World Press Freedom Canada Explained

World Press Freedom Canada
Formation:2008
Predecessor:Ottawa’s National Press Club
Type:Nonprofit
Headquarters:Ottawa
Leader Title:President
Leader Name:Shawn McCarthy

World Press Freedom Canada (sometimes known as the Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom) is a Canadian not for profit organisation that campaigns for media freedom and journalist safety.

It issues the annual press freedom award.

Organization

World Press Freedom Canada was founded by Spencer Moore[1] and incorporated as a not for profit in 2008,[2] The organization advocates for press freedom and the safety of journalists. The organisation was previously, and sometimes still is, known as the Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom[3] and is a successor to Ottawa’s National Press Club. The Ottawa Press Club faced financial challenges in 2003,[4] filing for bankruptcy protection in July 2003.[5]

In 2021, World Press Freedom Canada's president was Shawn McCarthy.[6]

History

In 2014, the organization organized an event to fundraise for Mohamed Fahmy, an Egyptian-Canadian journalist who was being detained in Egypt and who later won the 2015 Press Freedom prize.[7]

In 2021, the organization was critical of Royal Canadian Mounted Police's activities during the 2020 Canadian pipeline and railway protests.[8]

Awards

World Press Freedom Canada organises and issues the Press Freedom award and the Spencer Moore awards, which were started by the predecessor organisations.[9]

The organization also holds an annual contest among editorial cartoonists, in which cartoonists such as Plantu (2010), Bruce MacKinnon (2014),[10] Signe Wilkinson (2015),[11] and Ali Miraee (2023)[12] have won first prize.[13]

Annual award

Press Freedom annual award winners!Year!Winner!Employer (if relevant)!Source
1999Kim BolanVancouver Sun[14]
2000Robert TrippKingston Whig-Standard
2001Corinna ShullerNational Post
2002Haroon SiddiquiToronto Star
2003International Freedom of Information Exchange
2004Andrew McIntoshNational Post
2005Juliet O’NeillOttawa Citizen
2006John Hoey and Anne Marie TodkillCanadian Medical Association Journal
2007Tarek Fatah
2008Gilles Toupin and Joël-Denis BellavanceLa Presse
2009Daniel LeblancGlobe and Mail
2010Michelle Lang (posthumously)Calgary Herald[15]
2011Citizen Lab[16]
2012Canadian Science Writers’ Association
2013Stephen Maher and Glen McGregorPostmedia
2014Katherine GannonAssociated Press
2015Mohamed Fahmy
2016Ben MakuchVICE News
2017Patrick LagacéPaul Dornstauder and Geoff Leo

Paula Simons (Honourable mention)

La PresseCanadian Broadcasting Corporation

Edmonton Journal

2018Justin BrakeMike de Souza (Honourable mention)

Charles Rusnell, Jennie Russell and Gary Cunliffe (honourable mentions)

The Independent of Newfoundland and LabradorThe National Observer

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[17]
2019Michael RobinsonMarie-Maude Denis (honorable mention)The Telegraph Journal in Saint John, N.BRadio-Canada
2020Kenneth JacksonMichael de Adder (honorable mention)

Joan Baxter (honorable mention)

Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
2021Nathan VanderKlippeSarah Cox

Kevin Donovan (certificate of merit)

Meghan Potkins & Madeline Smith (certificates of merit)

Globe and MailThe Narwhal

Toronto Star

The Calgary Herald

2022Fatima Syed and Tai HuynThe Local[18]

Spencer Moore Award for Lifetime Achievement

YearNameEmployer/RoleReference
2014Arnold AmberCanadian Journalists for Free Expression[19]
2015Bob CartyCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
2016Suzanne LegaultInformation Commissioner of Canada
2017Jim BronskillThe Canadian Press
2018Charles MorrowThe Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom[20]
2019Ken Rubinn/a (freelance)
2020David PuglieseThe Ottawa Citizen
2021Kim BolanVancouver Sun[21]
2023Rachel PulferJournalists for Human Rights[22]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. House of Commons Debates, Official Report. (2008). Canada: E. Cloutier, Queen's Printer and Controller of Stationery. p5390
  2. News: . Hurley . Meghan . Press group plans fundraiser for imprisoned journalist Fahmy . The Ottawa Citizen . 22 November 2014 . A.6 .
  3. Web site: About – World Press Freedom Canada . 15 July 2014 . 2022-07-28 . en-US.
  4. Web site: Todd . Robert . 2003-09-26 . Press Club faces tough times . 2022-07-28 . Centretown News . en-US.
  5. Web site: Scott . Foster . 2003-09-15 . National Press Club fights off creditors: club's executive tries to woo more members to historic federal political watering hole in Ottawa . 2022-07-28 . The Hill Times . en-CA.
  6. Web site: International . Radio Canada . 2021-05-03 . World press freedom highlighted with Canadian awards . 2022-07-28 . RCI English . en-US.
  7. News: . Oakland . Ross . Jailed journalist wins press freedom prize: Fahmy receiving award in absentia on same day trial in Cairo resumes . Toronto Star . 2 May 2014 . A.8 .
  8. News: Stueck . Wendy . Jang . Brent . 2021-11-22 . Court releases two journalists three days after arrests by RCMP at Wet'suwet'en pipeline protests . en-CA . The Globe and Mail . 2022-07-28.
  9. Web site: Awards – World Press Freedom Canada . 30 April 2020 . 2022-07-28 . en-US.
  10. Web site: Cartoons – World Press Freedom Canada . 30 April 2020 .
  11. Web site: Signe Wilkinson honored with World Press Freedom and Thomas Nast Award – the Daily Cartoonist . May 2015 .
  12. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/la-presses-larouche-journalism-human-132300259.html
  13. Web site: World Press Freedom Day: Editorial cartoonists take on 'cancel culture' . 2022-09-02 . ottawacitizen . en-CA.
  14. Book: 10.3138/9781442631021-017 . The People's Servant: Vancouver Sun Crime Reporter Kim Bolan's Breakthrough Blogging . Covering Canadian Crime . 2016 . 245–250 . 978-1-4426-3102-1 . Richardson . Chris . Fullerton . Romayne Smith . Richardson . Chris . Fullerton . Romayne Smith .
  15. News: . Killed journalist receives award . Star - Phoenix . Saskatoon . 3 May 2010 . A.5 .
  16. "Citizen Lab Receives Canadian Press Freedom Award" in News and Notes . Journal of Democracy . 2011 . 22 . 3 . 183–185 . . 10.1353/jod.2011.0051 .
  17. Web site: Journalist charged in criminal, civil courts wins press freedom prize . 2022-07-30 . ottawacitizen . en-CA.
  18. Web site: Philipupillai . Kevin . 2022-05-03 . Online startup wins press freedom award for coverage of COVID's impact on 'neglected' Peel Region . 2022-07-28 . The Hill Times . en-CA.
  19. Web site: Awards – World Press Freedom Canada . 30 April 2020 . 2022-09-10 . en-US.
  20. News: 2018-05-03 . Journalist Justin Brake, charged over Muskrat Falls reporting, wins Press Freedom Award . en-CA . The Globe and Mail . 2022-09-10.
  21. News: Desjardins . Lynn . 3 May 2021 . World press freedom highlighted with Canadian awards .
  22. News: Pulfer. Rachel . 3 May 2023 . La Presse's Larouche and Journalism for Human Rights' Pulfer win 2023 Press Freedom Awards .