OTTAWA, ON, April 23, 2026 /CNW/ - The Michener Awards Foundation recognizes outstanding projects to advance public service journalism in Canada.
The Michener Awards Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of the 2026 Michener-L. Richard O'Hagan Fellowship for Journalism Education and the Michener-Deacon Fellowship for Investigative Journalism. These prestigious fellowships support Canadian journalists in pursuing projects that advance the public interest through investigative and educational journalism.
The Michener fellowship recipients will be honoured at the annual Michener Awards ceremony at Rideau Hall on Thursday, June 18, 2026. This event unveils the winner of the Michener Award for public service journalism in Canada. Finalists for the 2026 Michener Award will be announced next week.
The Michener – L. Richard O'Hagan Scholarship for Journalism Studies has been awarded to Jessica Patterson and Kanina Holmes for their project, "AI Literacy for Canadian Journalism Education."
This project aims to develop, test, and disseminate educational modules that will prepare journalism students for the critical and ethical use of artificial intelligence in Canadian newsrooms. At a time when many media organizations are establishing guidelines for AI use, the project seeks to strengthen public trust in journalism by ensuring future journalists are equipped to use these tools responsibly.
The Michener-Deacon Fellowship for Investigative Journalism has been awarded to Jordan Michael Smith for his project, "The Hague Mothers."
Smith's project will investigate a critical loophole in the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction that can result in children being returned to potentially abusive parents, even when risks are known. The work will centre on the case of Thuy Nguyen, a Canadian woman whose children were returned to their father in Poland despite his status on Interpol's most-wanted list.
The Michener Fellowships support projects that strengthen the practice of journalism in Canada and contribute to a more informed and engaged public.
The Michener-Deacon Investigative Journalism fellowship allows a journalist to devote up to four months to a reporting project. Applicants are required to undertake work that aspires to the criteria of the annual Michener Award for journalism with its emphasis on making an impact for the public good.
The Michener-L. Richard O'Hagan Fellowship for Journalism Education, supported by BMO, is dedicated to the advancement and enrichment of the education of Canadian journalists and journalism students. Winning projects are designed to expand the knowledge of newsroom products, processes and practices.
The judges for the Michener-L. Richard O'Hagan and the Michener-Deacon Fellowships were Geneviève Rossier, Raymond Brassard, Vivian Smith and Susan Harada.
Our thanks to Cision for sponsoring this announcement.
About the Michener Awards Foundation
The Michener Awards honour, celebrate, and promote excellence in Canadian public service journalism. Established in 1970 by the late Right Honourable Roland Michener, Governor General of Canada from 1967 to 1974, the Michener Awards are Canada's premier journalism award. The Michener Awards Foundation's voluntary Board of Directors administers the award, in partnership with the Rideau Hall Foundation and with sponsorship from BMO, Cision, and Power Corporation of Canada. Learn more at www.MichenerAwards.ca.
For more information, visit www.michenerawards.ca
SOURCE Michener Awards Foundation
Media Contact: Jill Clark, Senior Advisor, Communications and Media Relations, Rideau Hall Foundation, 613-619-0230, [email protected]
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