conduct is strictly prohibited and will result in disciplinary action, up to and including permanent removal:

• Hate speech, discriminatory language, or content that demeans any individual or group on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law;
• Harassment, intimidation, or bullying of any member, IJF staff, or guest, whether in public channels or via direct message;
• Sexual harassment or the sharing of sexually explicit, suggestive, or inappropriate content;
• Threats of violence or expressions of intent to cause harm;
• Doxxing or sharing another person's private or personally identifying information without their consent;
• Sustained or targeted disruption of community discussions or IJF-organized programming;
• Impersonation of another individual, organization, or media outlet.

3.3 Sensitive Content

• Do not post content that glorifies or encourages substance abuse, self-harm, or dangerous activities.
• Content that may be disturbing, graphic, or distressing should be clearly labelled and, where possible, shared via a link rather than embedded directly.

4. Editorial Integrity and Story Ethics

4.1 No Scooping or Story Poaching

Story ideas, pitches, works-in-progress, exclusive sources, investigative angles, and other editorial concepts shared by members in this Community are the intellectual property of the member who shared them and must not be appropriated, duplicated, or published by any other member without that member's explicit written permission.

More specifically:

• Do not pursue, develop, or publish a story that you learned about solely because a fellow member shared it here, without obtaining their prior written consent.
• Do not share leads, sources, documents, or information disclosed here with colleagues outside this Community in a manner that could facilitate story appropriation.
• If you independently arrive at a story idea similar to one previously discussed here, document your independent path to that story clearly to protect yourself against any later dispute.

4.2 Primary Purpose: IJF Data and Resources

While professional journalism discussion is encouraged, the primary purpose of this Community is to support members in accessing, understanding, and using IJF databases and research tools. Members should:

• Use dedicated channels for their intended purposes;
• Direct database questions, technical issues, and resource requests to the appropriate channels;
• Avoid flooding channels with content unrelated to the Community's stated purposes.

4.3 Conflicts of Interest

• Disclose relevant conflicts of interest when seeking advice on stories or sources that may implicate you personally or professionally.
• Do not use the Community to solicit members to engage in conduct that could compromise their journalistic independence.

5. Defamation, Libel, and Reputational Harm

Legal Context: Canadian defamation law — including both common law defamation and statutory provisions under provincial legislation such as Ontario's Libel and Slander Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.12 — protects individuals from false statements of fact that harm their reputation. Both the person who posts defamatory content and, potentially, the platform operator may face liability. Members must take these obligations seriously.

Members must not post, share, or endorse content that:

• Makes false statements of fact about any identifiable person, organization, publication, or media outlet;
• Presents opinion or conjecture as established fact in a manner that could damage another's reputation;
• Republishes statements known or suspected to be false or defamatory;
• Constitutes malicious falsehood — i.e., a false statement made with knowledge of its falsity or with reckless disregard for the truth.

Recognized defences under Canadian law — including fair comment on matters of public interest, responsible communication, and justification (truth) — do not absolve members of the obligation to act responsibly. When in doubt:

• Frame opinions clearly as opinions;
• Do not make allegations you cannot substantiate;
• Avoid naming individuals in connection with unverified allegations;
• Seek legal advice before posting anything that could be perceived as reputationally damaging.

IJF expressly disclaims liability for defamatory content posted by members; however, IJF reserves the right to remove such content at its sole discretion and to cooperate with lawful requests for information in connection with defamation claims.

6. Intellectual Property and Copyright

Legal Context: Copyright in Canada is governed by the Copyright Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-42. Copyright subsists automatically in original literary, artistic, and other works upon their creation. Moral rights, which protect the integrity of a work and the author's right to attribution, are non-waivable in Canada without the author's express consent.

6.1 Members' Own Intellectual Property

• Story ideas, investigative frameworks, original analysis, source networks, and editorial concepts shared by members retain their copyright and associated intellectual property protections.
• Members sharing their own work or ideas in this Community do not grant any licence to other members to reproduce, adapt, distribute, or exploit that content.
• Members should be cautious about sharing unpublished work-in-progress and understand that doing so does not transfer or diminish their rights in that work.

6.2 Third-Party Content

• Do not post, upload, or share copyrighted content — including articles, photographs, videos, data sets, or other materials — without the authorization of the rights holder or a lawful fair dealing basis.
• Canada's fair dealing provisions (Copyright Act, ss. 29–29.2) permit use of copyrighted material for purposes including research, private study, education, parody, satire, criticism, review, and news reporting, subject to the requirement that the dealing be "fair." Posting full articles or large excerpts rarely qualifies as fair dealing.
• When sharing external content, provide links rather than reproducing the content in full.
• Credit original authors and publications when discussing or referencing their work.

6.3 IJF Materials

• Materials provided to members through the Program — including database access, research tools, reports, and training materials — are the intellectual property of the IJF or its licensors.
• Such materials may not be redistributed, sublicensed, sold, or shared with non-members without IJF's prior written consent.

7. Privacy and Personal Information

Legal Context: The collection, use, and disclosure of personal information is regulated federally by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), S.C. 2000, c. 5, and by provincial legislation in applicable jurisdictions. IJF processes member data in accordance with its Privacy Policy.

• Do not post personal information about any individual — including other members, sources, subjects of stories, or private citizens — without their knowledge and consent.
• Do not share private communications (emails, text messages, DMs) from individuals who are not parties to this Community without their consent.
• Be aware that content posted in this Community may be visible to all members, including IJF staff and, in connection with moderation or legal obligations, to IJF's legal advisors.
• Members based in Canada or interacting with data subjects in Canada should be mindful of applicable privacy law when discussing story research involving personal information.
• Harassment, surveillance, or monitoring of another member's online activity is prohibited.

8. Accuracy, Misinformation, and Disinformation

Given the professional nature of this Community, members are expected to uphold journalistic standards of accuracy:

• Do not knowingly post false or misleading information.
• Correct errors promptly and transparently if you discover you have shared inaccurate information.
• Label speculation, rumour, and unverified information clearly.
• Do not amplify content you have reason to believe is disinformation.
• AI-generated content shared without appropriate disclosure of its origins is prohibited.

9. Commercial Activity and Conflicts

• This Community is not a marketplace. Unsolicited advertising, promotion of commercial services, affiliate links, and self-promotional spam are prohibited.
• Members may share relevant professional accomplishments, publications, and events when genuinely pertinent to Community discussions.
• Solicitation of freelance work, consulting engagements, or paid collaboration should be confined to channels designated for such purposes, if any.
• Members must not use access to the Community to recruit other members into commercial arrangements or subscription services without IJF's prior consent.

10. Security and Workspace Integrity

• Do not share your Slack login credentials with any third party.
• Do not invite non-members to the workspace or share workspace invitation links without authorization from IJF.
• Do not post malware, phishing links, deceptive content, or harmful code.
• Report suspicious activity, security concerns, or suspected unauthorized access to IJF staff immediately.
• Do not attempt to access channels, data, or communications you are not authorized to view.

11. Disclaimer of Views and Opinions

DISCLAIMER: Views, opinions, and statements expressed by members in this Community are those of the individual members alone and do not represent, reflect, or constitute the views, positions, editorial policies, or endorsements of the Investigative Journalism Foundation, its staff, board of directors, funders, partners, or affiliated organizations. IJF makes no representation regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of member-generated content.

Members should not represent or imply that their statements have IJF approval or backing. Members who participate in AMA sessions or other programming involving IJF staff should respect that such communications remain subject to these Guidelines and the off-the-record provisions in Section 2.

12. Moderation and Enforcement

12.1 IJF's Discretionary Authority

IJF reserves the right, at its sole and absolute discretion and at any time, without prior notice, to: remove any content from the Community; suspend or permanently revoke any member's access; modify, restrict, or discontinue any channel or feature; and to interpret and apply these Guidelines as it sees fit.

The exercise of these rights is not subject to appeal, except where IJF elects to offer a review process in its sole discretion.

12.2 Reporting Violations

• Members who observe conduct that appears to violate these Guidelines are encouraged to report it to IJF staff using the designated reporting channel or email address.
• Reports will be handled confidentially to the extent practicable.
• False or bad-faith reports may themselves constitute a violation of these Guidelines.

12.3 Enforcement Measures

Depending on the nature and severity of a violation, IJF may take any of the following actions:

• Issue a formal warning;
• Remove specific content;
• Temporarily restrict a member's posting privileges;
• Suspend a member from the Community for a defined period;
• Permanently revoke Community access and Program membership;
• Refer the matter to appropriate authorities where the conduct may constitute a criminal offence.

12.4 No Obligation to Monitor

IJF does not undertake any obligation to actively monitor all content posted in the Community. The absence of moderation action does not constitute endorsement or approval of any content.

13. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Guidelines are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising from or related to participation in the Community or these Guidelines shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of Ontario.

14. Questions and Contact

Questions about these Guidelines, requests to report a violation, or concerns about privacy or data handling should be directed to:

IJF TeamEmail: [email protected]