Media guidelines

For help finding CPS spokespeople or accessing CPS resources, contact media relations staff at media@cps.ca or 613-526-9397, ext. 247. We appreciate as much as advance notice as possible, but will do our best to work within your deadline.

Due to the structure and nature of our organization, please keep the following in mind:

Health issues

The CPS publishes position statements on a wide range of health issues. If we do not have a position statement on an issue, we may not be able to speak to it. Because there may be exceptions, it’s best to contact media relations staff to be sure.

If a CPS position statement is under review, the current recommendations stand. Once a revised statement is available, it will be published online and in our peer review journal, Paediatrics & Child Health. Until the new statement is released, we cannot disclose when it will be available or what will be in it.

If you are looking for comment on an external study, our spokespeople will need at least 4 to 6 hours to review the study before the interview. We may not be able to comment on topics for which we don’t have a position on the issue.

We cannot comment on individual medical situations.

Deadlines

CPS spokespeople are practicing paediatricians who volunteer their time to advocate for child and youth health. This means it can sometimes be difficult to secure a spokesperson on very short notice. Please provide at least 2 hours notice for on-camera requests and at least 3 hours if a spokesperson is required in studio, recognizing that the more time we have, the more likely we’ll be able to confirm a spokesperson.

Spokespeople

To ensure that spokespeople are representing the CPS, interviews must be arranged by CPS staff. Please contact the CPS office before contacting a paediatrician or hospital directly.

Format

The CPS is happy to facilitate your print, radio, broadcast, or web request.

• Print interviews will not be granted if the content is for an advertorial or sponsored supplement section.
• Radio interviews must be a one-on-one interview format. Request for call-in shows are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and depend on the availability of CPS volunteer spokespeople.
• Website requests are granted to reputable news sites.

Due to the limited availability of our spokespeople, the CPS cannot grant interviews for projects or articles not yet confirmed for publication.

Media list

The media list is available to journalists only. If you are not a journalist and would like to receive regular updates from the CPS, consider becoming a member.