Editor-in-chief Duncan McMonagle accepts the 1992 Michener Honourable Mention award from His Excellency Ray Hnatyshyn, Governor General of Canada on behalf of the Winnipeg Free Press.
The newspaper was honoured for a story about recent abuse-related children’s deaths in Manitoba that were not investigated and the changes that resulted from the Free Press examination. A number of cases involved native youngsters. As the stories were published, criminal charges were laid in three of the deaths, a special review committee was established and the province promised better police work and better training for police and other professional involved in child-abuse cases.
The award was presented during a ceremony held at Rideau Hall, May 4, 1993.
Launched in 1970 under the auspices of Canada’s third Canadian governor general, the late Roland Michener, the award focuses on the degree of public benefit generated by media projects, both large and small, in print and broadcast. The annual award is open to daily and weekly newspapers, news agencies, radio and television stations and networks, as well as periodicals. The winners are chosen on the basis of hard-hitting impact, journalistic professionalism, and the resources available for the project.