The Michener Awards

The Michener Awards Foundation recently announced six finalists for the 2008 Michener Award "for meritorious public service journalism."

The finalists are: a joint entry from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and The Canadian Press (see below); Le Courrier de Saint-Hyacinthe; The Globe and Mail; The Hamilton Spectator; the Toronto Star; and the Winnipeg Free Press.

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, will host the Michener Awards ceremony at Rideau Hall on June 10 where the winner of the 2008 Michener Award will be announced and the Michener-Deacon Fellowship will be presented.

The Michener Award, founded in 1970 by the late Roland Michener, then Governor-General, goes to a news organization. The judges’ decisions are heavily influenced by the degree of public benefit generated by the print and broadcast entries submitted for consideration.

A collaboration between the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Société Radio-Canada (SRC) and The Canadian Press is one of the six 2008 finalists for this prestigious award:

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Société Radio-Canada and The Canadian Press: The three news organizations teamed up to undertake a multimedia analysis of Taser stun guns and particularly their use by the RCMP. They collaborated on data analysis, identification of vital trends, interviews and preparation of stories for newspapers, websites, radio and television. A scientific analysis by CBC & SRC found that more than 10 per cent of Taser units tested were either defective with some discharging significantly more electrical current than the manufacturer’s standard.