The best of the best

Journalism awards highlight work that makes a difference

I do not pay much attention to awards. There are so many of them, it’s hard to keep track of which is which: An Emmy or an Oscar, a Tony or an Obie, a Juno or a Grammy; a Nobel, a Booker, a Giller or a Pulitzer?

That doesn’t mean awards aren’t useful. They point us to exemplary works of human achievement that we might otherwise miss.

For obvious reasons, journalism awards are particularly close to my heart. Many do not have the same profile — not to mention glamour or glitz — as some others, but in an era when journalism is threatened on all sides, they may be more important than ever.

Rest assured those of us in the business have the same debates over winners as those in other industries. They represent some of the best — but not all the best — work in a given year.

Like other prizes, journalism awards are about the work, and they give readers a chance to catch up on the kind of work being done, work that we believe changes our world for the better.

Next week, Jon Wells of The Spectator is up for a National Newspaper Award for his story, “Two bleeding hearts and a dead man walking,” about Hamiltonians Dave Parkinson and Tracy Lamourie, who worked for years to free an innocent man from death row in the United States. Reading award-winning work by committed, dogged, thoughtful, creative, investigative journalists across the country, many who put themselves in harm’s way to get the information, is inspiring.

The Spectator has had many national award winners over the years, including Teri Pecoskie, Steve Buist and Susan Clairmont.

Meanwhile, Spectator staff won several Ontario Newspaper Awards earlier this month — stories by Joanna Frketich, Scott Radley, Teri Pecoskie, Jeremy Kemeny, Scott Gardner, John Wells, Susan Clairmont and David Crosbie.

They were nominated in 13 categories.

This kind of work demonstrates the breadth and depth of the reporting we do every day, much of it appreciated by readers, but some that does not get the attention it deserves.

At a time of organized misinformation and increased misuse of social media for sinister reasons by mysterious and malign organizations around the world, the kinds of work being done by journalists still warms my heart, gives me hope and stirs millions of readers to action.

And if awards can give this work a higher profile, then it’s all for the best.

Meanwhile, writers such as Wells are honoured with plaques (and money) and get to make thank-you speeches, but everyone knows it is not really about individuals as much as it is about the work — and the work is produced by a team of managing editors, assignment editors, copy editors, web editors, design editors, proofreaders, photographers, videographers, casual observers, and deskmates who discuss and workshop difficult journalistic challenges, get a coffee for you on deadline or simply pick up the slack by pitching in and covering breaking news while you complete your opus.