About
The Michener Award celebrates and honours outstanding and unbiased journalism that results in positive change for the public good. Established in 1971, it is Canada’s premier journalism award.
The Michener Award is presented annually to news organizations, rather than individuals. Entries are judged for their professionalism, their impact on the public, and the degree of arms-length public benefit that is generated. Daily and weekly newspapers, news agencies, radio and television stations and networks, online news sites, and periodicals are eligible. Other criteria include the resources available to the news organizations: an effort to level the playing field for small, medium and large applicants.
Since its inception, a rich variety of news organizations have had their names inscribed on Michener trophies – large and small news organizations, print and broadcast, French and English, East and West. The Michener was the first national journalism award open to both broadcast and print media.
Eligibility
- Entries must be based on material from Canadian print or broadcast organizations or Canadian online news sites that adhere to the journalistic principles of accuracy and fairness.
- 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.
- Entries for the Michener Awards are accepted only for stories published or broadcast in the previous calendar year — January 1 to December 31.
Submission process
- A senior editor or executive must submit the entry on behalf of a news organization.
- The submission must include a full explanation of the entry, including the public service performed and the results that the entry generated. It is helpful to describe the resources that were available.
- There is no limit on how many stories can be submitted, but they must be relevant. Avoid taxing the judges with unnecessary material.
- Appropriate supporting evidence is required, including testimonials from independent and disinterested sources.
- An entry fee of $100 is required for each entry, payable via PayPal.
Adjudication process
The Michener Awards and Fellowships pride themselves on their independent and objective adjudication process.
Judges for the 2024 Michener Awards:
- Chief Judge Katherine Sedgwick: former deputy editor of Montreal Gazette
- Rod Mickleburgh: longtime journalist, now retired after more than 20 years with the Globe and Mail
- Tahieròn:iohte Dan David: journalist, media trainer and founding director of APTN News
- Mary McGuire: retired journalism professor at Carleton University
- Guy Gendron: broadcast media journalist and former ombudsman for CBC Radio Canada
