17th Annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards draws sold-out crowd

TORONTO, June 3, 2014 /CNW/ - The 17^th Annual Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards has attracted a sell-out crowd of more than 500 business leaders and media guests to celebrate excellence in journalism in Toronto on June 4. The Fairmont Royal York event is hosted by Lisa LaFlamme, chief anchor and senior editor of CTV National News.

"We are thrilled that the media and business communities are supporting our largest CJF Awards dinner ever," says CJF Vice-Chair Maureen Shaughnessy Kitts, chair of its awards gala committee. "This annual event provides the Foundation with the opportunity to recognize excellence in journalism across Canada at all levels."

This year's awards include the CJF Tribute, honouring investigative journalism in a remarkable year of enterprise reporting. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented by Paul Wells, political editor of Maclean's, to photojournalist Peter Bregg for his extraordinary career capturing compelling images at home and abroad.

New awards being presented are The Landsberg Award and the CJF Aboriginal Journalism Fellowship.

Other awards include the Excellence in Journalism Award - presented to winners in two categories: large/national media and local/regional media - the Greg Clark Award, the Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award, the William Southam Journalism Fellowships and the Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy.

To support CJF programs, an online ad auction of prime space in major media outlets is now open.  Space in Metro, Maclean's, The National Post, The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star are available for bids. The auction closes at 8:45 p.m. on Awards night, with the successful bidders announced later that evening.

Executives and leaders from the following major media outlets, businesses and organizations will be among those attending the event: Bloomberg, The Canadian Press, CBC/Radio-Canada, CTV News, Global News, The Globe and Mail, Postmedia Network Inc., Rogers, Thomson Reuters, Toronto Star, AGF Investments, Barrick Gold Corporation, Blackberry, CIBC, CN, Enbridge Inc., Invicta Investments, Ipsos Reid Public Affairs, Ivanhoe Cambridge, McDonald's Canada, Weber Shandwick, POLLARA Strategic Insights, Sun Life Financial, Suncor Energy, TD Bank Group, Ryerson University, Sheridan College and Carleton University.

Benefits of purchasing a table include the opportunity to host two journalists and this year, media guests include Adrienne Arsenault, Ian Brown, Andrew Coyne, Kevin Donovan, Matt Galloway, Dawna Friesen, Marcus Gee, Shinan Govani, Carolyn Jarvis, Heather Hiscox, Stephen Maher, Heather Mallick, Duncan McCue, Glen McGregor, Anne-Marie Mediwake, Wendy Mesley, Kevin Newman, Lloyd Robertson, Diana Swain, and Anna Maria Tremonti, among others.

The Canadian Journalism Foundation thanks the following organizations and individuals for their support: BMO Financial Group, Labatt Breweries of Canada, Postmedia Network Inc., Accenture, Waste Management of Canada, Scotiabank, Medtronic, Jackman Foundation, RBC, Aimia, Canadian Bankers Association, Manulife, Rogers, Tom Kierans and Mary Janigan.

Thank you also to CBC News, CNW, Maclean's, Metro, The Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star and Porter for their in-kind support.

#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 organizing events that facilitate dialogue among journalists, business people, government officials, academics and students about the role of the media in Canadian society; by supporting journalism websites, J-Source.ca English and ProjetJ.ca (French); and by fostering opportunities for journalism education, training and research.

SOURCE: Canadian Journalism Foundation

Natalie Turvey
Executive Director
The Canadian Journalism Foundation
Phone: [phone] e-mail: [email protected]