The Canadian Journalism Foundation to honour The New York Times at 16th Annual CJF Awards

TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2012 /CNW/ - In its annual Honorary Tribute, The Canadian Journalism Foundation will celebrate The New York Times and its reporters for the leading role they play in inspiring better journalism the world over. The Times's executive editor Jill Abramson will accept the tribute on behalf of the organization at the 16^th Annual CJF Awards on June 13 at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.

"We exist in a globalized, digital world of news and comment, tweets and blurbs," says Robert Lewis, chair of The Canadian Journalism Foundation who, together with past CJF chair John Macfarlane, selected the media organization for the tribute. "This year we are pleased to honour the editorial staff of The New York Times for keeping the fires burning on behalf of excellence in journalism. Its high standards of reporting, accountability and enterprise in print and online are a beacon for journalists everywhere."

Amanda Lang, senior business correspondent for CBC News and co-anchor of The Lang and O'Leary Exchange, will host this year's Awards.

The CJF Honorary Tribute typically recognizes a media luminary who has made an impact on the international stage. This will be the first time the Tribute will be paid to an organization.

Past honourees include Peter Jennings, the late anchor and senior editor of ABC's World News Tonight; Robert MacNeil, news anchor and co-creator of The MacNeil/Lehrer Report; Morley Safer, CBS News correspondent and Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair.

"The New York Times sets a standard for journalism the world over," says John Stackhouse, editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail. "It produces original and consequential journalism that continues to inform and shape our world. It corrects its errors quickly and clearly. Its columnists have earned global audiences. And its courage in forging digital frontiers -- from a metered paywall to outstanding multimedia franchises -- has inspired the world's better newspapers to follow suit."

The annual CJF Awards night is when Canada's top newsmakers meet Canada's top news people. Five hundred of the country's business and media leaders will celebrate excellence in journalism and honour those who have made significant contributions to the profession throughout their careers.

At the Awards, the CJF will present the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Excellence in Journalism Award -in two categories, large media and small media - the Greg Clark Award, the Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award, the William Southam Journalism Fellowships, the Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy and the Martin Wise Goodman Canadian Nieman Fellowship.

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The Canadian Journalism Foundation thanks the following organizations for their support of the awards: BMO Financial Group, Accenture, Waste Management Canada, CNW, The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star.

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 co-operation 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.

SOURCE: Canadian Journalism Foundation