2024 Winner – Jordan Michael Smith
The media might be the only place where hostile groups siloed by ethno-religious tribalism are forced to talk to each other as equals. And if we ever find a way to co-exist in peace, it will be because the media has fulfilled its mission of reporting, informing and revealing our shared humanity.
Read: A Synagogue and a Mosque
2024 Student Winner – Dana Cramer
The inability of young people to access vital information due to social media giants’ blocking Canadian news from their platforms has severe consequences for democracy and community safety.
Read: When Youth Don’t See the News
2023 Winner – Phil Paine
We need a well-informed public to ensure democracy survives the next century. The 2023 Dalton Camp Award-winning essay.
Read: Education Gave Birth to Our Democracy. Will It Protect It?
2023 Student Winner – Samir Baig
If we want young people to vote and get involved in the political process, the media has to start covering the issues that reflect their interests, and the politicians who will advocate for the policies they believe in.
Read: Why We Don’t Care…and How to Get Us To
2023 High School Honorary Mention – Ellis Jackson
With a few conglomerates largely controlling the media in Canada, the diverse local perspectives that democracy needs to thrive are more easily ignored or silenced. And that is worrisome.
Read: Big Names, Big Money and the Dangers of Media Concentration
2022 Winner – Sarah El-Shaarawi
Sarah El-Shaarawi is a Canadian writer, editor and researcher. She is managing editor of the journal Arab Media & Society, and a contributing editor at Africa Is a Country. Her work has appeared in Foreign Policy, The National, Newsweek Middle East, Stranger’s Guide and The Cairo Review of Global Affairs, among others.
Read: The Similarities Between Red and Yellow