Free Press reporter wins esteemed award for investigative reporting

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This article was published 13/06/2024 (483 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Free Press took home a prestigious journalism award Wednesday night for reporter Marsha McLeod’s investigation into the provincial inquest system and fatal police shootings.

The paper received the CJF Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism in the large-media category at the Canadian Journalism Foundation awards in Toronto.

McLeod’s four-part series, published last summer and fall, examined two decades of inquests into shootings by several Manitoba police agencies.

It examined the barriers and delays faced by an Anishnaabe family in trying to participate in an inquest involving a family member, exposed how witness testimony tends to favour law enforcement, and how judges have been unwilling to make tangible recommendations.

The award, named for the foundation’s founder Eric Jackman, recognizes news organizations that embrace the ideals of originality, courage, independence, accuracy, social responsibility, accountability and diversity, with an impact on their communities.

“I think that the Free Press needs to be commended for investing in investigative reporting. In a shrinking media landscape, I really can’t emphasize enough just how rare it is to be given four months to work on a project,” McLeod said.

“Simply put, I was given the time to dig into these issues, whether than meant driving to Lake St. Martin First Nation for an interview; going through the process of obtaining court transcripts and other documents; or compiling a detailed database of all people shot and killed by police in Manitoba over the last 20 years.

“At its core, this series is about the people who have been shot and killed by police in Manitoba and about the experiences of their families — trying to get answers from an inquest system plagued by delays and other issues. And as I said in my speech Wednesday night, I want to thank the family members who spoke with me for this series. They shared with me about the trauma of the circumstances of their loved one’s death and of the immense loss, but also of feeling unheard and misheard in the years that followed. I think it took a lot of courage for them to speak with me.”

The Free Press won the award previously in 2013 and 2009.

“This prestigious award speaks to the value of delivering journalism that matters, journalism that stands above the rest, journalism essential to securing a future for the Free Press,” Free Press editor Paul Samyn said.

“We hired Marsha to add further depth to our newsroom’s investigative unit in order to deliver more for our readers by shining a light on stories that need to be exposed. I am delighted her work and our commitment to long-form investigative reporting has earned this national recognition against four other outstanding entries from newsrooms all much larger than ours.”

The other finalists were the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star/Narwhal, The Canadian Press and Global News.