April 6, 2006
OTTAWA -- Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, will present the 2005 Michener Award for meritorious public service in journalism and the 2006 Michener-Deacon Fellowship on Tuesday, April 11, at 5:30 p.m. at Rideau Hall.
The six finalists for the 2005 Michener Award are: the Canadian Medical Association Journal, The Globe and Mail, La Presse, Radio-Canada, the Toronto Star, and, jointly, the Victoria Times Colonist and The Vancouver Sun. The finalists were chosen from a list of 61 entries.
Launched in 1970 under the auspices of Canada's third Canadian governor general, the late Roland Michener, this annual award focuses on the degree of public benefit generated by media projects, both large and small, in print and broadcast. It 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 reporting, journalistic professionalism, and the resources available for the project.
The Governor General will also present a certificate to Montreal-based freelance writer Julian Sher, recipient of the Michener-Deacon Fellowship. Established in 1987, the $25,000-fellowship will provide an opportunity for Mr. Sher to investigate the scourge of child pornography. The fellowship also helps to advance education in the field of journalism and serves the public interest through the promotion of values that benefit the community.
For more information on the Michener Award and this year's nominees, please visit
www.michenerawards.ca. The prize is administered by the Michener Awards Foundation.
Media wishing to cover this event are advised to use the Princess Avenue Gate and to arrive at the Princess Anne entrance no later than 5:00 p.m.
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Media informationLucie BrosseauRideau Hall Press Office(613) 998-0287www.gg.ca
Russell Mills The Michener Awards Foundation(613) 727-4723 ext. 5179
