The Canadian Journalism Foundation encourages all eligible news organizations
to apply for the Excellence in Journalism Award

TORONTO , Jan. 15 /CNW/ - The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) invites news organizations from across the country to apply for its annual Excellence in Journalism Award. The deadline for submissions is March 5, 2010 .

Since 1996, the Canadian Journalism Foundation has celebrated news organizations that embrace ideals of journalistic excellence - accuracy, independence, accountability, courage, originality, etc. - with its annual Excellence in Journalism Award. Winners in two categories are selected: 1) small/medium or local/regional media, and 2) large or national media.

    
    Past winners include:
    2009   The Winnipeg Free Press (large media)
           The Tyee (small media)
    2008   The Canadian Press (large media)
           The St. John's Telegram (small media)
    2007   The Hamilton Spectator (large media)
           The Guelph Mercury (small media)
    2006   The Globe and Mail
    2005   The Hamilton Spectator
    2004   CBC News
    2003   The Record, Kitchener
    2002   CTV News
    

This year's winner will be announced at the CJF 13th Annual Awards Gala to be held at The Fairmont Royal York Hotel on June 10, 2010 .

At last year's gala, Margo Goodhand, editor-in-chief of the large media category winner Winnipeg Free Press, accepted the award on behalf of her organization. "It's truly an honour to represent (the WFP newsroom) tonight, in front of a group of distinguished journalists like yourselves."

David Beers , the editor of small media category winner The Tyee, thanked the jury for supporting his "crazy experiment". "Not only am I grateful just to have a job in journalism right now, but I love this one more than any other I've ever had... and tonight is certainly the highlight."

2010 marks the CJF's 20th anniversary, and the foundation is planning its most exciting gala yet. Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, co-CEOs of Research In Motion, will be presented with the CJF Honorary Tribute for their revolutionary mobile technology and its tremendous impact on how news is gathered, disseminated and consumed. Other awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Greg Clark Award and the new Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award, will also be presented.

For more information, visit http://www.cjf-fjc.ca/awards_excellence.htm or contact Natalie Turvey at [email protected] or at 416-955-0394.

About the Canadian Journalism Foundation

Founded in 1990, the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is a not-for-profit organization that promotes excellence in journalism by celebrating outstanding journalistic achievement through an annual awards program; by operating journalism websites, J-Source.ca (English) and ProjetJ.ca (French), in cooperation with the country's leading journalism schools; and by organizing events that facilitate dialogue among journalists, business men and women, politicians, government officials and academics about the role of the media in Canadian society.

For further information: Natalie Turvey, Executive Director, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, 117 Peter St., 3rd floor, Toronto, ON, M5V 2G9, Phone: [phone] *, Fax: [phone] *, e-mail: [email protected]