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Arnold Amber
CBC Television Network News
President
 
Mori Abdolalian
CJFE Journalists in Exile
 
Alison Armstrong
Journalist/writer
 
Bob Carty
CBC-Radio "This Morning"
 
Barbara Falk
Writer/Lecturer
 
Mike Forzley
Accountant
 
Roger Holmes
The Wainwright Star Chronicle, Alberta
 
Steve Lukits
Royal Military College
 
John Norris
Lawyer, Ruby, Edwardh
 
Carol Off
CBC Television Network News
 
Jake Peters
Photojournalist
 
Kelly Toughill
King's College, Nova Scotia
 
Philip Tunley
Lawyer, Stockwoods LLP
 
Mary Deanne Shears
Journalist

Sally Warren
Journalist, Editor, Author
  ADVISORY BOARD
 
Peter Desbarats
Maclean-Hunter Chair for Communications Ethics, Ryerson
 
Parker Barss Donham
freelance
 
John Honderich
The Toronto Star
 
John Macfarlane
Toronto Life
 
Joe Matyas
Southern Ontario Newspaper Guild
 
Ann Medina
freelance
 
Rick Moffat
Radio-TV News Directors Assn.
 
Lynda Powless
Native Journalists' Association
 
Lloyd Robertson
CTV News
 
Robert Scully
Télémision Information Inc.
 
Julian Sher
Canadian Association of Journalists
 
Keith Spicer
Institut du Monde anglophone Université de Paris III Sorbonne nouvelle
 
Norman Webster
Montreal

CJFE International Press Freedom Award & Tara Singh Hayer Award

Call for Nominations

May 10, 2007

In dozens of countries around the world, journalists regularly face obstacles in order to get the news out. Whether the threats be judicial, physical or otherwise, these dedicated and principled individuals continue to work tirelessly - often risking their lives - so that the news media remain free.

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) bestows two International Press Freedom Awards every year to recognise journalists who have demonstrated extraordinary courage in pursuing their profession under difficult or dangerous circumstances. In 2006, CJFE honoured journalists from Colombia, Pakistan and Egypt.

CJFE also awards The Tara Singh Hayer Memorial Award to recognise a Canadian journalist who, through his or her work, has made an important contribution to reinforcing and promoting the principle of freedom of the press in this country or elsewhere. The award was last bestowed in 2004, when Canadian/French journalist Guy-André Kieffer was honoured.

In 1999, the Canadian Press Freedom Award was re-named in honour of Tara Singh Hayer, a Canadian journalist and editor of the Vancouver-based Indo-Canadian Times, who was assassinated in November 1998. His murder demonstrated that protecting freedom of expression is a matter of concern not just beyond Canada's borders.

Nomination Criteria for the International Press Freedom Award

The winner of the award will be a journalist or media organisation who:

  • reports on human rights issues or other issues, or from regions or countries, not often covered by other media;
  • demonstrates a commitment to human rights by reporting without bias, sexism, racism, etc.;
  • has not won a major press freedom award from another organization;
  • will benefit from international exposure due to the difficulty/threats caused by their work;
  • has overcome enormous odds simply to produce the news;
  • and has taken personal risks or suffered physical reprisals for working as a journalist.

    • Nomination Criteria for the Tara Singh Hayer Memorial Award

    The winner of the award will be a journalist who fits one or more of the criteria:

  • has highlighted cases of media repression in Canada or around the world;
  • has chronicled attempts at or actual censorship;
  • work has involved difficult-to-obtain access to information requests;
  • has taken personal risks or suffered physical reprisals for working as a journalist;
  • has overcome enormous odds simply to produce the news.

    • To make a nomination, please send a cover letter outlining how the journalist or media organisation fulfils the stated criteria; biographical and professional information on the nominee, along with samples of the nominee's work and contact details.

    To be eligible for the awards, applicants must be nominated by an organisation or individual. Self-nominations are not accepted.

    Submissions in French or English may be in the form of video tapes, audio tapes, articles or columns aired or published between July 1, 2006 and June 20, 2007.

    Each award consists of a framed plaque and cash prize of CDN $3,000. They will be presented to the winners at a ceremony in Toronto in November 2007.

    Submissions must reach CJFE by June 20, 2007

    For further information or to submit a nomination, please contact Julie Payne at CJFE, 555 Richmond St. West, Suite 1101, PO Box 407, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3B1 Canada, tel: +1 416 515 9622, fax: +1 416 515 7879, e-mail