The Winnipeg Free Press is this year’s recipient of the CJF Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism in the large-media category, while the Montreal Gazette took home the award for the small-media category.
The Free Press was recognized for The Inquest Files, which reported on two decades of inquests into fatal shootings involving several Manitoba police forces. This series examined the barriers and delays faced by one Anishnaabe family to participate in an inquest, exposing how expert witness testimony favours law enforcement and revealing judges’ unwillingness to make tangible recommendations. It is the second time the independent newspaper received the Jackman Excellence award.
The Gazette won for a series highlighting the preventable nature of six deaths at the Lakeshore General Hospital emergency room and exposing how the West Island Health Authority covered up the circumstances surrounding these deaths: Staff haunted by suicide at the Lakeshore Hospital ER; Whistleblowers flagged deaths at Lakeshore ER multiple times and Premier “shielded” from harsh realities of Lakeshore ER, sources say. It is the first time the Gazette has received a Jackman award.
Special CJF honorees included Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Phillip Crawley, in recognition of his inspiring leadership at the helm of one of Canada’s flagship newspapers.
David Thomson, Chairman of Thomson Reuters and The Woodbridge Company, presented the Award to Crawley, who steered the Globe and Mail to new heights of excellence during his 25-year tenure as its CEO and publisher. During this time, the newspaper became synonymous with groundbreaking journalism, investigative reporting and fearless coverage of critical issues shaping the nation and the world.
