Patricia Graham named Lifetime Achievement Award recipient

VANCOUVER, Sept. 4, 2012 /CNW/ - The Jack Webster Foundation today announced that Patricia Graham, Vice President, Digital, The Vancouver Sun and The Province, will receive the 2012 Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award at the 26th Annual Jack Webster Awards Dinner on November 1.

The Jack Webster Foundation, founded in memory of the late iconic BC reporter, names its Lifetime Achievement Award after Bruce Hutchison, the legendary Vancouver Sun journalist who started out at the Victoria Times in 1917 and went on to become the confidant of prime ministers. The dinner will also award coveted Webster statues in 13 news categories, with 2012 seeing a record number of BC journalism entrants.

In announcing this year's Hutchison Award winner, Jack Webster Foundation Co-Chairs Don Babick and Scott Macrae noted that the accomplishments of this year's recipient span a 30-year career beginning at the Globe and Mail and continuing for more than 25 years at The Province and The Vancouver Sun.

"It is humbling and thrilling to be tapped for an award named after not one but two legends at my newspaper, two journalists whose values have inspired me and countless others," Graham said.

Prior to being named to her current position in October, 2011 Graham was Editor in Chief of the Vancouver Sun, where she also held the Managing Editor and Senior Editor positions.

"Patricia Graham has overseen the transformation of the Vancouver Sun during the most challenging decade in modern journalism," Babick said. "Patricia has thrived in the digital media age, spearheading the drive to take The Vancouver Sun from a six-day-a-week newsprint publication into a multi-platform publisher delivering content round the clock," Macrae said.

Graham received the 2012 YWCA Metro Vancouver's Award of Distinction and was named one of Canada's Top 100 most powerful women by the Women's Executive Network. She is currently an advisory board member of the graduate School of Journalism at the University of British Columbia, and a board member of Canadian Women in Communications and the National Newspaper Awards.

The Jack Webster Foundation, named after the late print and broadcast journalist who was Western Canada's best known reporter, was established in 1986 to recognize excellence in British Columbia journalism.

Previous winners of the Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award, the foundation's premier recognition, include: Vaughn Palmer, Jim Taylor, Bill Good, Steve Wyatt, Jim Harrison, Mel Rothenburger, Vicki Gabereau, Tony Parsons, Rafe Mair, Allan Fotheringham, Patrick Nagle, Roy Peterson, Cameron Bell, Keith Bradbury, Dan McLeod, Denny Boyd, George Garrett, Moira Farrow, Jim Hume, Warren Barker, Len Norris, and Hutchison. The 26^th Annual Jack Webster Awards Dinner will be held November 1 at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. Tickets are $165 per person and can be reserved at jackwebster.com/dinner/info or by calling 604-261-6184. Global BC Anchor Chris Gailus is the master of ceremonies and National Columnist/Toronto Star and panelist on CBC's At Issue, Chantal Hébert is the guest speaker.

The work of the Foundation is made possible by the generous sponsorship of the BCGEU, CGA Association, CN, Fortis BC, HSBC Bank Canada, Labatt Breweries, Teck, TELUS, Port Metro Vancouver and WorkSafe BC.

SOURCE: Jack Webster Foundation

For further information:

Jack Webster Foundation
Nora Newlands, Executive Director at 604-261-3348
[email protected]
www.jackwebster.com