24-05-2025
The Globe and Mail's Robert Fife to receive the Michener-Baxter Award for public service journalism
The Globe and Mail's Ottawa bureau chief, Robert Fife, is this year's recipient of the Michener-Baxter Award for exceptional service to Canadian public service journalism.
Mr. Fife has covered Parliament Hill for nearly five decades, working in an array of newsrooms including The Canadian Press, the Sun Media chain, the National Post and CTV.
He joined The Globe and Mail in 2016.
Mr. Fife broke the SNC-Lavalin affair when he revealed allegations in 2019 that then-prime minister Justin Trudeau put pressure on his attorney-general, Jody Wilson-Raybould, to help SNC-Lavalin avoid criminal prosecution.
More recently, his work has focused on allegations of foreign interference by China and other countries, including that China attempted to interfere with the 2021 federal election – coverage that pressed Ottawa to call a public inquiry.
While at CTV, Mr. Fife broke the news that Nigel Wright, then the chief of staff to prime minister Stephen Harper, had given senator Mike Duffy a $90,000 personal cheque to repay questionable Senate expenses.
The Michener-Baxter Award was established in 1983, though Mr. Fife is only the 10th journalist to receive it.
'Bob Fife's fearless tenacity has delivered countless moments of breakthrough journalism,' The Globe's editor-in-chief David Walmsley said.
'Bob's determination to prosecute brave independent journalism is an editor's dream and he inspires colleagues and competitors with his unusual mix of collegiality and tough-as-nails – but fair – approach.'
Mr. Fife will receive the award during a ceremony at Rideau Hall on June 5, when Governor-General Mary Simon will also present the Michener Award for public service journalism.
An announcement released Friday noted that Mr. Fife has used his career to 'shed light on issues and stories Canadians need to know' while acting as a mentor and a leader in newsrooms across the country.
Mr. Fife is also the author of the books A Capital Scandal: Politics, Patronage and Payoff – Why Parliament Must Be Reformed and Kim Campbell: The Making of a Politician.
