Introducing the Johnnies’ newest awards
Labour, diversity and arts en francais join JHM line-up
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January 17, 2010 10:09 PM
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Tonight’s JHM gala will feature a few new categories to the awards portion of the evening. Awards on labour reporting and diversity reporting have joined the line-up, as well as a francophone arts award.
The labour and diversity awards are sponsored by the Canadian Media Guild, but the creation of the francophone arts award was mandated by the CUP membership.
"Last year at plenary, they put forward a motion to create new award," says Erin Cauchi, CUP's JHM co-ordinator. "There were a few that were suggested and recommended, but of all things, we're going to mandate that you have to do a new French award."
National francophone director Camila Juarez believes it's important to recognize French writers.
"For the French papers, it's a reward, also. This is a way to say: We do care about what you write about, and it's important to us, too,” she says.
Cauchi agrees.
"It's all in the spirit of bilingualism, and developing the French services," she says.
"In the end it's . . . the membership saying: We support bilingualism and we want to help develop it.”
Juarez believes spreading Nash culture to francophone papers is key.
"[It's important] to get the French papers more involved in the whole spirit of what CUP is, [and with the] Johnnies.”
In addition to funding two awards, the media union funds the conference directly itself.
"We see a lot of the future Canadian leadership, not only in journalism, but in society in general, coming from the ranks of CUP because when we look around our own ranks, a huge, overwhelming majority of us are former CUPpies," D’Souza says.
The labour movement has been known to support journalism. For example, a cash injection from the B.C. Federation of Labour helped start the Vancouver-based news site the Tyee.
"I think encouraging better journalism is the fundamental requirement of a working democracy," D'Souza says. "And the labour movement flourishes in a working democracy, so it's good for us. Living in a better society is better for everybody."
The awards — all named after former CUP president John H. McDonald — serve to award the hard work of often underpaid student journalists.
"I come from a small paper, where the editors don't make anything. To get applause for a piece that you probably wrote while writing five essays for your classes and working at Starbucks as a barista, I can't see why you wouldn't [apply]," says Cauchi.
The experience of organizing the JHMs was hard, but rewarding, says Cauchi.
"As much work as it was to have 500 [submissions] to go through, it's an amazing thing and I wish we could increase it for next year."