StarPhoenix, Leader-Post receive National Newspaper Awards nomination

Content of the article

For reporting in the immediate hours after the tragic knife rampage on the James Smith Cree Nation and in the neighboring community of Weldon, the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and the Regina Leader-Post have been nominated in the breaking news category at the National Newspaper Awards.

Content of the article

Also, StarPhoenix photographer Michelle Berg is nominated in the breaking news photography category for an image she captured of an arrest by Saskatoon police following a standoff.

Content of the article

The StarPhoenix is ​​one of only nine organizations in the country with multiple NNA nominations. The finalists were selected by a three-member jury in 23 categories from a total of 923 applications from 76 news organizations that applied for work published in 2022.

“Breaking news reporting requires focus, accuracy, coordination and collaboration to bring essential updates to the public during a crisis,” said StarPhoenix Executive Editor Ashley Trask.

“The excellence our journalists demonstrated in covering this unprecedented event in Saskatchewan is the same excellence our teams bring to work every day, and it’s why local journalism is critical to our community.”

Content of the article

Content of the article

On September 4, 2022, 11 people, ranging in age from 23 to 78, were killed and 18 injured when Myles Sanderson rampaged through the James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon.

The search for Sanderson – identified by the RCMP as the sole perpetrator of the stabbing – continued until September 7, when he died shortly after being taken into police custody.

In the 36 hours after the first dangerous person alert from the RCMP, StarPhoenix and Leader-Post staff updated the two live files more than 200 times. Also, in the first 36 hours, reporters and editors reported five more stories, plus tons of photos.

Other nominees in the Breaking News category are Canadian Press, for its coverage of the so-called Freedom Convoy within 36 hours of the first trucks arriving in Ottawa; and the La Presse team, for reporting on the arrests of three high school basketball coaches accused of sexual crimes.

Content of the article

Second nomination

Berg, in the breaking news photo category, was nominated for what the NNAs called “a chilling image of a man looking directly into the camera while being arrested.”

Other nominees in the category include Steve Russell of the Toronto Star, for a photo of the clash between police and Freedom Convoy protesters; and Anton Skyba of the Globe and Mail, for a picture of a young girl standing in front of the remains of an apartment building destroyed during the first night of the war in Ukraine.

The nominations for Saskatchewan are two of eight received by the Postmedia newspaper chain this year.

The NNA was founded by the Toronto Press Club in 1949. The awards recognize the best journalism from Canadian daily newspapers, as well as community newspapers and digital organizations that publish original content at least five days a week.

Winners will be announced at a live gala on May 5 in Toronto.

The news seems to be flying faster and faster. From COVID-19 news to politics and crime and everything in between, it can be hard to keep up. With that in mind, the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has created an afternoon headlines newsletter that can be delivered to your inbox daily to make sure you’re on top of the day’s most important news. Click here to subscribe.