Globe reporters Robyn Doolittle and Tom Cardoso with hundreds of FOI requests for a multiyear project known as Secret Canada.The Globe and Mail
The career of Globe and Mail reporter Robyn Doolittle is being recognized by World Press Freedom Canada, which is honouring her for dismantling government, corporate and police secrecy with her investigative journalism.
The group cited Ms. Doolittle’s work exposing Canada’s failing freedom-of-information system, a multiyear project known as Secret Canada, as well as her 2017 series, Unfounded, which revealed that police forces across the country were disproportionately dismissing sexual-assault complaints as baseless. The organization also cited Power Gap, Ms. Doolittle’s 2021 series, which explored gender inequalities in the workplace. The committee called her “one of Canada’s most tenacious and impactful” investigative reporters.
Secret Canada, which was also spearheaded by Globe reporter Tom Cardoso, is also receiving a separate freedom-of-information citation. The series took a critical look at the effects of Canada’s dysfunctional access-to-information systems, but also offered solutions in the form of a website and database to help journalists and other citizens access government information.
Globe Montreal journalist Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel is also receiving a citation of merit for his reporting on Quebec’s prison system.
The non-profit organization, which champions free expression in Canada and around the world, announced the awards ahead of World Press Freedom Day on May 3.
Winnipeg journalist Melissa Martin is being honoured with the group’s 2024 press freedom prize for her reporting from Ukraine. Ms. Martin took a leave from the Winnipeg Free Press to spend last year covering that country’s continuing war with Russia, during which she has documented the impact of the conflict on civilians. She worked under threat to her own safety, the organization said, to provide “factual and vivid articles on the desperate situation with the war in Ukraine, which has been subject to so much disinformation online.”
Canadian editorial cartoonist Bruce MacKinnon won the organization’s international editorial cartoon competition for his work based on the topic of artificial intelligence. Certificates of merit are also being awarded to Sara Mojtehedzadeh of the Toronto Star, for her reporting on labour trafficking in Ontario, and Keith Corcoran in Nova Scotia for his pursuit of search warrant records in courts.
The organization’s inaugural student achievement award went to Charles Séguin and Naomie Duckett-Zamor from the student paper at the University of Quebec at Montreal for stories on a lack of democracy at student associations.
“We are proud to recognize the journalists, including students and editorial cartoonists, who continue to pursue important stories in the face of secrecy and threats to their safety,” WPFC president Heather Bakken said in a release.
“While many independent news organizations across Western democracies struggle to survive with smaller budgets and fewer journalists, AI-generated social-media campaigns are bombarding the information ecosystem with misinformation, disinformation and deep-fake videos that are designed to affect the electorate. Press freedom is more important now than ever.”
The awards will be presented in Ottawa on Thursday.