Jordan Michael Smith Wins 2024 Dalton Camp Award and $10,000 Prize
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 21, 2024
August 21, 2024 – TORONTO – Jordan Michael Smith has won the 2024 Dalton Camp Award for his essay A Synagogue and a Mosque, a thought-provoking reflection on the role of a healthy media sector amid divisive historical moments.
The Dalton Camp Award is a $10,000 prize for the best essay on the link between media and democracy, presented annually by Friends of Canadian Media.
Jordan Michael Smith is an award-winning journalist, ghostwriter and speechwriter.
“The best way for media professionals to advance democracy is by exposing readers and viewers to things they might need to hear, rather than what they want to hear. Sometimes the media is the only thing saving us from our worst impulses.”
– A Synagogue and a Mosque
A second prize of $2,500 for the best essay by a post-secondary student is awarded to Dana Cramer for When Youth Don’t See the News, a personal and professional commentary on the hazards of restricting journalistic content on social media. Dana is a PhD Candidate in the joint Communication & Culture program at Toronto Metropolitan and York Universities.
“The inability to access news has real consequences for groups whose stories must be told to ensure our democratic rights to protest, to free speech, and to vote for politicians who make platforms centred around keeping us safe. When youth consume news through social media, they are funnelled away from wider political discourse where their access is limited or fragmented. It is, therefore, imperative that news is available to youth to ensure our generation can make the local changes we need to reflect the world we want to live in.”
– When Youth Don’t See the News
The Award was created in 2002 to honour the memory of Dalton Camp, a distinguished commentator on Canadian public affairs. The winners were chosen from over 300 entries. The winning essays can be read here.
“Both of this year’s winning essays look at the risks to democracy when we lose access to an accessible, competitive market of editorially-rigorous news,” said Marla Boltman, Executive Director of Friends of Canadian Media. “We are overwhelmed with information, and at the same time, we’ve never had less access to trusted news sources. At Friends of Canadian Media, we advocate for Canadian journalism because a healthy and robust news sector is fundamental to a healthy and robust democracy.”
Friends of Canadian Media is a non-partisan citizens’ movement that stands up for Canadian voices in Canadian media. We work to protect and defend Canada’s rich cultural sovereignty and the healthy democracy it sustains. We are a not-for-profit organization that is not funded by government money or donations from political parties or entities regulated by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
-30-