WINNIPEG, Oct. 24, 2012 /CNW/ - Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada, Canada's global voice against child sexual exploitation, announced today the winners of this year's national, bilingual Media Awards. The awards honour journalists and documentary filmmakers for exceptional coverage of issues related to child sexual exploitation.
The 10th anniversary of the Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada Media Awards takes place on Monday, November 19, at the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba. "One of the key components of social change is repeated coverage in the news of court cases, prevention initiatives and legislative changes," says Sheldon Kennedy, former NHL player, child rights advocate and sexual abuse survivor. "The media plays a very important role in keeping these issues front and centre so change can happen." Kennedy will be honoured with the inaugural Rosalind Prober Award for his fight against child sexual exploitation.
Tanya Hvilivitzky and Carolyn Mullin of Niagara Magazine won in the English print category for their article The Underground World of Trafficking Humans. The article looks at the prevalence of human trafficking in Canada.
Caroline Montpetit of Le Devoir won in the French print category for her article Prostitution juvénile-une traite qui ne profite pas aux jeunes filles. This article challenges the notion that young girls turn to prostitution for money and shows that emotional deprivation and the desire for protection are more likely causes.
Diana Swain, Timothy Sawa and Angela Gilbert of CBC's the fifth estate won in the English electronic category for the documentaries Scout's Honour and The Lost Boys. The two-part series investigated accusations of sexual abuse within the Scout's organization and how it handled the allegations.
Michel Jean of TVA won in the French electronic category for his series Cyber-predateurs dans la mire. This documentary looks into how sexual predators use social-networking sites to lure their victims.
Daphne Bramham of The Vancouver Sun won in the English integrated media category for her series Stolen Innocence, which looks at sexual tourism in Cambodia and the children who are exploited as a result. This is the third Media Award for Bramham, who also won in 2004 and 2011.
There were no submissions in the student award category or the French integrated media category.
About Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada
Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada is a national non-profit organization that advances the rights of children to be free from sexual exploitation. It is the Canadian representative of ECPAT International (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes), which operates in 75 countries around the world.
For more information, please visit: beyondborders.org.
SOURCE: BEYOND BORDERS
Media Contact: Rosalind Prober, 1-204-793-7080
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