Highlights from 16th Annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards

TORONTO, June 24, 2013 /CNW/ - The 16^th Annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards celebrated its biggest event ever on June 13 at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, with more than 500 of the country's top journalists, media executives and business leaders from across the country gathered for the annual celebration of excellence in journalism.

The Winnipeg Free Press won the Excellence in Journalism Award in the large-media category and The Tyee won in the small-media category. Both news organizations also won the awards in 2009.

"I want to thank our reporters, our photographers and the editors who have made our newsroom what it is," said Paul Samyn, editor of the Winnipeg Free Press, upon accepting the award. "They have boundless imagination, energy and commitment. This award is for them, for the way they practise the craft that is so very important, for answering the call to care and dare to make a difference, and for the courage needed to seek out the truth." 

Excellence in Journalism Award finalists in the large-media category included CBC News: Special Investigations Unit, The Current - CBC Radio One (last year's winner), Postmedia News and past recipient Toronto Star.

"The Winnipeg Free Press is a leader in reaching out to its community," says Murray Campbell, a member of the CJF Excellence jury.  "This is shown in its story selection, its staffing decisions and through innovations such as the News Café, which seeks to connect the paper to its readers."

Finalists in the small-media category included CBC New Brunswick, CP24, Turtle Island News and last year's winner, the Vancouver Observer. Speaking about the winner, Campbell said: "The Tyee continues to set a superb example of strong, provocative journalism." Michelle Hoar, director of publishing and advertising of The Tyee, accepted the award, calling it "an incredible honour."   

Among the evenings other awards:

• The Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy provides $100,000 to a Canadian journalist to undertake a year-long research project on a topical public policy issue and is sponsored by the Atkinson Charitable Foundation, the Toronto Star and the Honderich family. This year's recipient is Peter Goodspeed, recently retired as a senior reporter of international affairs for the National Post. For his fellowship, Goodspeed will explore Canadian refugee policy.
  
  
• The Greg Clark Award, sponsored by the Toronto Star and CNW Group, allows early-career journalists to spend a week gaining insight into their beat. This year's recipient is Ashleigh Gaul, online editor for Up Here magazine, who will spend her experience in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, exploring the impact of mining developments in the North.
  
  
• The Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award, sponsored by Nikon Canada, allows an early-career photojournalist to spend six weeks at The Canadian Press headquarters in Toronto. This year's recipient is Galit Rodan, a freelance photojournalist.
  
  
• The Martin Wise Goodman Canadian Nieman Fellowship provides a mid-career opportunity for a Canadian journalist to broaden his/her intellectual horizons at Harvard University and is funded by The Martin Wise Goodman Trust to the Nieman Foundation for Journalism. This year's recipient is Laura-Julie Perrault, a reporter with La Presse.
  
  
• The William Southam Journalism Fellowships, which rewards mid-career journalists with a year to audit any courses in the discipline of their choice and participate fully in life at Massey College, are awarded annually by the University of Toronto and Massey College. This year's six winners are:
• Kelly Crowe, a correspondent with CBC News: The National, who received the Kierans-Janigan Fellowship, funded through the generosity of former CJF chair Tom Kierans and his wife Mary Janigan in honour of one of Canada's greatest arts journalists, the late Val Ross of The Globe and Mail;
  
  
• Jody Porter, a reporter with CBC Thunder Bay, who received the CBC/Radio-Canada Fellowship;
  
  
• David Rider, urban affairs bureau chief with the Toronto Star, who received the St. Clair Balfour Fellowship;
  
  
• Amara Bangura, a producer with BBC Media Action in Freetown, Sierra Leone, who is the recipient of the Gordon N. Fisher/jhr Fellowship, awarded in partnership with Journalists for Human Rights and named after the late Gordon N. Fisher who, along with the late St. Clair Balfour of Southam Newspapers, created the fellowships in 1962;
  
  
• José Peralta, a reporter with Búsqueda Weekly in Montevideo, Uruguay, received the Scotiabank/CJFE Fellowship; and
  
  
• Véronique Morin, a freelance journalist specializing in science reporting, received the Webster McConnell Fellowship, named after two Montreal-based foundations.

The previously announced Lifetime Achievement Award went to Michael Maclear, a broadcast journalist, war correspondent and independent filmmaker. He was the CBC's first Far East correspondent, reporting extensively from South Vietnam and, as CBC's London correspondent, was the only Western network journalist permitted to film in North Vietnam at the time. Maclear was also CTV's first foreign correspondent, based in London. For 35 years, Maclear worked as an independent writer-producer. During that time, he produced the definitive documentary Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War, a 26-part television series, together with a book of the same title. Maclear is currently writing a book on his experience in North Vietnam.

"Belatedly, I've come to realize the problem with journalism," said Maclear, upon accepting the award, of his nearly 60 years in journalism. "It's addictive."

The Honorary Tribute went to The New York Times for the leading role it plays in inspiring better journalism the world over. David Carr, business columnist and culture reporter for the Times, accepted the award on behalf of the editorial team.

"I feel like you guys are honouring a team that's won the Stanley Cup," said Carr. "The New York Times is an extraordinary product that emerges from the space between normal, everyday people. Your recognition is really important to us."

The ceremony was hosted by Amanda Lang, senior business correspondent for CBC News and co-anchor of The Lang and O'Leary Exchange. Lisa LaFlamme, Dawna Friesen, Tom Clark, Marcus Gee and Steve Paikin were among the evening's presenters.

Media guests included Ian Austen, Martin Regg Cohn, James Cowan, Andrew Coyne, Derek DeCloet, Kevin Donovan, Robyn Doolittle, Matt Galloway, Jian Ghomeshi, Tavia Grant, Howard Green, Chantal Hébert, Linden MacIntyre, Stuart McLean, Kevin Newman, Steve Maich, Grant Robertson, Lloyd Robertson, Michelle Shephard, Diana Swain, Anna Maria Tremonti and Paul Wells.

The Canadian Journalism Foundation thanks the following organizations for their support of the awards: BMO Financial Group; Labatt Breweries of Canada; Postmedia Network; RBC; Accenture; Medtronic; Scotiabank; Dr. F.L.R. (Eric) Jackman; and Waste Management. Thank you also to CBC News, CNW, Porter Airlines, The Globe and Mail, National Post and Toronto Star for their in-kind donations.

Twitter: #CJFawards

About The Canadian Journalism Foundation
The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is a not-for-profit organization that promotes excellence in journalism by celebrating outstanding journalistic achievement through an annual awards program; by operating journalism websites, J-Source.ca English and ProjetJ.ca (French), in cooperation with the country's leading journalism schools; by organizing events that facilitate dialogue among journalists, business people, government officials, academics and students about the role of the media in Canadian society; and by fostering opportunities for journalism education, training and research.

Video with caption: "Video: Highlights from the 16th Annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto on June 13.". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20130624_C2572_VIDEO_EN_28359.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20130624_C2572_PHOTO_EN_28359.jpg&clientName=Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation&caption=Video%3A%20%20Highlights%20from%20the%2016th%20Annual%20Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation%20Awards%20at%20The%20Fairmont%20Royal%20York%20in%20Toronto%20on%20June%2013%2E&title=CANADIAN%20JOURNALISM%20FOUNDATION%20%2D%2016th%20Annual%20Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation&headline=Highlights%20from%2016th%20Annual%20Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation%20Awards

Video with caption: "Video: Paul Samyn, editor of the Winnipeg Free Press, accepts the CJF Excellence in Journalism Award in the large-media category at the 16th Annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards.". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20130624_C2572_VIDEO_EN_28360.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20130624_C2572_PHOTO_EN_28360.jpg&clientName=Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation&caption=Video%3A%20Paul%20Samyn%2C%20editor%20of%20the%20Winnipeg%20Free%20Press%2C%20accepts%20the%20CJF%20Excellence%20in%20Journalism%20Award%20in%20the%20large%2Dmedia%20category%20at%20the%2016th%20Annual%20Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation%20Awards%2E&title=CJF%20Excellence%20in%20Journalism%20Award%20%2D%20Large%20Media%3A%20Winnipeg%20Free%20Press&headline=Highlights%20from%2016th%20Annual%20Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation%20Awards

Video with caption: "Video: Michelle Hoar, director of publishing and advertising of The Tyee, accepts the Excellence in Journalism Award in the small-media category at the 16th Annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards.". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20130624_C2572_VIDEO_EN_28361.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20130624_C2572_PHOTO_EN_28361.jpg&clientName=Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation&caption=Video%3A%20Michelle%20Hoar%2C%20director%20of%20publishing%20and%20advertising%20of%20The%20Tyee%2C%20accepts%20the%20Excellence%20in%20Journalism%20Award%20in%20the%20small%2Dmedia%20category%20at%20the%2016th%20Annual%20Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation%20Awards%2E&title=CJF%20Excellence%20in%20Journalism%20Award%20%2D%20Small%20Media%3A%20The%20Tyee&headline=Highlights%20from%2016th%20Annual%20Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation%20Awards

Video with caption: "Video: Michael Maclear, broadcast journalist, war correspondent and independent filmmaker, accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 16th Annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards.". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20130624_C2572_VIDEO_EN_28363.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20130624_C2572_PHOTO_EN_28363.jpg&clientName=Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation&caption=Video%3A%20Michael%20Maclear%2C%20broadcast%20journalist%2C%20war%20correspondent%20and%20independent%20filmmaker%2C%20accepts%20the%20Lifetime%20Achievement%20Award%20at%20the%2016th%20Annual%20Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation%20Awards%2E&title=CJF%20Lifetime%20Achievement%20Award%3A%20Michael%20Maclear&headline=Highlights%20from%2016th%20Annual%20Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation%20Awards

Video with caption: "Video: The New York Times was the recipient of the CJF Honorary Tribute. David Carr, business columnist and culture reporter, accepts the honour on behalf of the Times at the 16th Annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards.". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20130624_C2572_VIDEO_EN_28362.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20130624_C2572_PHOTO_EN_28362.jpg&clientName=Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation&caption=Video%3A%20The%20New%20York%20Times%20was%20the%20recipient%20of%20the%20CJF%20Honorary%20Tribute%2E%20David%20Carr%2C%20business%20columnist%20and%20culture%20reporter%2C%20accepts%20the%20honour%20on%20behalf%20of%20the%20Times%20at%20the%2016th%20Annual%20Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation%20Awards%2E&title=CJF%20Honorary%20Tribute%3A%20The%20New%20York%20Times&headline=Highlights%20from%2016th%20Annual%20Canadian%20Journalism%20Foundation%20Awards

Image with caption: "The Winnipeg Free Press was the recipient of the Excellence in Journalism Award in the large-media category at the 16th Annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards. Paul Samyn, editor of the Winnipeg Free Press, accepted the award. (CNW Group/Canadian Journalism Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130624_C2572_PHOTO_EN_28420.jpg

Image with caption: "The Tyee was the recipient of the Excellence in Journalism Award in the small-media category at the 16th Annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards. Michelle Hoar (left), director of publishing and advertising for The Tyee, accepted the award from presenter Dawna Friesen, executive editor and anchor of Global National. (CNW Group/Canadian Journalism Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130624_C2572_PHOTO_EN_28369.jpg

Image with caption: "Michael Maclear, broadcast journalist, war correspondent and independent filmmaker, accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 16th Annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards. Lisa LaFlamme, chief anchor and senior editor of CTV National News, presented the award. (CNW Group/Canadian Journalism Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130624_C2572_PHOTO_EN_28370.jpg

Image with caption: "The New York Times was the recipient of the CJF Honorary Tribute. David Carr, business columnist and culture reporter, accepted the honour on behalf of the Times at the 16th Annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards. (CNW Group/Canadian Journalism Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130624_C2572_PHOTO_EN_28368.jpg

SOURCE: Canadian Journalism Foundation