The pc28Star’s dual investigations into Ontario’s systemic failure of vulnerable children is one of six finalists for the top journalism prize in Canada.
Nominated for the prestigious , the “Kids in Crisis” series by reporters Megan Ogilvie and Amy Dempsey Raven revealed a broken system that left children with complex health needs being housed in office buildings, trailers and roadside motels. In their series “The Invisible Girl,” crime reporters Wendy Gillis and Jennifer Pagliaro told the story of four-year-old Neveah, whose body was found in a dumpster in 2022.
“This nomination is a powerful reminder of why we do this work: to expose injustice, to speak for those who cannot, and to hold systems accountable when they fail the most vulnerable,” said Nicole MacIntyre, the Star’s editor-in-chief. “It’s unfathomable that a little girl could die in our city — her body wrapped in a blanket and left in a dumpster — and no one knows her name or how the system let her down.”
“Our reporters fought to shine a light on her story and on those of countless other children whose suffering remains hidden. We’re honoured that their collective work has been recognized.”
- Wendy Gillis, Jennifer Pagliaro
Also nominated are Global News, the Globe and Mail, La Presse and the Vancouver Sun.
“This year’s finalists exemplify the power of journalism at its best — urgent, fearless, and deeply human,” Michener Awards Foundation president Margo Goodhand said in a release. “These stories demanded accountability, and in doing so, they brought change.”
The Star, alongside the Narwhal, won the Michener Award last year for its investigation into the opening of Ontario’s Greenbelt to development. The two publications revealed connections between the Ford government and developers, including how developers attended Premier Doug Ford’s daughter’s wedding and work by a consultant nicknamed Mr. X who was promised a $1 million bonus for getting land out of the Greenbelt.
The winner of this year’s award will be announced June 5 at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
- Amy Dempsey Raven, Megan Ogilvie
“The inspiring work done by these newsrooms is a reminder of the critical importance of public-service journalism,” chief judge Katherine Sedgwick said in a release. “All the investigations nominated for this year’s Michener Award have resulted in positive changes that directly affect the lives of Canadians.”
The Star has won six Michener prizes, including in 2013 for its coverage of former mayor Rob Ford’s crack-smoking scandal.
Established in 1970 by then governor general Roland Michener, the Michener Award recognizes outstanding and unbiased public service journalism. Its judging is “heavily influenced” by the public benefit generated by the reporting, the foundation said.
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