Latest news with #WorldPressFreedomCanada
Toronto Star
01-05-2025
- Toronto Star
Longtime Star lawyer Bert Bruser receives World Press Freedom Canada career achievement award
Bert Bruser, the longtime Toronto Star newsroom lawyer who helped reshape Canadian media law and pushed for responsible, aggressive reporting, was awarded the World Press Freedom Canada career achievement award on Thursday. Bruser, 80, navigated the Star through decades of sensitive stories, including former Toronto mayor Rob Ford's crack-smoking scandal and the murder trial of Karla Homolka, who was convicted in 1993 of crimes committed with then-husband Paul Bernardo related to the rapes and murders of two schoolgirls.
Cision Canada
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Cision Canada
La Presse reporter Daniel Renaud wins 2025 Press Freedom Award Français
Media law pioneer wins Career Achievement Award OTTAWA, ON, May 1, 2025 /CNW/ - World Press Freedom Canada (WPFC) is pleased to announce that La Presse reporter Daniel Renaud is the 2025 winner of our Press Freedom Award, while longtime newspaper lawyer Bert Bruser is awarded our Career Achievement Award. Judges considered nominations from across Canada for the annual Press Freedom Awards. Categories include a local journalism, the Career Achievement Award in honour of Spencer Moore, the Student Achievement Award and the International Editorial Cartoon Contest. WPFC recognized Renaud for his diligent, fearless reporting on organized crime in Quebec and for demonstrating exceptional resilience in pursuing stories that serve the public interest despite obstacles to press freedom. In 2024, Renaud spent months investigating hitman Frédérick Silva, uncovering his ties to the Montreal mafia. In retaliation, Silva ordered Renaud's murder — a plot later aborted. Despite the threat, Renaud missed only one day of work and continued to show up in court for every hearing during Silva's trial. With nearly 30 years of fearless reporting on organized crime, his work sparked vital public discourse on the value of independent journalism. Bruser was awarded the WPFC Career Achievement Award in recognition of his decades-long, groundbreaking work as newsroom legal counsel for The Toronto Star. He is recognized as a pioneer media lawyer who helped defend courageous and often controversial journalism from lawsuits designed to intimidate and silence. WPFC President Heather Bakken offered her congratulations to all award winners. "At this pivotal moment, we must recognize the courageous work of Canadian journalists, especially during an election year when the fight against disinformation, foreign interference and media manipulation is not just about protecting our information ecosystem — it is about safeguarding democracy. And a free press is often the last line of defence," she said. "Under this year's theme, we spotlight the challenges journalists face in the battle to preserve fact-based evidence, accountability, and public trust." In addition to the above-mentioned winners, WPFC presented a Press Freedom, Local Journalism Award to the Waterloo Region Record. The committee is honouring The Record for a collection of articles which pierced the veil of secrecy on secret land deals, college recruitment of foreign students and school board practices. The journalists are editor-in-chief Jim Poling, Terry Pender, Robert Williams, Luisa D'Amato and Jeff Outhit. A Certificate of Merit award goes to The Globe and Mail's Grant Robertson and Kathryn Blaze Baum for their investigation that exposed damning revelations about the country's food safety system putting Canadians at risk; as well as to investigative reporter Patti Sonntag who uncovered abuse of Indigenous procurement policies. The Student Achievement Award goes to Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman and Aidan Raynor of The Concordian at Montreal's Concordia University for their series on the lack of transparency at Canadian universities and a broken access to information system. WPFC is also announcing the winners of our International Editorial Cartoon contest, which had a theme this year of "It's a Trump World" and the increasing difficulty to discern the truth. Constantin Sunnerberg, a Moscow native now living in Belgium received first prize. Greek cartoonist Dimitios Georgopalis won second, and Hicabi Demirci from Turkey won third prize. The awards will be presented at our annual luncheon at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on May 1, in honour of the United Nations' World Press Freedom Day which takes place annually on May 3. Our keynote speaker is Kevin Newman, a veteran newscaster and co-founder of a disinformation watchdog; Catherine Clark, President, Catherine Clark Communications, will emcee. World Press Freedom Canada is an Ottawa-based, non-profit volunteer organization whose mission is to champion press freedom in Canada and abroad. We do this by advocating for the rights of journalists and a free press to uphold democracy, celebrating the vital role of journalists in promoting transparency and accountability and identifying press freedom violations.
Associated Press
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Renowned Canadian broadcaster Kevin Newman to be the keynote speaker at press freedom luncheon May 1
The theme of this year's luncheon is Disinformation and Democracy: Standing on Guard OTTAWA, ON, March 27, 2025 /CNW/ - World Press Freedom Canada (WPFC) is pleased to announce that former newscaster and current disinformation watchdog Kevin Newman will be the keynote speaker at its annual World Press Freedom Day luncheon. The theme of this year's luncheon is Disinformation and Democracy: Standing on Guard. Newman will address the threat that the growing flood of disinformation poses to Canadian unity, security and democracy, and to the country's traditional media. The Press Freedom luncheon will take place at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on May 1, and is timed to mark World Press Freedom Day which was proclaimed by the United Nations. Newman has a wealth of journalistic experience. During his career, he held a number of prominent positions in TV journalism, including as anchor of W5 at CTV News, Good Morning America at ABC News, Midday at CBC News, and developed and anchored Global National. He co-produced award-winning documentaries and series which earned international awards, and the memoir 'All Out' which he wrote with his son was a national bestseller. He is currently co-founder of a collective of researchers, fact-checkers, and creatives fighting back against misinformation and disinformation. In addition to Newman's speech, the WPFC luncheon will recognize award winners in the following categories: Press Freedom Award, recognizing a journalist or media worker who demonstrates their public-interest work was frustrated by a cloak of secrecy, legal manoeuvres, political intimidation, or tactics that put their safety or career at risk. Press Freedom Award, Local Journalism, recognizing journalists who works for a small-market news organization. Career Achievement Award in honour of Spencer Moore, which honours a Canadian journalist or media worker whose work reflects a dogged pursuit of press freedom and freedom of information. Student Achievement Award, which recognizes an outstanding student journalist who has demonstrated a commitment to press freedom. International Editorial Cartoon Contest is awarded to a cartoonist who best captures this year's theme, 'It's a Trump World.' Once again this year, our emcee will be Catherine Clark, president of Catherine Clark Communications, and co-founder of The Honest Talk, a platform that champions the empowerment of women across Canada. Tickets are available through our website. Special thanks to our event partner the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, to our major corporate sponsor the Canadian Bankers Association, and to our platinum sponsor Power Corporation. About World Press Freedom Canada World Press Freedom Canada is an Ottawa-based, non-profit volunteer organization whose mission is to champion press freedom in Canada and abroad. We do this by advocating for the rights of journalists and a free press to uphold democracy, celebrating the vital role of journalists in promoting transparency, accountability, and democracy in Canada and beyond and identifying press freedom violations. We commemorate UNESCO's World Press Freedom Day by honouring those whose public interest reporting has overcome significant press freedom challenges at our annual Awards Luncheon.
