|
THE MICHENER AWARD ENTRY RULES
News organizations and their journalists are encouraged to
participate in the annual Michener Award competition.
The deadline for entries to the 2009 Award competition is
Friday, February 19, 2010.
The Michener Award is presented for journalism that makes a significant impact on the public good. To be selected as a finalist, a
news organization must be able to demonstrate that its entry achieved identifiable results. The results may include improvements in
public policy, ethical standards, corporate governance or the lives of Canadians.
Previous winners have been chosen on the basis of hard-hitting
reporting and journalistic professionalism. Winning subjects have
ranged from the misuse of public or private funds, to irregularities
in the justice and police systems, electoral abuses and mercury
poisoning. The 2006 Award went to the Prince George Citizen for a
series that significantly improved the safety of logging-truck
drivers. The 2007 Award shared by La Presse and The Globe and Mail
for reports on the treatment of Afghan detainees led to an inquiry
and a new agreement allowing Canadian investigators access to
detainees and the shuffling of the Defence minister out of his
position for his handling of the issue. The 2008 award shared by
CBC/Radio Canada and The Canadian Press was given for a series that analyzed
and reported on the use of Taser stun guns.
The award is presented to an organization rather than an individual. It is open to print, radio and television stations and online
journalism. Size is no barrier to success. Previous winners have ranged from national networks and daily newspapers to weeklies and
periodicals. The judges are required to take into account the resources available to support the entry.
Journalism that is published or broadcast in one calendar year may
be entered in the Michener Awards competition the following calendar
year if, in the judgment of the organization, it made a significant
impact the following year. This clause is included in the rules to
ensure that journalism produced late in the year and achieving
identifiable results beyond the posted deadlines is fairly and fully
considered in the competition
The contributions of individual journalists to the entries selected as finalists are recognized by invitations to,
and participation in, the prestigious
annual Awards Ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
The 2009 Award, to be presented by Governor General Michaëlle Jean, will be the
40th since Governor General Roland Michener
established the annual competition in 1970.
How to Submit an Entry
A senior editor or executive must submit the entry on behalf of a news organization.
Only stories published or broadcast in 2009 will be accepted.
All candidates must include five (5) copies of a full written explanation of the entry, including a description of the public service
performed and the results that the entry generated. It is helpful to describe the resources that were available to the entry. Appropriate supporting evidence is welcome, including
testimonials from independent and disinterested sources.
Print entries must also include 5 copies of the published reports in
their original form, or in PDF, or a photocopy of the entry as it
appeared in the newspaper. If tearsheets are submitted you will
require only one tearsheet and 4 full-sized copies of same.
Television and radio entries must also include 5 CD's or DVD's
containing the reporting that is being submitted.
Journalism that has been published online must also include five (5) hard copies of the submission printed on standard copy paper.
The submitted material must also be available on an active URL. Directions to the URL must accompany the entry.
All entries must include a registration fee of $50. Payment may be by cheque or money order (no GST required). Credit cards are not
accepted. Need Help? Check our FAQ's for
more details about entry rules.Entries should be submitted only
in 2010 and up to the February 19 deadline.
Michener Awards Foundation
c/o The Ottawa Citizen
1101 Baxter Road. Box, 5020
Ottawa, Ontario
K2C 3M4
|
