Trust should never be overrated — in journalism, it is fundamental in the journalist-reader relationship.
Maybe it’s because of the current political climate, but I’ve noticed that certain discussions about trust in media/journalism are ever-increasing — people talking about ‘gotcha journalism’, accusations of bias against television networks or newspaper publications, even journalists pleading for dignity on the U.S. campaign trail.
Some would argue that these kinds of conversations are just par for the course and pale in comparison to those situations faced by foreign journalists within the larger picture of free expression. After all, there are still some journalists/correspondents who are prevented from maintaining, or even establishing, a level of trust with an audience.
For those journalists who do put their lives on the line, there is The Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), a “non-governmental organization supported by Canadian journalists and advocates of free expression.” On Monday, December 8, the CJFE will host their annual International Press Freedom Awards at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto, honouring and celebrating the courage of foreign journalists around the world. Photojournalism will be this year’s theme. The evening’s organizers tell us that “the event will showcase work from media on the front lines of world affairs”, and present the International Press Freedom Awards to 2 international journalists and one Canadian journalist.
This year’s Gala committee is co-chaired by DMS President/CEO Lori Abittan, MediaProfile Chairman (and Multimedia Nova Board Member) Patrick Gossage, CTV News President Robert G. Hurst, Toronto Star Editor-in-Chief J. Fred Kuntz, and Rogers OMNI Television’s National Vice President Madeline Ziniak.
To read more about the CJFE, you can visit their website here.
To learn more, or to buy tickets to attend the 2008 International Press Freedom Awards Gala, please visit their website here.
A number of us are attending the Gala, and we urge readers of this blog to also attend. It is sure to be a wonderful and memorable evening in support of defending press freedom and those who take great risk to witness our world … trust me.
