Michèle Ouimet honoured with CJF Lifetime Achievement Award
TORONTO, March 10, 2022 /CNW/ - The Canadian Journalism Foundation's (CJF) Lifetime Achievement Award this year goes to Michèle Ouimet in recognition of her fearless career and desire to tell impactful stories that provided a voice to the voiceless in Canada and abroad.
"Michèle Ouimet has reported on war and injustice, often at personal risk, seeking to shed light on the plight of the victims of conflict and hardship, with the belief that journalism is at its best when it speaks truth to power," says selection jury chair Michel Cormier, former executive director, news and current affairs, Radio-Canada. "With this award, we recognize her courage and her integrity."
Ouimet will be honoured at the CJF 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.
Until her retirement in 2020, Ouimet spent 29 years at La Presse covering wars, humanitarian crisis and natural disasters, including genocide in Rwanda, tsunami in Japan, earthquake in Haiti, revolution in Egypt, and civil war in Syria, Pakistan and Iran. In Canada, she produced immersive, thought-provoking reports, including an in-depth look into the impoverished community members of Centre-Sud neighbourhood in Montreal.
"To have an idea of the quality and importance of Michèle's work, take a listen in the school yards: here, she is the journalist most frequently cited as a model by students," says François Cardinal, assistant editor, and vice-president of information at La Presse. "So, in addition to being an inspiration to all of her colleagues, she is likewise galvanizing a throng of budding journalists with her enthusiasm and courage as they embark on this stimulating profession that she herself has practiced with an unparalleled dedication."
Ouimet has won many awards, including the Judith-Jasmin award for her career as a journalist and the Michener award for her investigation into the Taliban in Afghanistan. She was also anointed chevalière of the Ordre national du Québec in 2020.
Since retiring, Ouimet has continued her fiction writing, publishing L'Homme aux chats last year. Earlier novels include La Promesse (2014) and L'Heure mauve (2017). And in 2019, she produced a behind-the-scenes account of her foreign reports, Partir pour raconter. Additionally, she provides regular commentary on international issues for Radio-Canada.
Ouimet joins a distinguished group of CJF Lifetime Achievement Award winners including: Kim Bolan, John Honderich, Thaioronióhte Dan David, Peter Mansbridge, Jean Pelletier, Lloyd Robertson, Michel Auger, Peter Bregg, Jack Sigvaldason, Lise Bissonnette, Joe Schlesinger, Sally Armstrong, Knowlton Nash, June Callwood and Trina McQueen, among others.
The Lifetime Achievement Award jury members are:
Chair – Michel Cormier, former executive director, news and current affairs, Radio-Canada;
The Right Hon. Adrienne Clarkson, co-chair of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, former governor general of Canada (1999-2005);
Kathy English, Chair, The Canadian Journalism Foundation;
Esther Enkin, former CBC ombudsman, CBC News;
Hamlin Grange, veteran broadcast journalist and principal consultant, DiversiPro;
Chantal Hébert, political columnist, Toronto Star, le Devoir, l'Actualité, CBC, Radio-Canada; and
Lou Clancy, visiting scholar journalism outreach, Massey College, University of Toronto, and principal, LJM Strategies
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.
Related Links
http://www.cjf-fjc.ca
SOURCE Canadian Journalism Foundation
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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