The editorial autonomy of CMAJ | January 03, 2006 | CMAJ

"Freedom from interference in editorial decisions stands at the heart of the credibility of any reputable journal. The statement on editorial independence by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (www.cmaj.ca/authors/policies.shtml) reads in part:

'Journal owners should not interfere in the evaluation, selection or editing of individual articles either directly or by creating an environment that strongly influences decisions'.

'Editors and editors' organizations have the obligation to support the concept of editorial freedom and to draw major transgressions of such freedom to the attention of the international medical, academic, and lay communities.'

We have a transgression to report. While the Dec. 6, 2005, issue was in preparation, the editorial independence of the journal was compromised when a CMA executive objected strenuously to a news article we were preparing on behind-the-counter access to emergency levonorgestrel (Plan B).1 The objection was made in response to a complaint from the Canadian Pharmacists Association, who had learned about the article when they were interviewed by our reporters. The CMA's objection was conveyed to CMAJ's editors, and to our publisher, who subsequently instructed us to withhold the article...."