Quebec journalists have voted overwhelmingly in favour of creating a professional status or title. More than 86 per cent of the vote by members of the Fédération professionnelle des journalists du Québec (FPJQ), supported a form of professional certification. Turnout in the referendum was 58 percent.

The vote comes two months after a task force recommended the Quebec government give professional journalists special status, as well as 'adopt laws that would better protect confidential sources and pressure public institutions to comply with access to information requests,' according to the Montreal Gazette.

The FPJQ said at the time it opposed the creation of any professional order that might place limits on who could engage in journalism. In 2002, members had overwhelmingly rejected the idea of asking the government to legislate on this issue

Janice Neil is the editor-in-chief of J-Source, The Canadian Journalism Project's website, where this article first appeared.