Ashley Haraburda Wins the David Milliken Media Communications Award

TORONTO, Nov. 18, 2015 /CNW/ - Ashley Haraburda, a fourth year Bachelor of Public Relations (BPR) student at Humber College, Toronto, is the winner of the second $1,000 David Milliken Media Communications Award. Established by CNW to celebrate senior vice-president Milliken's thirty years' service to the company, the Award recognizes his commitment to the important relationship between journalism and public relations. Milliken served as chair of the BPR development committee at Humber.

"It is an honour to present this award to Ashley, an exceptional student who has demonstrated a thorough understanding of best practices in media relations," said Nicole Guillot, CNW president and CEO.

Haraburda completed her internship with the Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) where she worked on communications and events. She focused her 750-word submission to the award competition on educating journalists about the appropriate way to refer to the Deaf and hard of hearing. She applied what she learned to the development of a social media strategy promoting campaigns using a number of social media channels. She highlighted, through a special event that connected guests through social media, technologies that have broken down barriers to re-connect Deaf and hard of hearing individuals with the world around them.

The jury, comprising both journalists and senior public relations practitioners, was impressed with the depth of Haraburda's understanding of her role in facilitating media stories that demonstrated not only respect for her community but also education around important issues.

According to Marie-Lauren Gregoire, Communications Manager at the Canadian Hearing Society, "A very professional communicator, Ashley was able to guide our organization's growth on social media and multiple channels. It is increasingly important for us to increase participation and audience engagement on social media."

Dr. Gordon McIvor, Chair of the award jury this year, said that "While all of the submissions were of high quality, Haraburda's was creative, well written and clearly demonstrated her understanding of the important relationship that must be established between PR professionals and members of the media, including influencers on social media sites".

In addition to her 2015 CHS intern placement, Haraburda also served in 2014  as a public relations co-ordinator with CDS Studios, Toronto, where she developed strategic social media plans from ideation through execution to measurement. 

The David Milliken Media Communications Award funds are managed by the Communications + Public Relations Foundation. The Foundation promotes the advancement of communications and public relations as vital  functions in society, is dedicated to the public interest, and is committed to increasing public knowledge and awareness of the role of communications and public relations in daily life. The Foundation accepts individual and corporate contributions towards research and educational initiatives nationwide. 

For more information about the Foundation and its public relations educational initiatives, contact Barbara Sheffield, Executive Director, Communications + Public Relations Foundation, Suite 1515, 73 Widdicombe Hill Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, M9R 4B3, or phone [phone], or e-mail    [email protected].

Note to Media: A photo of Haraburda is available by contacting the Foundation.

SOURCE Communications + Public Relations Foundation

Barbara Sheffield, APR, FCPRS, [phone], [email protected]