Jennifer Pagliaro from the Toronto Star and Katie May from the Lethbridge Herald have been selected as the two recipients of the 22nd annual Hon. Edward Goff Penny Memorial Prize for Young Canadian Journalists.
In the over 25,000 circulation class, 23-year-old Jennifer Pagliaro from the Toronto Star impressed the judges with her diverse coverage of breaking news both at home and internationally. Pagliaro’s submissions included an article about off-roading through Uganda to interview beekeepers, an emotional piece on the burden faced by Canadian families coping with mental illness, and a human-interest story about at-risk youth dealing with complex crime and social concerns in their Toronto community.
Judges selected Katie May from the Lethbridge Herald in Alberta as the winner in the 25,000 and under circulation category. The 25-year-old reporter/photographer submitted a series of investigative articles tackling a number of issues affecting the local area. May interviewed community members devastated by a local fire, reported on the aftermath of a police college cancellation, and was the first reporter to uncover a mistake made by the Lethbridge police force during a marijuana bust.
The judging, which was based on works published in 2012, was performed by three experienced industry representatives selected by Newspapers Canada. Pagliaro and May will be awarded the Goff Penny Memorial Prizes at the World Press Freedom Day luncheon on Friday, May 3 during the INK+BEYOND newspaper conference in Ottawa.
For more information about the Goff Penny Memorial Prizes for Young Journalists please contact Jessica Napier at jnapier@newspaperscanada.ca.
