The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) announced its shortlist for the Landsberg Award, which celebrates a journalist, or journalists, enhancing awareness of women’s equality issues. The annual award recognizes exceptional research, analysis and presentation through a gender lens in print, broadcast or online news. The winner receives $5,000 from the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
The award is named after Michele Landsberg, a prize-winning Canadian journalist, author, social activist and feminist, in acknowledgement of the tremendous impact that she has had as an advocate and role model for Canadian women.
“For over a decade, the Landsberg Award has received high-quality entries from insightful journalists, documenting inequities that continue to affect women in Canada, and bringing to light stories that might otherwise go untold,” says jury chair Sally Armstrong. “This year’s five finalists brought us reporting across formats and generations on topics as diverse as aging, health care, intimate partner violence and murdered and missing Indigenous women. It’s depressing that there is still such rich fodder for reporting on women’s equity issues, but I’m encouraged by the depth and breadth of reporting the finalists’ work shows.”
The five finalists for this year’s award and the stories or series shortlisted are:
Anne Bokma for articles in her twice-monthly column The Other Side of Midlife directed at women in and beyond midlife, including “Could our daughters lose the right to vote?“, “Can angry older women change the world?” and “Not Kitten Around: ‘Crazy Cat Lady’ Myth Meets its End.” “I thought her work was strong and spicy,” says TVO journalist and juror Nam Kiwanuka, adding that Bokma’s writing is “eminently relatable.”
Sarah Champagne and Félix Deschênes, for their work with Le Devoir, analyzing domestic violence against women immigrants. “This was a very thorough and sharp look at an important, underexplored angle of domestic violence,” says jury member Denise Balkissoon, Ontario bureau chief of The Narwhal. Adds juror and La Presse columnist Laura-Julie Perreault, “This series of stories has really brought to life a shocking fact, documenting in great detail the human stories behind the investigation.”
Cassidy McMackon, of The Canadian Press for her work with The Canadian Press and Toronto Star exploring unreported intimate partner violence in Nova Scotia, its link to the housing crisis, and how political parties address the issue. Jury member and award namesake Michele Landsberg praises McMackon’s “commendable” sustained focus on the high rate of femicide in Nova Scotia. Adds Kiwanuka, “Her stories spotlight how local issues can have an impact on national policy.”
Jana Pruden, for her In Her Defence: 50th Street podcast series, produced with Kasia Mychajlowycz for The Globe and Mail, about the life and still-unsolved death of Indigenous woman Amber Tuccaro. Says Landsberg, “This is a powerful, deeply researched and profoundly sensitive probing into the death of a murdered indigenous woman.” Adds Balkissoon, “The ongoing commitment and quality of her work is exceptional.”
Aly Thomson, for her work with CBC News that highlights women’s health inequality in Nova Scotia. “This expose of medical sexism in the Maritimes is vividly written and bound to raise awareness on inequities that cause grievous harm for women,” says Landsberg. “Thomson does an excellent job of revealing the chauvinism that underlies the neglect.”
All finalists’ story submissions are available on our award page.
The Landsberg winner was announced at the CJF annual awards ceremony on June 12 at the Royal York Hotel.
The jury members are:
- Sally Armstrong (chair), journalist, human rights activist and author;
- Denise Balkissoon, Executive editor, The Narwhal;
- Michele Landsberg, journalist, author, feminist and social justice advocate;
- Mitzie Hunter, president and CEO, Canadian Women’s Foundation;
- Nam Kiwanuka, co-host of The Agenda with Steve Paikin and host of The Thread with Nam Kiwanuka, TVO; and
- Laura-Julie Perreault, international affairs columnist, La Presse
CIBC is the presenting sponsor of the 2025 CJF Awards.
The 2025 CJF Awards are also supported by Google News Initiative, Labatt Breweries of Canada, McCain Foods, Intact, TD Bank Group, CBC/Radio-Canada, Aritzia, BMO Financial Group, Canada Life, Sobeys, Scotiabank, RBC, FGS Longview Communications, KPMG, Canadian Bankers Association, Canadian Medical Association, Accenture, Aga Khan Development Network, Apple Canada News, Bennett Jones LLP, Blakes, Canadian Women’s Foundation, CPP Investments, Loblaw Companies Ltd., Maple Leaf Foods, OLG, Rishi Nolan Strategies, TD Securities, Uber, WSP. In-kind sponsorship is provided by Beehive Design, The Canadian Press, Bespoke Audio Visual, MLSE and Porter Airlines.
Cision is the exclusive distribution partner of the CJF.
ABOUT MICHELE LANDSBERG
