Charter of Information Ethics & Rules for the Media

1. Citizen status, scope of application and evidentiary nature

This charter governs all of William Guindon's actions, citizen field surveys, open letters, advocacy efforts, official correspondence and publications, as well as the williamguindon.me site which constitutes its official public documentary register. These initiatives respond to a goal of legitimate public interest (procedure CCE (Commission for Environmental Cooperation) SEM-26-003, protection of Grande Tourbière de Blainville (Great Blainville Peat Bog)), carried out by a citizen under 15 years of age with usual parental consent for his public interventions.

2. Requirement for rigor, accuracy and verification

• Facts verified before dissemination: Any factual assertion is based on authenticated primary documents, documents filed (BAPE, CCE, MELCCFP (Québec Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks)) or substantiated scientific data.
• Strict distinction between facts and opinions: Citizen analyzes or positions are rigorously distinguished from observed legal and scientific data.
• Data integrity: The figures, procedural dates (notably the federal deadline of October 16, 2026), surface areas and chemical findings are not subject to any alteration or extrapolation.
• Transparent rectification: Any demonstrated inaccuracy is corrected without delay and explicitly.

3. Principles of collaboration proposed to journalists and media

In order to preserve the quality of public debate and the rigor of media treatment, the site invites journalists and editorial staff to observe the usual ethical principles:

• Accuracy of quotations: Represent the words and declarations of William Guindon faithfully, in their context of expression.
• Respect for minors: Conducting interviews in compliance with the ethical rules applicable to minors and usual parental consent.
• Attribution of sources: Cite the primary documents from file SEM-26-003 or the public register when they are used as a documentary basis.
• Compliance with embargoes: Honor embargo agreements agreed upon when previously transmitting unpublished documents.

4. Independence and financial integrity

• The site and its author do not have any guidelines, influence or paid lobbying mandate, partisan affiliation or interference from any political party, government or corporate interest group.
• The SEM-26-003 citizen register, research and site are self-funded without monetization, monetary donations from the public or sponsorship. The only remuneration received by William Guindon comes from legitimate professional fees for his conferences, workshops or public education interventions, without any right of inspection being granted over his investigation files.

5. Fairness of approach and open action

• William Guindon acts openly and under his true identity, in his capacity as a committed citizen and author of the international appeal SEM-26-003.
• The site prohibits harassment, personal attacks and intimidation against anyone. The debate focuses exclusively on facts, environmental law and the public interest.

6. Strengthened protection of privacy and minors

• Respect for the privacy, dignity and reputation of individuals in accordance with article 35 of Code civil du Québec (Civil Code of Québec) and article 5 of the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
• Strict prohibition on disseminating personal data of third parties obtained illegally or without an overriding reason of public interest.
• Reinforced protection of the private sphere of William Guindon and his family (see confidentiality policy). ↗

7. Public interest and proportionality

• All publications are part of a framework of major public interest: population health, preservation of biodiversity, integrity of peatlands and application of national and international environmental laws.
• The tone remains documented, proportionate and free from defamation.

8. Technological transparency and supervision of AI

• Total transparency regarding the technical or algorithmic assistance tools used, under exclusive human supervision and systematic verification (see AI ethics policy). ↗

9. Protection of sources and warning of legal limits

The site scrupulously respects the confidentiality agreed with citizens or whistleblowers. However, in accordance with Canadian and Quebec legal reality:

• The protection of sources is not absolute in law in the absence of professional journalist status recognized by a court, the site never promises absolute legal immunity which it cannot guarantee.
• Whistleblowers are directed to secure channels and end-to-end encryption (see the OpSec guide for whistleblowers and Nostr messaging). ↗ ↗

10. Right of rectification and response

Any person, organization or institution cited on this site has the right to factual rectification and the right to reply, exercisable in writing. Requests based on tangible evidence are processed diligently and in good faith.

11. Scope and application

This charter constitutes williamguindon.me's commitment to integrity and the reference framework required of all partner or observer information media.

This charter is an independent policy of williamguindon.me, published as a public commitment to ethical rigor.