OTTAWA, Jan. 11, 2017 /CNW/ - The Ottawa-based Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom (CCWPF) announced today that February 1 is the deadline for nominations for this year's Press Freedom Award, which goes to a media worker who has made an outstanding contribution in the last year in defence of press freedom.
"Last year, we have seen increasing attacks on press freedom at home and abroad, and need to be even more vigilant in defence of this fundamental pillar of our democracy," said Shawn McCarthy, President of CCWPF as he urged media organizations and individuals to put forward the names of Canadian media workers who did outstanding work last year to defend media freedom.
The Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom has requested nominators to consider the following points:
- Do you know a journalist or media employee whose work has been frustrated by a cloak of secrecy over the public's right to know, or by legal manoeuvres or political intimidation? Do you know of a reporter who has risked his/her safety or reputation for the sake of free speech?
- If so, why not nominate him or her for the annual Press Freedom Award from the Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom?
- Nominations should be based on work related to press freedom done in 2016.
This annual award goes to a journalist or media worker in Canadian print, digital or broadcasting who has made a significant contribution to freedom of expression, often by standing up to government or private interests that would thwart the reporting of events or stories of significant public interest, or by advancing press freedom through the subjects he or she reports on. Institutions that work towards the same objectives may also apply or be nominated.
The winner receives a $1,000 prize and a certificate from the Canadian Commission for UNESCO at the annual World Press Freedom Day Luncheon in in May, 2017.
Our 2016 press freedom award winner was Ben Makuch, a national security reporter with VICE News, who fought the RCMP's attempts to seize his correspondence with a former Calgary resident alleged to be an ISIL militant. Other winners in the award's 19-year history have included: Mohammed Fahmy (Al Jazeera English); Katherine Gannon (Associated Press); Michelle Lang, posthumously (Calgary Herald); Stephen Maher and Glen McGregor (Postmedia); Daniel Leblanc (Globe and Mail); John Hoey and Anne Marie Todkill (Canadian Medical Association Journal); Gilles Toupin and Joel-Denis Bellevance (La Presse); Tarek Fatah (author and columnist); Juliet O'Neill (Ottawa Citizen), Andrew McIntosh (National Post); Haroon Siddiqui (Toronto Star); and Kim Bolan (Vancouver Sun).
For more information, to apply for the award, or to nominate a deserving Canadian journalist or media worker, please see our nomination form: https://www.ccwpf-cclpm.ca/press-freedom-award/
SOURCE Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom
Shawn McCarthy, president, Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom: 613 566-3607; email: [email protected]; Christina Spencer, board member, CCWPF: 613 596-3559; email [email protected]; Janice Tibbetts, board member, CCWPF: 613-233-3181; [email protected]
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