Two local newsrooms take home first Norman Webster Fellowships

OTTAWA, ON, May 27, 2025 /CNW/ - The Michener Awards and Rideau Hall Foundations are thrilled to announce that the inaugural Norman Webster Fellowships will go to Cabin Radio (Northwest Territories) and Le Droit (Eastern Ontario & the Outaouais).

Each Norman Webster Fellowship is valued at $125,000 and will provide the winning news organizations with a unique opportunity to not only produce a groundbreaking story but also allow early career journalists to hone their craft. 

Across Canada in the last 15 years, more than 500 local newsrooms have closed in nearly 350 communities. Communities are on the frontlines and at this critical time, local journalism merits special attention.

"Today, the Michener Award and Rideau Hall Foundations are answering the call to help support small local Canadian newsrooms and recognize the critical, yet often undervalued, role they play in keeping citizens informed and communities connected," said Teresa Marques, President and CEO of the Rideau Hall Foundation.

Cabin Radio will be investigating the circuit justice system in the Northwest Territories, while Le Droit will be doing a deep dive into chronic water issues in and around the national capital region.

"Congratulations to both Cabin Radio and Le Droit. The competition for this new fellowship was steep, with close to 30 applications received and several common threads amongst them. Many sought to investigate contamination issues and inequalities around health care, education and housing. Most were about accountability and change," said Margo Goodhand, President of the Michener Awards Foundation. "All were rooted in passion and the commitment each media outlet has for the people and community they serve."

The Norman Webster Fellowship honours the legacy of the late Norman Webster. Born in Summerside, P.E.I, Norman Webster was a renowned foreign correspondent, columnist and Editor of both the Globe and Mail and the Montreal Gazette. His work was revered among his peers, for which he received the Order of Canada in 1995. Named as president of the Michener Award Foundation in 1998, he was also posthumously awarded the Michener-Baxter Award for Exceptional Service to Canadian Journalism in 2022.

The Norman Webster Fellowships will be presented at an awards ceremony in Ottawa on June 5 at Rideau Hall, hosted by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada. The evening gala will also honour the 2025 Michener fellowship recipients and the Michener Award recipient and finalists, as well as the recipient of the Michener-Baxter Award for Excellence in Journalism.

The Judges for the Norman Webster Fellowship were Edward Greenspon, Merelda Fiddler-Potter, Jean-Pierre Rogel, Francis Sonier and Coleen Campbell.

Our thanks to Cision for sponsoring this announcement.

About the Michener Awards

The Michener Awards honour, celebrate, and promote excellence in Canadian public service journalism. Established in 1970 by the late Right Honourable Roland Michener, Governor General of Canada from 1967 to 1974, the Michener Awards are Canada's premier journalism award. The Michener Awards Foundation's voluntary Board of Directors administers the award, in partnership with the Rideau Hall Foundation with sponsorship from BMO, Cision, Power Corporation of Canada, and TD. Learn more at www.MichenerAwards.ca.

SOURCE Michener Awards Foundation