Scoop! Two More Reporters Up for CAJ Award

Tyee reporters Moira Wyton and Amanda Follett Hosgood have been nominated in the “scoop” category at the Canadian Association of Journalists awards.

It’s the second category The Tyee received nominations for this year, following nominations in the climate category for Michelle Gamage and Sean Holman last week.

Wyton, The Tyee’s health reporter, has written about the impacts of the coronavirus, mental health and the toxic drugs crisis since she was hired in 2020 as part of the Local Journalism Initiative. Follett Hosgood, who also joined The Tyee in 2020, reports on issues related to resource exploitation and Indigenous rights in northern British Columbia and has led coverage on RCMP raids on Wet’suwet’en territory.

Wyton and Follett Hosgood were nominated for their joint special report looking at stories of anti-Indigenous racism in B.C.’s health care system and the provincial government’s response to the problem.

The scoop category welcomed story entries that were “the first to bring new or significant information to light of regional or national importance.”

“Moira and Amanda were able to share the personal experiences of Indigenous people in a health-care system steeped in racism,” senior editor Paul Willcocks said. “That required — especially for two non-Indigenous reporters — a commitment to earning trust and taking the time needed to allow people to feel safe sharing their stories.”

“At the same time, their deep reporting placed these experiences in the context of a racist system.”

“It’s heartening to see such two caring, conscientious reporters nominated for this deep dive into the awful realities faced by many Indigenous patients who need health care,” said former Tyee editor Robyn Smith. “These are painful stories that must be heard and acted on.”

Stories from APTN, the Ottawa Citizen, TSN and the Vancouver Sun were also nominated in the category. Winners will be announced at an awards gala scheduled for May 28 in Montreal, Quebec.