In a media landscape overwhelmed by clickbait and misinformation, Canada’s top journalists continue to shine a spotlight where many fear to look. This week, the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) unveiled the 2025 finalists for the CJF-Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism, honouring outstanding investigative reporting from coast to coast.
Since 1996, the CJF has recognized journalism that upholds the pillars of the profession: originality, courage, independence, accuracy, accountability, and social responsibility. The 2024 reporting season was no exception.
“Again in 2024, Canadian news organizations – large and small – reported stories that impacted communities across the country,” said jury chair Christopher Waddell, professor emeritus at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication. “Our finalists’ investigations range from South America to Nunavut, from social determinants of life expectancy to lapses in food-safety regulation.”
📰 Spotlight on Large Newsrooms
The finalists in the large media category (over 50 editorial staff) tackled issues ranging from institutional failure to corporate misconduct.
📺 CBC News/The Fifth Estate – “Everybody’s Afraid of Frank”
In a deeply reported exposé by Shelley Ayres, Mark Kelley, Grant LaFleche and Morna Scott Dunne, the team uncovered historic sexual misconduct allegations against Canadian billionaire Frank Stronach. The investigation revealed disturbing patterns and a culture of silence enabled by money and influence—making it one of the most impactful #MeToo-era stories in Canada.
📰 Le Devoir – Judicial Dysfunction in Quebec
Reporters Stéphanie Vallet and Ameli Pineda delivered a nuanced, multi-part investigation into Quebec’s treatment of individuals found not criminally responsible. The series highlighted systemic gaps between the legal system, mental health services, and law enforcement—challenging readers to rethink justice and compassion.
🧒🏽 Global News – “The Business of Indigenous Kids in Care”
Led by Carolyn Jarvis and team, this powerful series exposed how Indigenous youth in Canada’s child-welfare system are exploited by for-profit group homes. The report drew comparisons to the legacy of residential schools, underlining the ongoing trauma faced by Indigenous communities and the lack of accountability in modern institutions.
🦠 The Globe and Mail – Listeria Outbreak
Investigative veterans Grant Robertson and Kathryn Blaze Baum revealed how flaws in Canada’s food safety algorithm led to deadly consequences. Their reporting uncovered regulatory gaps that allowed a listeria outbreak at a food processing facility to claim lives—a chilling reminder of the cost of weak oversight.
🌎 W5/CTV News – “Narco Jungle” Series
Avery Haines and team took viewers inside two of the world’s most dangerous migrant routes: The Darien Gap and Mexico’s Death Train. The series brought harrowing visual storytelling and brave on-the-ground reporting to Canadian screens, illuminating the deadly reality faced by displaced people.
📰 Excellence from Smaller News Outlets
The small media category (under 50 full-time staff) demonstrates that size is no barrier to impact.
🧠 CBC Manitoba – “Losing Control”
Kristin Annable and Caroline Barghout investigated Manitoba’s Public Guardian and Trustee system, which manages the affairs of over 2,700 mentally incompetent adults. Their findings raised serious questions about autonomy, abuse, and government accountability.
🚰 Investigative Journalism Bureau – Lead in Water
In a massive public health effort, Rob Cribb and colleagues created a first-of-its-kind searchable database for lead levels in Ontario’s schools and daycares. The tool empowers parents and communities while exposing the scope of environmental negligence.
💸 Investigative Journalism Foundation – Corporate Blind Spots
Cecil Rosner, Zak Vescera, and collaborators revealed how Canada’s regulatory frameworks allowed shady currency dealers and pyramid schemes to operate freely, putting consumers and reputations at risk. Their work brought long-overdue scrutiny to corporate loopholes and money laundering risks.
📍 The Local – “Divided City”
Toronto-based publication The Local published groundbreaking research on neighbourhood-level life expectancy, exposing life-or-death disparities across a single city. Their data visualization, photography, and deeply human stories forced a reckoning with structural inequality.
🛢️ The Narwhal – Fossil Fuel Influence Unmasked
Matt Simmons, Mike De Souza, and Fatima Syed exposed the tactics fossil fuel companies use to manipulate public discourse and policy. Their investigation into TC Energy revealed lobbying efforts, media influence, and backdoor political access—cementing The Narwhal as a watchdog powerhouse.
🏆 Upholding Journalism in a Climate of Distrust
As Waddell noted, these finalists stood tall at a time when journalism is under siege by disinformation and dwindling resources:
“The quality and depth of reporting on display again this year demonstrates the underlying strength and dedication of Canadian journalists.”
With competitors ranging from legacy giants to nimble independents, the CJF Jackman Award proves that truth-seeking journalism remains essential to democracy.
🥂 Awards Ceremony Set for June 12
The winners of the 2025 CJF Awards will be announced at a gala on June 12 at Toronto’s Royal York Hotel. The event is sponsored by CIBC and supported by partners including Google News Initiative, CBC/Radio-Canada, Labatt, TD Bank Group, McCain Foods, BMO, Scotiabank, and many more.
To view all finalists’ story submissions or secure tickets to the event, visit the CJF Awards page.
