CBC Saskatchewan and La Presse Journalists Share Press Freedom Award
OTTAWA, May 2, 2017 /CNW/ - CBC Saskatchewan's Geoff Leo and Paul Dornstauder together with Patrick Lagacé and his newspaper La Presse will be honoured as co-winners of the 19th Press Freedom Award, given annually to Canadian journalists or media workers who have made an outstanding contribution to press freedom.
Shawn McCarthy, President of the Ottawa-based Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom (CCWPF) will present the Award at a luncheon celebration beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the Chateau Laurier Fairmont Hotel Ballroom on May 2.
The event, co-hosted by CCWPF and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO marks the UNESCO-designated, internationally-celebrated World Press Freedom Day.
Award winners
Along with producer Dornstauder, Leo researched and wrote a series of stories on controversial land dealings in which two well-connected businessmen made millions of dollars at the taxpayers' expense.
Working against obstacles including government opposition, lawsuits and delayed responses to access to information requests, CBC continues to publish stories on the land scandal.
Co-winner Patrick Lagacé was subjected to police surveillance and wrote several columns exposing and challenging the practice. He shares the honour with his newspaper La Presse which pursued the issue and ensured it would be addressed by Quebec government.
Paula Simon of The Edmonton Journal will be given an honorary mention for her exposé of abuses in Alberta's child welfare system.
"Canadian journalists work in a country of relative freedom, but we still have to be vigilant because we sometimes witness glaring examples of that freedom being threatened," said McCarthy.
Spencer Moore Award for Lifetime Contributions
Jim Bronskill of Canadian Press will receive the Spencer Moore Award for his ongoing contributions to press freedom and access to information. This award is named in honour of the late Spencer Moore, one of the founding directors of CCWPF.
Editorial Cartoon Contest Winners
Mary E. Lurvey, USA, is the first prize winner in the17th editorial cartoon contest, another popular feature of CCWPF's annual celebration. Her winning cartoon satirizing Kellyanne Conway, who popularized the phrase 'alternative facts,' encapsulates this year's theme: 'F is for Fake.'
The second prize winner is Niels Bo Bojesen, editorial cartoonist with the Jyllands-Posten one of Denmark's largest circulation daily newspapers.
The third prize goes to Iranian-born cartoonist Afshin Sabouki, who now works in Vancouver as a layout animator.
"We received about 300 entries from 47 countries," said CCWPF director Guy Badeaux who will present the prizes.
Editors can access high resolution versions of the cartoons at :
Keynote Speaker Ann Telnaes, The Washington Post's Editorial Cartoonist
Ann Telnaes, The Washington Post's Pulitzer prize-winning cartoonist and President of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, will be the keynote speaker at the luncheon. Telnaes will speak on "Donald Trump's Dysfunctional Relationship with the Press: A Cartoonist's View."
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]; Guy Badeaux, (French media), (613) 562-7506, [email protected]
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