The Documentary Organization of Canada is profoundly alarmed by the decision by TVOntario’s Board of Directors’ to withdraw support for the documentary “Russians at War”, that was commissioned by TVO’s documentary team. Despite TVO’s staff publicly expressing their support for the film on September 6th, on September 10th the Board stated that the broadcaster would no longer be supporting or airing the documentary. The Board’s statement did not refer to issues with the content of the program, but rather that input from the Ukrainian-Canadian community led to their decision to censor the documentary.

DOC created a petition requesting that TVO’s Board of Directors reverse their position, The petition was signed by 346 individuals, most of whom reside in Ontario, including prominent names from the documentary community, award-winning filmmakers, and regular collaborators with TVOntario. 

TVO is highly regarded as an important home for stories that help us navigate the world around us, through critical independent documentary films. Documentary filmmakers need to be able to trust that the well-established process of developing a project with TVO, discussing the approach to telling the story, sending in edits for approval and working with TVO’s valued documentary team will be respected, and that the contracts that lay out this process will be honoured. Unilaterally withdrawing support for TVO’s own documentary risks setting a dangerous precedent, in which independent media is subject to processes of editorial decision-making that lack transparency or accountability to the public TVO serves. 

Independent media is the cornerstone of democracy, essential for ensuring accountability and informed public discourse. Documentaries bring critical in-depth perspectives that allow for nuance, context and reflection. Protecting the documentary creator’s ability to explore controversial subjects is vital for a healthy society. This action by the Board of a public broadcaster to censor content poses a serious threat to independent media in Canada. TVO’s decision risks setting a dangerous precedent and must be immediately reversed.