Friday 5 March 2010

The Ma Murrays

Margaret "Ma" Murray, a Kansas-born newspaper publisher who became a Canadian newspaper legend, died in 1982 but she has definitely not been forgotten.

Each year, the Ma Murray Community Newspaper Awards are handed out in British Columbia and young journalists have been known to Google the crusty newspaperwoman's name.

They learn the ways of a no-nonsense publisher and editor who, with her husband, George, launched the Bridge River Lillooet News in 1934 and other small B.C. and Yukon community newspapers before and after the News.

Murray, whose sign-off on editorials was "and that's fer damshur", was quite the character. The independent editor/columnist spoke her mind until the day she died at age 94.

Finalists for the Ma Murray awards were announced this week (PDF file). The awards will be presented April 10.

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