Finalists named for B.C.'s Annual Journalism Awards

VANCOUVER, Sept. 6, 2012 /CNW/ - A selection of B.C.'s best journalists have been named as finalists for the 2012 Jack Webster Awards. Winners will be announced at the 26th annual Jack Webster Awards dinner on November 1st at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Vancouver.

National Columnist at the Toronto Star and Panelist on CBC's At Issue Chantal Hébert is the featured speaker at the awards dinner and Global BC's Chris Gailus takes on this year's hosting duties. The 2012 Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to The Vancouver Sun's Patricia Graham.

FINALISTS FOR THE 2012 WEBSTER AWARDS

Best News Reporting of the Year - Print

• Tamsyn Burgmann, Keven Drews, Terri Theodore, Canadian Press: Sawmill Explosion
• Cindy E. Harnett, Rob Shaw, Victoria Times Colonist: VIHA's Secret Job
• Jeff Lee, Larry Pynn, Tara Carman, Mike Hager, Evan Duggan Andrea Woo, Gordon Hoekstra, The Vancouver Sun: YVR Plane Crash series

Best News Reporting of the Year - Radio

• Wil Fundal, CBC Radio: Burns Lake Disaster
• Bob Keating, CBC Radio: Finding Kienan
• Janet Brown, CKNW Radio: Putting the Bite Back into Transit Tickets

Best News Reporting of the Year - Television

• Natalie Clancy, Manjula Dufresne, CBC: Broken Mounties
• Catherine Pope, Global BC: CLBC Chasing the Cuts
• Eric Rankin, Paisley Woodward, CBC: Paul Boyd Shooting Re-Opened

Best Feature Story - Print

• Justine Hunter, John Lehmann, The Globe and Mail: All in the Same Boat
• Ros Guggi, John Fuller, Erik Rolfsen, Sam Cooper, Cheryl Chan, Jen Saltman, Elaine O'Connor, Jon Ferry, Ginger Sedlarova, Arlen Redekop, Ric Ernst, Adam Foster, Dharm Makwana, The Province: Boomerangst
• Frances Bula, Vancouver Magazine: How I Lost My Mother

Best Feature Story - Radio

• Pamela Post, CBC Radio - The Sunday Edition: Buried So Deep
• Sara Darling, Sterling Eyford, Peter Hutchinson, CBC Radio Victoria: Goodbye Big Blue
• Shiral Tobin, Rick Cluff, Lee Rosevere, The Early Edition, CBC Radio One: Security 9/11: The New Normal

Best Feature Story - Television

• Kelvin Redvers, CTV BC - First Story: Broken Homes
• Jas Johal, Mike Timbrell, Ron Tupper, Global BC: The Odd Couple: The Premier and the Billionaire
• Ian Hanomansing, James Roberts, Michelle Billman, Brett Hyde, CBC News: The National: Rioting and Redemption

Jack Webster Award for Excellence in Multimedia Journalism

• Mark Yuen, Chris Parry, Andrea Woo, Brad Frenette, The Vancouver Sun: The Gastown Project
• Devon Goodsell, Tracey Robertson, Renee Filippone, Gloria Leung, Geoffrey Turner, CBC News Vancouver: The Grey Area: The business of seniors' care
• Chad Skelton, Douglas Todd, The Vancouver Sun Metro Vancouver Mapped

Jack Webster Business, Industry and Economics Award
       Endowed by Jean Cormier

• Larry Pynn, The Vancouver Sun: In the Wake of a Plague
• Jeremy Allingham, CBC Radio One: Laying it on the Line: The Northern Gateway Pipeline
• Paul Luke, Lina Toyoda, The Province: MoneyWise: A Guide to Financial Literacy

Best Reporting - Chinese Language

• Bowen Zhang, Nelson Wang, Dylan Baker, Guo Ding, OMNI BC Mandarin Edition: Heroes of Chinatown
• Debbie Chen, Gao Shang, Fairchild Radio: The Marijuana Controversy
• Sing Tao (Vancouver) Reporting Team: James Fung, Sunny Chiu, Sing Tao Daily: Special Feature on the 100^th Anniversary of China Revolution: Tracing the Footsteps of Dr. Sun Yat-sen in BC

Jack Webster Award for Community Reporting:

• Tyler Olsen, This Magazine: Not Wanted
• Mel Rothenburger, Cam Fortems, Robert Koopmans, Michele Young, Jason Hewlett, Mike Youds, Tracy Gilchrist, Mike Cornell, The Kamloops Daily News: The Ajax File: All that Glitters
• Rob Wipond, Focus Magazine: Hidden Surveillance; Privacy Commissioner Slams Provincial Surveillance Program

Jack Webster Award for Excellence in Legal Journalism
       Sponsored by the Law Society of BC

• Natalie Clancy, Paisley Woodward, CBC: Hate Crimes
• Rob Wipond, Focus Magazine: Kathleen's Demise: Forced Drugging of Seniors Still Increasing
• Peter McKnight, The Vancouver Sun: Stanley Cup Riots:

Jack Webster Award for Science, Technology, Health and Environment

• Alison Taylor, Pique Newsmagazine: Healing Hands
• Rob Wipond, Focus Magazine: Crisis Behind Closed Doors
• Duncan McCue, Jodie Martinson, Spark, CBC Radio One: Aboriginal Futures

Commentator of the Year
       Presented in memory of Linda Webster
       Winner will be announced at the Jack Webster Awards Dinner

Tickets for the November 1st awards dinner at Hyatt Regency Vancouver can be ordered by calling 604-261-6184, by emailing [email protected] or by visiting www.jackwebster.com and following the dinner ticket link. Tickets are $165 per person or $1,650 for a table of 10. A portion of the dinner ticket price is tax deductible.

The Jack Webster Foundation, named after the late broadcaster who was Western Canada's best known and most influential reporter, was established in 1986 to recognize and encourage excellence in British Columbia journalism. The work of the Foundation is made possible by the generous sponsorship of the BCGEU, CGA Association, CN, Labatt Breweries, Fortis BC, HSBC Bank Canada, Teck, Port Metro Vancouver TELUS and Worksafe BC.

SOURCE: Jack Webster Foundation

Jack Webster Foundation Tel. [phone] Email: [email protected] Website: www.jackwebster.com