Toronto, March 13, 2009 — 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 demonstrate extraordinary courage in pursuing their profession under difficult or dangerous circumstances. In 2008, CJFE honoured journalists from Sudan and Zimbabwe.

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

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.
Download a Nomination form

This should be accompanied by a cover letter and samples of the nominee’s work if applicable.

The cover letter should explain how you know this person and why you believe this person deserves the award.

Each award consists of a framed plaque and cash prize of CDN $3,000. They will be presented to the winner at a ceremony in Toronto in November 2009.

Submissions must reach CJFE by April 30, 2009

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 or e-mail

http://cjfe.org/releases/2009/11032009award.html