This page explains how Toronto Post approaches coverage involving minors—anyone under 18—and what you can expect from us when a child or young person appears in our reporting. If you have a concern about content that touches a minor, you can use our complaints process or contact our Standards Lead directly. The policy is part of our commitment to responsible, trustworthy journalism for Toronto and Canada.
Why does Toronto Post have a safeguarding and minors policy?
Because children and young people are especially vulnerable in media coverage, and our editorial mission requires us to balance the public interest with their welfare and privacy. A single story can affect a minor’s safety, reputation or development for years.
Toronto Post and its owner, Northern Beacon Media Inc., recognise that publishing information about a minor carries risks beyond those of adult subjects. Even when a story is newsworthy—a school-board decision, a youth sports achievement, a court case involving a juvenile—we weigh the potential harm against the public benefit. This policy is reviewed by our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, Andrew Leblanc, and is part of our broader editorial policy. It applies to all staff, freelancers and contributors.
What standards apply when we cover children and young people?
Every story that names or identifies a minor undergoes an additional review by Andrew Leblanc before publication, beyond the regular editor and fact-checking process. We do not assume that a parent’s consent alone is sufficient; we also consider whether the minor themselves can understand and agree.
In practice, we default to not publishing the full name of a minor unless extraordinary public-interest grounds exist—for example, a young person who is a publicly elected student trustee or a victim of a high-profile crime whose identity is already public through a court order. Where possible, we use first names only or generic descriptions (e.g., “a 14-year-old student”). We avoid publishing photographs that could lead to identification of a minor in a sensitive context, such as a story about family breakdown or a mental-health crisis. Our fact-checking policy requires all sources to be verified, and that standard is even stricter when those sources are minors. Editors may also consult privacy law in Ontario, such as the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, when deciding what to publish.
How this works in practice
Consider a Toronto Post story about a local middle-school robotics team winning a national grant. The reporter, Kevin Sullivan (Community & Events Correspondent), speaks to the teacher, the principal and several students. He obtains verbal consent from a parent or guardian before quoting any child under 13, and directly explains to older teens how the quote will be used. He writes a draft using first names only (e.g., “Aisha, 12, said the team built the robot from scratch”). The Municipal Affairs Editor, Hannah Walsh, reviews it for fairness and tone. Finally, Andrew Leblanc checks whether naming even a first name could inadvertently allow identification in a neighbourhood context—he decides it is low-risk because the team includes 20 students and the school is not named. The story is published with a note that names of minors are withheld to respect privacy. This extra layer applies to every story, not just those on education or youth topics.
Who oversees this policy and how can I raise a concern?
Andrew Leblanc, our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, is directly responsible for enforcing this policy and for any decisions to deviate from it. He works with Editor-in-Chief Catherine Roy when a case requires higher-level judgement.
If you believe a Toronto Post article has violated this policy—for example, by publishing a minor’s full name without adequate justification, or by using an image that puts a child at risk—please email complaints@torontopost.org. Our complaints procedure explains how we handle such reports, including a formal review by Andrew Leblanc and, if necessary, a prompt correction or removal. We also encourage readers to contact us if they notice material that may have been published before this policy existed; we treat those cases with the same seriousness. Toronto Post is owned and operated by Northern Beacon Media Inc., an Ontario corporation (Ontario Business Registry No. 1003194827), and this policy is a binding part of our journalistic standards—see our team page for full contact details of all editors.
In short
Toronto Post places the welfare and dignity of minors at the centre of its editorial decisions, with every story involving a child reviewed by our Standards Lead. We err on the side of privacy and anonymity unless a clear public-interest reason overrides that default, and we welcome concerns so we can keep learning and improving. This policy is part of why you can trust our journalism to be careful, fair and responsible.