Finalists announced for CJF Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism
TORONTO, May 6, 2019 /CNW/ - The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is proud to announce the shortlists for the CJF Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism, recognizing news organizations that embody exemplary journalism and have a profound and positive impact on the communities they serve. Finalists are recognized in two categories: large and small media.
Since 1996, the CJF has honoured news organizations that embrace ideals of journalistic excellence – accuracy, independence, accountability, courage and originality – with this prestigious award.
"The submissions for the 2019 CJF Jackman Award were remarkable and inspiring," says jury member Peter Herrndorf, former president and CEO of the National Arts Centre, and a former CBC executive. "They are a testament to the ongoing strength and vitality of Canadian journalism."
The five finalists in the large media category (more than 50 full-time employees) and the work that highlights their excellence are:
- CBC News for its Missing & Murdered: Finding Cleo podcast, which explored the disappearance of Cleopatra Semaganis Nicotine who, along with her siblings in a Cree family, were taken into government care in Saskatchewan in the 1970s and adopted into white families in Canada and the U.S. The podcast explored what happened to the siblings but also sheds light on what became known as the Sixties Scoop.
- CBC News for "Deadly Force," which documented and analyzed each fatal encounter between police and Canadians between 2000 and 2017, a project that included the creation of an interactive database of more than 460 cases.
- The Globe and Mail for investigating the flourishing trade of aging wells, in which major companies are routinely offloading energy assets burdened with hefty cleanup costs onto smaller players with scant ability to pay for cleanup.
- National Post – Postmedia Network for gathering more than five million records from across Canada to create the country's first central, searchable database of political donations in every province and territory.
- Toronto Star for its "Medical Disorder" investigation that revealed a patchwork of rules and disclosure polices that allows doctors on both sides of the border to leave behind documented histories of crime, sexual misconduct, incompetence and fraud.
The five finalists in the small media category (fewer than 50 full-time employees) and the work that highlights their excellence are:
- CBC Indigenous for the digital legacy project "Beyond 94" that includes a teacher's guide, among other stories—that measures Canada's progress in addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action.
- National Observer for revealing how the Canadian government made a politically motivated decision to approve the major Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain west coast pipeline and tanker expansion project, without adequately reviewing all of the evidence and considering the consequences.
- Regina Leader-Post/Saskatoon StarPhoenix for coverage of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, including the first 36 hours thereafter, a documentary about a trip survivors took together and the mix-up of victims.
- St. Catharines Standard for a major series called "All the Chair's Men" that exposed corruption at the Regional Municipality of Niagara, including the local government and regional chair manipulating the hiring of its chief administrative officer.
- Saint John Telegraph-Journal for an investigation into unmanned ambulances and paramedic shortages that exposed systemic life-or-death health service gaps, lack of accountability and rampant secrecy within Ambulance New Brunswick.
The winners in both categories will be announced at the annual CJF Awards held at the CJF Awards on June 13 in Toronto. For ticket, table and sponsorship opportunities of the gala event, visit the CJF Awards page.
The members of the jury are:
Chair – Wayne Parrish, Chair, Awards Committee, The Canadian Journalism Foundation
Isabel Bassett, former Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation and former chair and CEO of TVO
Joshua Benton, Director, Nieman Journalism Lab, Harvard University
Colette Brin, Director, Centre d'études sur les médias, Université Laval
Peter Herrndorf, Former President and CEO of the National Arts Centre, and former CBC executive
Shachi Kurl, Executive Director, Angus Reid Institute
Follow #CJFawards on Twitter.
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, 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
Natalie Turvey, President and Executive Director, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, [email protected]
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