The Greg Clark Award is now open to journalists looking to explore their beat

TORONTO, Feb. 12, 2014 /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 14, 2014.

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.

"This award was always intended to be unique, but over the years it has also become transformative," says Tom Clark, chair of the jury who is also chief political correspondent for Global News and host of The West Block with Tom Clark. "For journalists in the early part of their careers, the opportunity to pursue a story that would otherwise be out of reach is exceptional and can shape an entire career. Giving this award—knowing what it can provide—is a truly wonderful experience."

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, Ashleigh Gaul, currently the online editor for Up Here, travelled to Nunavut's Cambridge Bay to report on the impact of mining on Inuit culture and community.

"The Greg Clark experience gave me the chance to look at a working exploration site in the context of a whole community affected by it," says Gaul. "I am still writing stories from my trip and I know I will be for a long time to come."

Read the report of Gaul's experience. Her experience resulted in the following articles:
- Up Here Business - Hope Bay springs eternal
- Up Here - Busting guts
- Up Here - Dispatch: Double cutters

Award Criteria

• Applications 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. There may be an opportunity to pitch stories to specific media outlets together with the sponsoring organization.
• Successful applicants will write a brief summary of their experience and provide photos/video upon completion of their professional development opportunity, to be posted on the CJF website.

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.

Visit our website for full details. Apply now with our online application form.

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

The winner will be honoured at the 17^TH Annual CJF Awards at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto on June 4, 2014. This award is generously supported by CNW and the Toronto Star.

About The Canadian Journalism Foundation
Founded in 1990, 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 organizing events that facilitate dialogue among journalists, business people, academics and students about the role of the media in Canadian society; by supporting journalism websites, J-Source.ca (English) and ProjetJ.ca (French), in cooperation with the country's leading journalism schools; and by fostering opportunities for journalism education, training and research.

SOURCE: Canadian Journalism Foundation