Early-Career Journalists urged to apply for Greg Clark Award

TORONTO, Feb. 14, 2013 /CNW/ - Early-career journalists looking to spend a week exploring their beat in greater depth are encouraged to apply for The Canadian Journalism Foundation's Greg Clark Award. The award was created in memory of one of Canada's greatest journalists - a war correspondent, an avid outdoorsman, a humorist, but above all, a great reporter who excelled at storytelling. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2013.

The Greg Clark Award is unique in Canadian journalism, designed to offer working journalists a chance to gain insight and meet key decision-makers on their beats. The successful applicant will get an opportunity to spend up to a week observing the inner workings of an organization not usually accessible to the working journalist.

All arrangements for the award assignment will be made in consultation with the award winner. The successful applicant will have expenses covered for any travel and accommodation costs.

Last year's winner, Tamara Baluja, travelled to British Columbia's Haida Gwaii to report on positive trends in First Nations' education. She won the award while working as a reporter at The Globe and Mail and is now a freelance journalist.

"The award gave me the confidence to take that leap into the world of freelancing," says Baluja. "It can be a challenge to get the attention of editors when there are so many talented and more experienced writers trying to sell stories. The Greg Clark Award was a door opener that led to relationships with new editors."

Baluja cited the experience itself as eye opening. "I could have never travelled to such remote reserves on my own dime," she says, "and as a freelancer, that made it easier to get to stories that you want to tell but don't have easy access.

"I highly recommend the Greg Clark Award to any young journalist. The Canadian Journalism Foundation has been tremendously supportive of my endeavours."

Baluja's experience resulted in articles published in the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. Read the report of Baluja's experience.

Award Criteria

• Applicants will be welcomed from Canadian journalists who have been employed for one to five years and are employed by, under contract to, or freelancing on the news and editorial side of regularly published newspapers and periodicals, TV and radio news broadcasters, and online publications.
• Applicants must agree that any information gathered is off-the-record unless the sponsoring organization agrees otherwise.
• Successful applicants will write a brief summary of their experience upon completion of their professional development opportunity.

How to Apply

• Submit a proposal of no more than two pages outlining how such a professional development opportunity would expand your knowledge of your beat and help you in your daily work.
• Provide two examples of your beat work.
• Include a resume.
• Include at least one letter of recommendation from a relevant employer.

We've now made it easier for you to apply with our online application form.

Visit our website for full details.

The winner will be honoured at the 16^TH Annual CJF Annual Awards at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto on June 13.

If you know of early-career journalists who deserve this opportunity, please encourage them to apply.

SOURCE: Canadian Journalism Foundation