Sold-out CJF Awards to celebrate excellence in journalism: David Thomson and Joshua Benton among presenters

TORONTO, May 31, 2016 /CNW/ - Presenters for this year's sold-out Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards include David Thomson, chairman of Thomson Reuters and The Woodbridge Company Limited, Joshua Benton, director of the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University and longtime broadcast executive Trina McQueen.

An annual celebration of excellence in journalism, the CJF Awards attracts more than 600 journalists, media executives, academics and business leaders. This year's event will be hosted by Anna Maria Tremonti, host of CBC Radio's The Current, on June 16 in Toronto at the Fairmont Royal York.

"We are thrilled with the tremendous response from the media and business communities in supporting our mission and joining us in celebrating excellence in journalism," says CJF executive director Natalie Turvey. "We are delighted to honour a worthy group of recipients and nominees in a diverse range of categories. The evening is a testament to the vital role journalism plays in sustaining a healthy democracy."

Other presenters include Sally Armstrong, journalist and human rights activist; Tom Clark, chief political correspondent for Global News; Matt Galloway, host of CBC Radio's Metro Morning; Michael Cooke, editor of the Toronto Star; Connie Walker, reporter with CBC Aboriginal, and David Walmsley, editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail.

This year's CJF Tribute recognizes two media luminaries who carved out distinctive careers in the U.K. and the U.S. After becoming the editor-in-chief of British society magazine Tatler at 25, Tina Brown then moved on as editor, first of Vanity Fair and then The New Yorker, injecting a mix of high-brow and popular culture to both. The other tribute recipient is veteran editor Harold Evans (Northern Echo and The Sunday Times) whose relentless campaigns have spurred significant change, including the introduction of cervical cancer smears for British women and a settlement for British Thalidomide victims. Currently editor-at-large for Reuters, he is the author of several books, including the widely acclaimed The American Century.

The Boston Globe Spotlight Team reporters Sacha Pfeiffer and Michael Rezendes and their editor, Walter Robinson, will be honoured with a CJF Special Citation for their exemplary investigative journalism in exposing widespread child abuse by numerous priests and the systemic cover-up by the Catholic Church in Boston. Their investigative work, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 2003, was depicted in the Oscar-winning movie Spotlight.

Another highlight of the evening will be a Lifetime Achievement Award to Lloyd Robertson, the longtime anchor of CTV National News who is currently host and chief correspondent for W5, CTV's investigative news program.

Winners will also be announced from shortlists for the CJF Innovation Award and the CJF Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism in two categories: large and small media.

Other awards to be presented include the CJF Aboriginal Journalism Fellowships, The Landsberg Award, the Greg Clark Award, the Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award, the William Southam Journalism Fellowships and the Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy.

This year media guests include: Doug Alexander, Peter Armstrong, Robert Benzie, Ian Brown, David Common, Andrew Coyne, Christine Dobby, Dawna Friesen, Shinan Govani, Tavia Grant, Chantal Hébert, Carolyn Jarvis, Jonathan Kay, Tim Kiladze, Nil Köksal, Lisa LaFlamme, Jacquie McNish, Wendy Mesley, André Picard, Grant Robertson, David Skok and Craig Silverman, among others.

The CJF thanks presenting sponsor CN, along with the following organizations for their support of this event: RBC, BMO Financial Group, Labatt Breweries of Canada, Accenture, Medtronic, Scotiabank, Shaw Communications, Barrick Gold Corporation, Manulife, Rogers, Ivanhoé Cambridge, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Thomson Reuters, Canadian Bankers Association, and Tom Kierans and Mary Janigan.

Thank you also to The Globe and Mail, Maclean's, Metro, National Post, Toronto Star, CBC News, CNW, CPAC, The Canadian Press, Global Public Affairs, iPolitics and Porter for their in-kind support.

Executives and leaders from the following major media outlets, businesses and organizations will also be among those attending the event: Aimia, Bayfield Strategy, Blakes, Bloomberg, Brookfield, Canadian Women's Foundation, CBC/Radio-Canada, CIBC, CNW, Corus, CTV News, Facebook, Fasken Martineau, Global Public Affairs, General Motors of Canada, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Innovative Medicines Canada, Massey College, McDonald's Canada, National NewsMedia Council, Newspapers Canada, Ooka Island, Shaw Communications, Sussex Strategy Group, TD Bank Group, Torys, Union Gas and Weber Shandwick.

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About The Canadian Journalism Foundation
Established in 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation promotes excellence in journalism by celebrating outstanding journalistic achievement. Our signature events include an annual awards program featuring a must-attend industry gala where Canada's top newsmakers meet Canada's top news people. Through J-Talks, our popular speakers' series, we facilitate dialogue among journalists, business people, 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 supports journalism websites J-Source.ca (English) and ProjetJ.ca (French) and fosters opportunities for journalism education, training and research.

SOURCE Canadian Journalism Foundation

For further information: Natalie Turvey, Executive Director, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, [email protected], 416-955-0396