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		Ever since May 3 was dedicated as World Press Freedom Day by UNESCO, in 1992 to organizations around the globe to hold events around this date to honour media workers who have risked life, liberty or both to bring their stories to the public. The event had been initiated by retired CBC executive Spencer Moore who tragically passed away just a day beforehand. This is an annual event since1998, wherein awards were presented to Canadian media workers who have made significant contributions to the cause. It has been given to a Canadian journalist or media worker who has made a significant contribution to press freedom during the past 15 months. The prize consists of an amount of $2,000, a crystal trophy and a certificate from the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. The Awards were presented by the Canadian Committee on World Press Freedom (CCWPF), chaired by Jim Orban, Publisher of The Ottawa Citizen. The CCWPF succeeded the National Press Club in its role of monitoring press freedom issues nationally and globally and in organizing an annual awards luncheon to celebrate World Press Freedom Day at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
Ivan Anchukov Russia - Cartoonist

Finalists Announced for 10th Annual World Press Freedom Day Awards are:
• Toronto Star Asia Correspondent, Bill Schiller
• Freelance journalist and author, Derek Finkle
• Reporters Joel-Denis Bellavance and Gilles Toupin of Montreal's La Presse
• Maclean's columnist Mark Steyn

In nominating Bellavance and Toupin, the Canadian Newspaper Association (CNA) said they have taken a "courageous stand in refusing to reveal the confidential source of a secret document, in a case involving a suspected Al-Qaeda terrorist." The CNA added that it was vital that the judicial system understand that reporters must not be turned into an investigating arm of the police and security establishment, and that rights of free expression are not inconvenient trifles to be dismissed at whim.

Bellavance and Toupin have put their personal welfare and reputations at stake in the defence of a core journalistic principle. No Canadian journalist has gone to jail in such a case since the 1960's but the instances of police and judicial overriding of press freedom in this area have multiplied in recent years (Juliet O'Neill, Andrew McIntosh, and Ken Peters).

Maclean's Magazine, nominating Mark Steyn, runner-up for the award, said the decision by federal and provincial human rights commissions to investigate Steyn and Maclean's for publishing a book excerpt on the rise of radical Islam, is an "insidious encroachment upon the freedoms of thought, expression and the press".

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) nominated Toronto Star reporter Bill Schiller for his public interest journalism that was the focus of a chilling defamation case.

PEN Canada nominated author Derek Finkle who "did the media and the public a great service" by challenging a subpoena to turn over his research material for his book on a murder case.

Past winners have included the Vancouver Sun's Kim Bolan, Haroon Siddiqui (Toronto Star), Andrew McIntosh (National Post), Tarek Fatah (Canadian Islamic Congress), and Dr. John Hoey (CMAJ).

The 2008 ceremony included a presentation by veteran CBC Asia correspondent Patrick Brown on 'China's Great Firewall around the Media', as well as a review of free expression violations in the past year.

According to David Gollob, Senior Vice-President, Policy and Communications of the Canadian Newspaper Association and Vice-President of the CCWPF said that the past year was a tragic one for free expression. He went onto say that Canada had lost 102 media workers who were killed in 2007 for just doing their jobs, making 2007 one of the most deadly years on record. Gollob also noted that in Canada, the courts continue to threaten press freedom, particularly the duty of journalists to protect their sources, a fact highlighted in this year's Award nominations.

Besides, the World Press Freedom Day Awards Luncheon, an International Cartoon Competition was also held, which recognized editorial cartoonists from around the world who have used images and words to make powerful commentary on world issues. The International Editorial Cartoon Competition received hundreds of entries which is the case every year, often from countries where press freedom is not a reality but a distant dream. This year's competition attracted 700 cartoons from 40 countries on the theme "Re-writing History". The jury was chaired by Guy Badeaux, Editorial Cartoonist for Le Droit, who awarded first prize of $1,500 to Ivan Anchukov, a cartoonist practising in Voronezh, Russia, for his entry depicting the broken arm of a hero's statue held in a sling and pointing in the opposite direction from the original. Second prize ($750) was won by Gilbert Daroy, Philippines, and Third Prize ($500) by Masoud Ziaei Zardkhashoei, Iran.

Sponsors of the Ottawa WPFD luncheon and awards include the Ottawa Citizen, the Canadian Newspaper Association (CNA), Telus, Bank of Montreal, the Brewers' Association of Canada, Le Droit, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, Air Canada, Hill Times/Embassy and many more. CNW is the official newswire of the Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom.