The Canadian Community Newspaper Awards honour outstanding work in editorial, photography, multimedia and overall excellence in community newspaper publishing across the country.
Congratulations to the 2024 CCNAwards winners for Best Local Civic Journalism (circulation 10K+). “Lots of excellent work in this category. The winners in the category went above and beyond in scope of coverage, initiative, research, and above all, explaining how the issues being covered affect the reader – that’s who civic journalism is for, in the end.”
First Place: Cambridge Times (Cambridge, ON) – Bill Doucet
“These stories take pains to explain the problem and most importantly, how it affects people, and what local government is doing about it, plainly and clearly. Strong, evocative ledes in all 3 pieces, with clean writing and strong paraphrases, using quotes only when they contribute to a story – a welcome rarity in civic journalism. Very good, clear civic journalism that focuses on who is being impacted and how rather than bogging down in process, policies and motions. Well done.”
Bill Doucet is a reporter who cares about his community and how it functions. His reporting focuses on council and community and how the growing city works. For so long, residents have clung to a small-town feel, yet they want growth. Just not the issues that go with expansion. Traffic and speeding have been an issue throughout the city, with problems on a boundary road, throughout downtown and a school zone on the edge of town. With these issues, Bill felt it was not only important to get perspectives from city councillors and staff, as well as police, but of citizens and the businesspeople it affects. We are a growing city that has done so while trying to hold on to a quaint feel. But that feel is starting to bite back. Click here, here and here to read the stories in detail.
Second Place: North Shore News (North/West Vancouver, BC) – Jane Seyd
“Trouble is brewing in West Vancouver city hall, and the North Shore News has the receipts. From allegations of election mis-spending to senior staff exoduses and harassment investigations involving the mayor, Jane Seyd does a comprehensive and balanced job of telling readers what they need to know about their local leadership. Excellent work throughout, giving everyone the chance to address issues and demonstrating research and initiative to get to the story behind the story. Municipal malfeasance is always significant.”
Third Place: The Lake Report (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON) – Richard Harley, Kevin MacLean
“The envelope of cash is a common trope in novels, but rarely happens in real life. Good comprehensive sourcing from all the relevant players with background research on relevant rules. The questionnaire to all councillors and the accompanying explainer to the reader are also welcome. The Lake Report takes this stranger-than-fiction story and does it justice. Good work. If this isn’t relevant to the community, then nothing is.”
The 2024 CCNAwards recognize the outstanding work produced in 2023 and celebrate the vibrancy of community newspapers across Canada. Award winners were announced on September 16, 2024. For a full list of winners click here.
