Latest news with #AliceMunro
Cision Canada
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cision Canada
Sold-Out CJF Awards Night to Recognize Excellence in Canadian Journalism
TORONTO, May 26, 2025 /CNW/ - The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) proudly announces that the CJF Awards, its annual recognition of journalistic excellence, will take place before a sold-out audience on June 12. This year's Awards mark the Foundation's 35 th year as a champion of excellence in Canadian journalism. Program highlights include the CJF Tribute, honouring journalist, podcaster, documentary filmmaker and award-winning author Tanya Talaga for her unwavering commitment to Indigenous storytelling and her profound impact on Canadian journalism. The award will be presented by award-winning journalist, author, filmmaker, and podcast host and producer Michelle Shephard. Juno Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, singer, producer and songwriter Aysanabee will make a special appearance to pay tribute to Talaga. In addition, the CJF will honour the Toronto Star with its Special Citation for its groundbreaking investigation into the sexual abuse that Andrea Skinner, daughter of Canadian literary giant Alice Munro, suffered at the hands of Munro's husband, despite Alice Munro's awareness of the abuse. The months-long investigation, reported by Deborah Dundas and Betsy Powell, demonstrated extraordinary courage and sensitivity, illuminating the darkest shadows of human experience. Elamin Abdelmahmoud, host of CBC Radio's daily arts, pop culture and entertainment show COMMOTION will host the awards evening at the Royal York Hotel. More than 500 journalists, media executives and business leaders from across Canada are attending to celebrate excellence in Canadian media over the past year. An additional evening highlight will be the Lifetime Achievement Award presentation to Bob McKeown, in recognition of his decades-long record of excellence in investigative journalism, reporting from more than 60 countries and winning dozens of awards and honours as a reporter, host, producer, writer and documentary filmmaker. Allya Davidson, executive producer of The Fifth Estate will present the award. "For the past 35 years, the CJF celebrated and supported the best in Canadian journalism," notes Natalie Turvey, CJF's President and Executive Director. "This year, we are again thrilled to gather with distinguished guests to pay tribute to excellent journalists and media from across the country, and to honour the essential role that quality journalism plays in a healthy democracy. We couldn't do this without our many supporters, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who makes our mission possible." In addition to the Tribute and the Lifetime Achievement Award, the following awards will be presented: CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting; CJF Dr. Eric Jackman Awards for Excellence in Journalism (large and small media); The CJF Edward Burtynsky Award for Climate Photojournalism; and The Landsberg Award. The CJF will also recognize the recipients of the following fellowships and bursaries: CJF Black Journalism Fellowships Program; CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowship; Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award; CJF Bursary for BIPOC Student Journalists; William Southam Journalism Fellowships; and The CJF-CP News Creators Fellowships. The CJF gratefully acknowledges the support of CIBC, presenting sponsor of the 2025 CJF Awards. "CIBC is proud to support the Canadian Journalism Foundation and its important work," says CJF Board member Allison Mudge, CIBC Senior Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs. "Journalism plays a vital role in providing facts and information that empower citizens and foster informed communities. We recognize the valuable contributions of journalists and celebrate their dedication to truth, integrity and the pursuit of excellence that defines their work." The CJF also thanks supporters Google News Initiative, Rogers Communications, Labatt Breweries of Canada, McCain Foods, Intact, TD Bank Group, CBC/Radio-Canada, Aritzia, BMO Financial Group, CTV News, Canada Life, Sobeys, Scotiabank, RBC, FGS Longview Communications, KPMG, Canadian Bankers Association, WSP, Jackman Foundation, Canadian Medical Association, Accenture, Aga Khan Development Network, Apple Canada News, Bennett Jones LLP, Blakes, Canadian Women's Foundation, CPP Investments, Loblaw Companies Ltd., Maple Leaf Foods, OLG, Rishi Nolan Strategies, TD Securities, Uber, Greenrock Real Estate Advisors, CDPQ, Zai Mamdani/Mamdani Family Foundation, North Horizon, Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail and Massey College . In-kind sponsorship is provided by Beehive Design, The Canadian Press, Bespoke Audio Visual, MLSE and Porter Airlines. For more information on the June 12 event, visit the CJF Awards site. About the Canadian Journalism Foundation Founded in 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation promotes, celebrates and facilitates excellence in journalism. The foundation runs a prestigious awards and fellowships program featuring an industry gala where news leaders, journalists and corporate Canada gather to celebrate outstanding journalistic achievement and the value of professional journalism. Through monthly J-Talks, a public speakers' series, the CJF facilitates dialogue among journalists, businesspeople, academics, and students about the role of the media in Canadian society and the ongoing challenges for media in the digital era. The foundation also fosters opportunities for journalism education, training, and research.
Toronto Star
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
As a member of Canada's literary community I mourned Alice Munro's death one year ago. Then revelations from her daughter took me on another journey
In Canada's literary community, few stars shone as brightly as Alice Munro 's. When she passed away one year ago, on May 13, 2024, there was an outpouring of grief as well as appreciation of her legacy from readers, colleagues, academics and media. It seemed the ground shook a little with the passing of Canada's Literature Nobel Laureate. Months later, readers of the Toronto Star witnessed a different kind of response to Munro's legacy, this time from her youngest daughter, Andrea Robin Skinner. We learned that from the age of nine, Andrea had been sexually assaulted by Munro's second husband. And that not only did Munro not protect her daughter, she spent decades covering up his crime and taking his side. With this, the ground not only shook, it opened up and threatened to swallow Munro's legacy whole. Readers asked, how was it possible that an author who was capable of such sensitive and deft portrayals of the 'lives of girls and women', was also capable of such callousness when it came to the suffering of her own daughter? I too was shocked by the revelations. But I did not experience the additional sense of loss that many readers did, because although I respected Munro's achievement, I was not a fan of the work. Up to then, I had been proud of Alice Munro as a Canadian who brought honour to our country, but her stories never did draw me. Despite her powers of often exquisite description, Munro's writing felt to me opaque, as though the stories had been crafted at a remove. They felt thin. The female protagonists often struck me as limp; resigned to what the stories seemed to say was their inevitable grim fate – a doom supposedly all the more plausible for being unremarkable, even banal. I felt as though something were missing; as though my peripheral view were being restricted by literary blinders; as though, as a reader, I were being asked to participate in the characters' passivity. I doubted my own perceptions and, from the time I was seventeen, would return to the stories every few years, thinking that as I became more mature, I might also become more sensitive to what so many readers cherished. I failed. I even felt a bit guilty – like a bad Canadian – for not appreciating the genius of Alice Munro. 'Oh well,' I'd think. 'At least I play hockey.'
Cision Canada
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cision Canada
CJF Special Citation goes to the Toronto Star
TORONTO, May 2, 2025 /CNW/ - The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) will honour the Toronto Star with its Special Citation for its groundbreaking investigation into the sexual abuse that Andrea Skinner, daughter of Canadian literary giant Alice Munro, suffered at the hands of her stepfather, Munro's husband. The months-long investigation, reported by Deborah Dundas and Betsy Powell, shows extraordinary courage and sensitivity, illuminating the darkest shadows of human experience. The honour, awarded on a discretionary basis by the CJF, will be presented at the annual CJF Awards in Toronto at the Fairmont Royal York on June 12. The citation recognizes journalism that serves its highest purposes: giving voice to the voiceless, challenging established power structures and illuminating complex truths that might otherwise remain hidden from public view. Past CJF Special Citation recipients include The Boston Globe, writer Ronan Farrow and editor Martin Baron. "This remarkable work exemplifies the highest ideals of investigative journalism by giving voice to those silenced by power and reputation," says CJF president and executive director Natalie Turvey. "The Toronto Star displayed exceptional institutional courage, mobilizing a comprehensive newsroom-wide effort that unified reporters, editors, designers and digital teams in pursuit of truth with both sensitivity and journalistic rigour." The investigation distinguished itself not merely through excellent reporting, but also through its unwavering commitment to centering the experiences of survivors while examining complex questions of legacy, accountability and healing. In multiple stories confronting how a Nobel laureate's status shielded painful realities from public view, the Star demonstrated that journalistic integrity means pursuing truth regardless of whose reputation may be affected. Skinner's story, as told by the Star, and reported subsequently in outlets across Canada and globally, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, the BBC, The Guardian, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, has changed the conversation on childhood sexual abuse. Countless supporters around the world have held up her account as a cautionary tale, urging any adult who knows a child who has been abused to come forward. The CJF Awards celebrates excellence in journalism by honouring those who have made significant contributions to the profession and by recognizing emerging talent. CIBC is the presenting sponsor of the 2025 CJF Awards. The 2025 CJF Awards are also supported by Google News Initiative, Labatt Breweries of Canada, McCain Foods, Intact, TD Bank Group, CBC/Radio-Canada, Aritzia, BMO Financial Group, Canada Life, Sobeys, Scotiabank, RBC, FGS Longview Communications, KPMG, Canadian Bankers Association, Canadian Medical Association, Accenture, Aga Khan Development Network, Apple Canada News, Bennett Jones LLP, Blakes, Canadian Women's Foundation, CPP Investments, Loblaw Companies Ltd., Maple Leaf Foods, OLG, Rishi Nolan Strategies, TD Securities, Uber, WSP. In-kind sponsorship is provided by Beehive Design, The Canadian Press, Bespoke Audio Visual, MLSE and Porter Airlines. About The Canadian Journalism Foundation Founded in 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation promotes, celebrates and facilitates excellence in journalism. The foundation runs a prestigious awards and fellowships program featuring an industry gala where news leaders, journalists and corporate Canada gather to celebrate outstanding journalistic achievement and the value of professional journalism. Through monthly J-Talks, a public speakers' series, the CJF facilitates dialogue among journalists, business people, academics and students about the role of the media in Canadian society and the ongoing challenges for media in the digital era. The foundation also fosters opportunities for journalism education, training and research.
Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
From Margaret Atwood to Alice Munro: 5 must-read authors from the Land of the Maple Leaf
Authors are often called the voice of a nation — chronicling its struggles, its triumphs, and its evolving identity. Today (April 28), as Canadians head to the polls in a high-stakes election that could reshape the country's leadership and future, it is a fitting moment to pause and reflect on the storytellers who have helped define Canada beyond its politics. Across decades of change, Canadian authors have explored questions of belonging, resilience, justice, and imagination — themes that resonate during a pivotal national moments. Whether through poetry, fiction, or historical reflection, these writers offer insights into the forces that have shaped Canada, and into the possibilities that lie ahead. Here are five Canadian authors whose work deserves attention — today and every day. 1. Margaret Atwood No conversation about Canadian literature can begin without Margaret Atwood. For decades, she has examined power, survival, and the environment — subjects that feel especially urgent in a time of political and social flux. From her dystopian masterpiece The Handmaid's Tale to her intimate portraits of Canadian wilderness in Surfacing, Atwood remains a sharp, essential voice both at home and abroad. 2. Alice Munro Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Alice Munro has spent her career quietly reshaping the possibilities of the short story. Her richly detailed portraits of life in rural Ontario explore small moments of decision, revelation, and resilience. Dear Life is a brilliant entry point into her deeply humane work. The Swedish Academy dubbed her a 'master of the contemporary short story' when it awarded her the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013. 3. Thomas King A master storyteller, Thomas King brings indigenous history, humor, and activism to the forefront of Canadian literature. His novel Green Grass, Running Water weaves traditional storytelling with contemporary satire, offering a reflection on indigenous identity and resilience. 4. Yann Martel With Life of Pi, Yann Martel captured the world's imagination, blending spiritual exploration with a gripping survival story. His work often grapples with faith, hope, and the power of storytelling itself — ideas that take on heightened significance during uncertain times. 5. Dionne Brand One of Canada's most celebrated poets and novelists, Dionne Brand writes passionately about race, migration, and belonging. Her novel What We All Long For explores the dreams and disillusionments of young people in Toronto, offering an unflinching portrait of urban life.
Toronto Star
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Globe and Mail, Toronto Star lead the way as National Newspaper Awards handed out
MONTREAL - The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star were the big winners as the National Newspaper Awards were handed out in Montreal on Friday night. The Globe took home nine of the 23 regular awards, in front of the Toronto Star, which took home six. One of the Globe's awards was shared with the Halifax Chronicle Herald and two of the Star awards were shared with the Investigative Journalism Bureau. La Presse, Reuters and the Chronicle Herald picked up two awards each. The Star won the Project of the Year award for its coverage of the sexual abuse suffered by Andrea Skinner, the daughter of literary icon Alice Munro, at the hands of her stepfather. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The Star also won in the investigations category for its reporting done with the Investigative Journalism Bureau on the failings of a program meant to fund mental health care for Inuit and First Nations people. The Globe took home the breaking news award for its coverage of the women's soccer spying scandal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Chronical Herald's Aaron Beswick was named journalist of the year for his coverage of lawlessness in Nova Scotia's lobster and eel fisheries, including poaching, arson and international smuggling. There were 864 entries for consideration in this year's awards submitted by 82 news organizations. Finalists and winners were selected by three-judge panels in each category. The awards were established by the Toronto Press Club in 1949 to encourage excellence and reward achievement in daily newspaper work in Canada. The competition is now open to newspapers, news agencies and online news sites. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2025.
