On International Women’s Day, The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is delighted to announce it will honour Canadian media icon Lisa LaFlamme with its annual CJF Tribute, in recognition of her extraordinary career in global reporting and national news—and her significant contributions to journalism and its next generation.
The annual CJF Tribute recognizes media luminaries who have made an exceptional journalistic impact on the international stage. Past recipients include André Picard, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Anna Maria Tremonti, Nobelist Maria Ressa, Jodi Kantor with Megan Twohey, Jake Tapper, Tina Brown with Sir Harold Evans, Malcolm Gladwell and David Suzuki.
The Tribute will be presented at the CJF annual Awards evening on June 13 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.
“Lisa LaFlamme is a powerful voice in journalism in Canada and beyond; a force for good who represents journalism’s power to make a difference in telling stories that matter,” says CJF chair, Kathy English. “On this global day to celebrate women, the CJF is thrilled to announce Lisa as our 2023 Tribute honoree.
“In her professional excellence and integrity, Lisa has long been a role model, mentor and friend to so many women in journalism. There is no one more deserving of the CJF’s 2023 Tribute.”
Visit the CJF Awards Site for details on the June 13 ceremony.
An award-winning journalist and broadcaster, LaFlamme began her broadcasting career in 1989 at CKCO in Kitchener, where she became the co-host of the station’s evening and nightly newscasts. In 1997, she was hired to work on Newsnet, CTV’s new 24-hour news channel. Just a year later, she became Newsnet’s primary news anchor and then, following a stint on the CTV’s flagship morning show, Canada AM, LaFlamme was named national affairs correspondent for the prime-time CTV National News, where she eventually became chief anchor and senior editor.
Throughout her career, LaFlamme has brought the world into Canadians’ homes, covering events of global significance, including the 9/11 attacks, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A trusted presence across Canada, LaFlamme has covered national elections, Royal weddings, papal visits and every Olympic Games from 2006 to the present. In 2019, she became an Officer of the Order of Canada. Following her departure from CTV last year, LaFlamme has continued to personify excellence in Canadian journalism, covering the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II as a special correspondent for CityNews and travelling to Kenya, Tunisia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Journalists for Human Rights to promote the work of reporters telling stories of gender-based violence.
LaFlamme’s former boss, Wendy Freeman, past head, CTV News, and current CJF Board Member says: “Lisa is a true champion for women in journalism and a passionate advocate in promoting women’s rights worldwide. She has inspired and continues to inspire an entire generation of women journalists.”
Farah Nasser, anchor of Global News at 5:30 & 6, will host this year’s CJF Awards Ceremony.
Other awards to be presented at the ceremony include:
- CJF Jackman Awards for Excellence in Journalism;
- CJF Edward Burtynsky Award for Climate Photojournalism;
- CJF Lifetime Achievement Award;
- The Landsberg Award;
- CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting;
- The Martin Wise Goodman Canadian Nieman Fellowship; and
- CJF-Meta Journalism Project Digital News Innovation Award.
Fellowships to be recognized include:
- CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowships;
- CJF Black Journalism Fellowships Program; and
- Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award.
The CJF is grateful to 2023 Tribute sponsor Google News Initiative.