Sunday 25 May 2008

CAJ Sun wins

Edmonton Sun photographer Darryl Dyck added another award to his resume last night, winning the photojournalism category in the Canadian Association of Journalists awards.

A CNW Group press release says the CAJ Awards for Investigative Journalism were presented during a gala dinner in Edmonton. Darryl's win was for a photo portfolio he submitted.

Heather Rivers and Elliot Ferguson, two reporters at Sun Media's Woodstock Sentinel-Review, won in the Community Newspaper category (circulation under 25,000) for their submission, Poverty in Prosperity's Shadow.

The top award, the Don McGillivray Award for Investigative Journalism, went to Greg McArthur and Gary Dimmock of the Globe and Mail and the Ottawa Citizen respectively for the entry, The Secret Agent Who Conned the Mounties.

Details of Darryl's photo portfolio weren't available, but you can sample the fine work he is doing in an Edmonton Sun photo gallery.

We would link to the winning Woodstock Sentinel-Review entry, but the paper doesn't have a web site.

Congrats to all.

The Toronto Sun wasn't nominated for any of the awards, but as the press release says, the CAJ awards are for "recognition for the best in investigative journalism" in Canada.

There has been more space devoted to Hollywood bimbos and fluff than to dedicated, investigative pieces since the Sun newsroom numbers plunged to half of its pre-Quebecor size.

There have been a few exceptions, but generally, the newsroom and budget numbers don't allow for gung-ho investigative team assignments as witnessed in the earlier years.

Man, how the Toronto Sun used to kick butt with local, national and international investigative reporting reaping national awards. That buzz is gone.

It's all about attitude and focus. The Globe and Mail has both and continues to consistently win top awards. The Globe was hiring last year when Sun Media was firing. Go figure.

Quebecor's end game for the profitable Toronto Sun is fuzzy, but when key people are shown the door, the latest being AMEs Darren McGee and Tim Fryer, hope for a happy ending is fading.

What's in the crystal ball? A stronger and more competitive Toronto Sun - or a free Sun/24 glorified shopper?

Stay tuned.

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