CJF announces Climate Solutions Award finalists

TORONTO, April 21, 2022 /CNW/ - The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is proud to announce its shortlist for the annual CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting that celebrates a working journalist or team of journalists whose work shines a spotlight on climate change and innovative solutions in Canadian print, broadcast or online news reporting.

CJF thanks the generosity of founding award sponsor Intact Financial Corporation for providing the award's $10,000 prize.

"The issue of climate change is existential, and we are seeing irreversible impacts in our communities," says Diane Flanagan, Vice-President of Corporate Affairs and Communications at Intact Financial. "At Intact, we are actively addressing climate change, focusing on practical solutions at the homeowner, business, community and country levels. We are proud to sponsor this award that celebrates Canadian journalists' important work on the climate crisis."

The five finalists for this year's award and the stories or series shortlisted are: 

Joel Balsam and photojournalist Stephanie Foden for their Globe and Mail reporting on an Innu band council and regional municipality's attempt to declare Quebec's Magpie River a legal person – which would be a first in Canada. In practice, this would mean that the river's human guardians could take legal action if the river is polluted by other actors.

The team of journalists behind the CBC Radio series What on Earth, which includes Manusha Janakiram, Laura Lynch, Molly Segal, Lisa Johnson, Rachel Sanders, Serena Renner and Mathias Wolfsohn, for telling stories that highlight the human and natural costs of rising emissions and what can be done about it. What on Earth won the inaugural award last year.

The Globe and Mail's team of climate journalists, which includes Ryan MacDonald, Kathryn Blaze Baum, Jeffrey Jones and Adam Radwanski, for their narrative-shifting stories on how to reengineer the economy to adapt to and capitalize on climate change.

The team of journalists behind the CBC's The Doc Project podcast, which includes Acey Rowe, Brad Badelt, Joan Webber, Jennifer Warren and Althea Manasan, for "Big Tree Hunt," an episode exploring the issue of ancient tree logging in British Columbia from different perspectives.

The team of journalists behind Canada's National Observer's Race Against Climate Change miniseries, which includes Shaghayegh Tajvidi, Polly Leger and Linda Solomon Wood. The series shares stories on climate solutions using an intersectional lens, approachable tone and a focus on human values.

"The reporting from these finalists took us on a hopscotch across the provinces and touched on topics ranging from small businesses innovating on climate solutions to the photography of old growth forests," says jury member Madeleine Orr, founder of The Sport Ecology Group and lecturer at Loughborough University London in England. "These journalists offered reasons to be optimistic about Canada's future amid the climate emergency. Thank you also to the editors and producers who have embraced climate journalism."

All finalists' story submissions are available on our awards page.

The winner will be announced at the CJF annual awards ceremony on June 7 at the Art Gallery of Ontario. For tickets, tables and sponsorship opportunities, see contact information below or visit the CJF Awards page.

The jury members are:

• Bob Ezrin (chair), music and entertainment producer, co-founder of The Nimbus School of Media Arts and Wow Unlimited Media Inc., and a CJF board member;
• Wendy Freeman, former long-time head of CTV News;
• Madeleine Orr, founder of The Sport Ecology Group and lecturer at Loughborough University London in England;
• Heather Persson, director of Research Profile and Impact, University of Saskatchewan;
• Catherine Porter, Canada bureau chief, The New York Times; and
• Abhay Singh Sachal, youth climate activist and co-founder and executive director, Break the Divide Foundation.

Cision is the exclusive distribution partner of the CJF.

About the Canadian Journalism Foundation

Established in 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation promotes, celebrates and facilitates excellence in journalism. The foundation runs a prestigious annual awards and fellowship program featuring an industry gala where news leaders, journalists and corporate Canada gather to celebrate outstanding journalistic achievement and the value of professional journalism. Through monthly J-Talks, a public speakers' series, the CJF facilitates dialogue among journalists, business people, academics and students about the role of the media in Canadian society and the ongoing challenges for media in the digital era. The foundation also fosters opportunities for journalism education, training and research.

SOURCE Canadian Journalism Foundation

For further information: Natalie Turvey, President and Executive Director, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, E-mail: [email protected] ; Related Linkshttp://www.cjf-fjc.ca