TORONTO, Jan. 28, 2025 /CNW/ - The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is proud to announce that award-winning journalist, author and filmmaker Tanya Talaga will receive its prestigious CJF Tribute at the annual CJF Awards.
The annual CJF Tribute recognizes media luminaries who have made an exceptional journalistic impact on the international stage. Past recipients include Nobelist Maria Ressa, André Picard, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Anna Maria Tremonti, Jodi Kantor with Megan Twohey, Jake Tapper, Tina Brown with Sir Harold Evans, Malcolm Gladwell, David Suzuki, Lisa LaFlamme and Kara Swisher.
The Tribute will be presented at the CJF annual Awards evening on June 12 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.
"Tanya Talaga's unwavering commitment to Indigenous storytelling and her profound impact on journalism embody the very essence of the CJF Tribute," says CJF Chair Kathy English. "Her work has not only illuminated critical issues in overlooked communities but has also paved the way for a more inclusive and representative media landscape."
Talaga's career spans more than two decades during which she has brought Indigenous stories to the forefront of national and international consciousness. Beginning her journalism career as an intern and then city reporter at the Toronto Star, Talaga initially found little support for Indigenous stories. In 2009, a move to the Star's political beat gave her the scope to cover stories closer to her heart, including environmental issues such as the dumping of mercury into the English/Wabigoon river system in Northern Ontario, sexual abuse of dozens of Indigenous boys by an Anglican priest and Boy Scout leader, and the hundreds of murdered and missing Indigenous women nationwide.
Talaga's first book, the acclaimed 2017 Seven Fallen Feathers, investigated the disappearances and deaths of seven Indigenous students in Thunder Bay, Ont., shedding light on the ways in which law enforcement upheld systemic discrimination.
Her recent book and four-part docuseries, The Knowing, follow her family's eight-decade-long search for family matriarch Annie Carpenter amidst the impacts of colonial genocide, tracking her ancestor's story to an unmarked grave at a former asylum in Toronto.
"Tanya Talaga's storytelling bridges the past and present, offering a powerful narrative that resonates with audiences in Canada and worldwide," says Natalie Turvey, President and Executive Director of the CJF. "Her dedication to truth and reconciliation through a model of journalism embedded in deep cultural sensitivity combined with unceasing commitment to fact-based narrative is both inspiring and transformative."
Talaga holds multiple honorary degrees and is the founder and CEO of media production company Makwa Creative.
Elamin Abdelmahmoud, Host, CBC COMMOTION, will host this year's CJF Awards Ceremony.
Other awards to be presented at the ceremony include:
- CJF Lifetime Achievement Award;
- CJF Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism;
- CJF-Edward Burtynsky Award for Climate Photojournalism; and
- CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting.
Fellowships to be recognized include:
- CJF Indigenous Health Journalism Fellowship, in partnership with the Canadian Medical Association;
- CJF-CP News Creator Fellowships;
- CJF Indigenous Journalism Fellowships;
- CJF Black Journalism Fellowships;
- William Southam Journalism Fellowships;
- Martin Wise Goodman Canadian Nieman Fellowship; and
- Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award.
For sponsorship opportunities, tables or tickets see contacts below or visit the CJF Awards page.
Cision is the exclusive distribution partner of the CJF.
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About the Canadian Journalism Foundation
Founded in 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation promotes, celebrates and facilitates excellence in journalism. The foundation runs a prestigious awards and fellowships 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, businesspeople, 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 The Canadian Journalism Foundation
For more information contact Natalie Turvey, President and Executive Director, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, [email protected]; For sponsorship opportunities, contact: Josh Gurfinkel, Director of Operations, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, [email protected]
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