Spectator's Clairmont named Canada's top beat reporter
Susan Clairmont of The Hamilton Spectator brought home top honours on Friday night at the National Newspaper Awards in Montreal, winning the Joan Hollobon Award for Beat Reporting.
'I'm thrilled for Susan,' said Spectator editor-in-chief Cheryl Stepan. 'She is extremely deserving of this honour.'
Judges for the competition said Clairmont was nominated for her 'exclusive reporting and authoritative analysis' in a submission that ranged from high-profile criminal trials to complex court proceedings.
'Her portfolio of stories is a great example of the excellence she brings to her reporting and writing every day at The Spectator,' Stepan said. 'She never ceases to engage, inform or delight readers with her thought-provoking work.'
This marks Clairmont's second national honour; she previously won Canada's top newspaper columnist award in 2011.
Clairmont's award submission included coverage of Paul Bernardo's
latest parole board hearing
; as well as consent videos and their
role in sexual assault cases
. Her body of work for the judges also included a feature story about a son who repeatedly warned doctors and a judge he was thinking of killing his family before
murdering his mother
; and a column about a man who spent 14 years
hiding millions of dollars
from his ex-wife and children in violation of court orders.
There were 69 finalists in 23 categories, representing 26 news organizations in the 76th year for the NNAs. They were selected by three-judge panels in each category from among 864 entries across 82 news organizations in Canada.
Spectator reporter Matthew Van Dongen was also recognized in Montreal with a nomination in the business category for his investigation into real-estate investment firm
Forge & Foster
and its ongoing
financial woes
.
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