Canadian Public Relations Society Presents the 2021 Joan Hollobon Award to Globe and Mail Reporter André Picard Français
TORONTO, Sept. 27, 2021 /CNW/ - The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) presented Globe and Mail reporter André Picard with the 2021 Joan Hollobon Award during the Society's annual Major and Special Award celebrations. Picard was announced as this year's winner on the first day of Cultivate 2021, the CPRS National virtual conference by CPRS Health Academy Chair, Christina A. Marshall, APR.
"Thank you Christina for your kind words and the CPRS Health Academy for nominating me for this year's Joan Hollobon Award. It has been a pleasure working with you and many others here today over the years. Thank you also to the Canadian Public Relations Society's Awards Committee for selecting me to receive the honour," said André Picard. "This is particularly significant for me because the award is named after my friend and mentor, Joan Hollobon, who is the living embodiment of the importance of mentorship. Joan was retiring as the Globe's medical reporter just as I was beginning my career. She passed the baton to me and between the two of us we have provided more than 60 years of continuous health journalism at the Globe and Mail. I hope I've done Joan proud and I'll cherish this for a long time. Thank you."
"Picard has been a leading journalistic voice in health care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, relying on fact-based journalism, reliable research and trustworthy sources at a time when it was critically needed," said Health Academy Council volunteer Agnes Bongers. "Known for asking tough questions about current issues of the pandemic, he provided the public with thought-provoking writing that values the mental, physical and emotional health of individuals and the broader society."
"I started working with André Picard about 25 years ago when I covered media relations for the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto," noted Marshall. "He was a solid medical reporter then, addressing complex research results and issues, and has continued to be a trusted voice over the years. During this pandemic, he guided the public through misinformation and conflicting information, helping Canadians in a way that only someone with years of credibility within the health sector and having the respect of his peers could do successfully. Congratulations to André as well as the other award recipients."
Named in honour of former Globe and Mail medical reporter Joan Hollobon, the Joan Hollobon Award is presented annually to a member of the media whose work has contributed significantly to the public's understanding of health care over the previous year. It was one of 10 Major and Special Awards presented virtually during this year's virtual conference.
About CPRS
Founded in 1948, the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is a not-for-profit association of professionals dedicated to the practice, management and teaching of public relations and communications. Comprising 14 local societies, CPRS' mission is to build a national public relations and communications management community through professional development and accreditation, collaboration with thought leaders, a commitment to ethics and a code of professional standards, advocacy for the profession, and support to members at every stage of their careers.
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SOURCE Canadian Public Relations Society
Dan LaBelle, Manager, Marketing and Communications, the Canadian Public Relations Society, 416-239-7034 ext. 246, [email protected]
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