The journalist from the Coops and Law impact team, Justine Mercier, received two Judith-Jasmin awards to recognize the excellence of her work. She received an award in the Local and Regional category for her article Medical error and organizational mistreatment which concerns the circumstances surrounding the death of a young man living with Down syndrome, in Gatineau. His report notably highlighted numerous problems and gaps in the intermediate resource where the young victim lived.
“I am so grateful for the trust that Benoît Lauzon’s mother placed in me, total trust. In this story, I win a prize, but there is a young man with Down syndrome who died, she is a lady who has been through a lot of ordeals and she has agreed to give herself completely, in complete transparency” , underlined Ms. Mercier, after receiving her prizes.
Justine Mercier won two Judith-jasmin awards on Saturday evening at the gala of the Professional Federation of Journalists of Quebec. (Jocelyn Riendeau/The Sun)
She also wanted to thank the director of the Coops de l’information impact team, Patrice Gaudreault, for her help in preparing her report.
Ms. Mercier also won a Judith-Jasmin prize in the Sports category for “I can’t breathe”: the scene reproduced in a hockey locker room to humiliate a black player.
This article recounted the abuse inflicted on two young black hockey players from Gatineau, notably when their teammates reproduced the infamous scene of the arrest of the American George Floyd, who died of asphyxiation by a police officer. The text was co-signed by Sylvain St-Laurent, former sports journalist at Right.
“It was very important to talk about this subject, but it was very sensitive. We’re talking about teenagers, minors… it wasn’t easy to write, but I think it was worth doing,” says Ms. Mercier.
Note that the latter had already received a Judith-Jasmin prize in 2016.
Photographer Patrick Woodbury, also from Rightwon the Antoine-Désilet prize in the Sports category, for his photo “Surfer la vague”, in which we see a kayaker in the hollow of a wave, on the water.
“I am very honored, happy and lucky. This is the fun to participate in this competition and see the photos of our colleagues across Quebec. I am happy to see that the Information Coops had a good place, with four nominations,” he commented.
“It’s good because it lets us see that there is still room for press photography. Evenings like this show that we leave our mark on the world,” he added.
It was also a second Antoine-Désilet prize for Mr. Woodsbury. He received one in 2013.
Here is the photo that won the Antoine-Désilet prize in the Sports category. (Patrick Woodbury/Le Droit)
The importance of information in the region
The editor-in-chief of RightMarie-Claude Lortie, praised the work of the two recipients of her newsroom. According to her, the awards they received demonstrate the importance and quality of information in the regions.
“It shows the ability to really go in depth where the big networks in big cities don’t go and to bring to this journalism the same rigor and the same professionalism as everywhere else. Populations who live in smaller towns have the right to the same quality of information as everyone else and recognizing the importance of this work is motivating,” she stressed.
The general director of Coops de l’information, Geneviève Rossier, agrees.
“If the Coops were not there, there are a lot of stories that would not come to light, they would not have been reported. “It’s extremely important to have people who are able to have a sense of what’s important in the region and who are able to explain it to regional audiences.”
— Geneviève Rossier, general director of Information Coops
Other journalists and photographers from the Information Coops were also nominated in several categories of the Judith-Jasmin and Antoine-Désilet prizes. This is the case of Sébastien Houle, of News writerwith his report Financial disaster at Culture Shawinigan, Bryan Perro in turmoil. Mylène Moisan, from Soleilwas also nominated for his column When the DPJ makes fun of the courts.
Two photographers from The Tribune were also in the running for the Antoine-Désilet prize. Jocelyn Riendeau was nominated in the Arts and Culture categories for her photo German Requiem and in the Social Issues category, with When we have too many complaints, we will send him to another parish. Maxime Picard was nominated in the News category for his photo The tragedy, 10 years later.
It is the duo formed by Annabelle Blais and Dominique Cambron-Goulet, from Montreal Journalwho won the Grand Prix Judith-Jasmin, with her text All-you-can-eat buffet with Montrealers’ taxes at the Montreal Public Consultation Officean investigation into the frivolous spending of this municipal body. As for the photographers, it’s up to Olivier Jean to The Press that the Antoine-Désilet Grand Prize was awarded, for a photo illustrating the homelessness crisis.
Tribute to Alain Saulnier
The FPJQ also paid tribute to Alain Saulnier for his great involvement in journalism, whether as former president of its board of directors, as director of information at - or as a professor of journalism. Let us remember that it is partly to this man that we owe the creation of the Ethics Guide for Journalists of Quebec.
Alain Saulnier reiterated the importance of journalism and investigative journalism, greater than ever according to him. (Matthieu Max-Gessler/Le Nouvelliste)
His former colleague Marie-Maude Denis, host of the show Investigation at -, paid him a vibrant tribute, recalling in particular the extent to which his dismissal from - in 2012 had aroused surprise and indignation at - and in the Quebec journalistic community.
This gala took place while the FPJQ annual conference is currently taking place in Trois-Rivières.
Judith-Jasmin Prize List 2023
- Business and economy: Isabelle Dubé, The Press, False offers to raise prices
- Arts and culture: Catherine Richer and Laurier Rajotte, -, Headphones (special broadcast for World Radio Day)
- Politics and social issues (two winners): Jean-Marc Belzile, -, Mayors feel obliged to contribute to the CAQ to meet a minister and Noémi Mercier, Noovo, Ousted: The elders strike back
- Grand reportage : Thomas Gerbet, -, Canada’s Capital Overwhelmed by Drugs (director: André Perron)
- Justice and news items: Maxime Landry and Marie-Christine Bergeron, Noovo, Don’t rest in peace
- Opinion: Patrick Lagacé, The Press, The brutal and lonely death of Manuela Valente
- Local and regional: Justine Mercier, The Law, Medical error and organizational mistreatment
- Science and environment: Gilbert Bégin, -, The musk ox conquers Nunavik (director: Julien Robert)
- Investigation: Dominique Cambron-Goulet and Annabelle Blais, Montreal Journal, All-you-can-eat buffet with Montrealers’ taxes at the Montreal Public Consultation Office
- Sports: Justine Mercier, The Law«I can’t breathe»: the scene reproduced in a hockey locker room to humiliate a black player (collaboration : Sylvain St-Laurent)
Antoine-Désilet price list 2023
- Arts and culture: Andréanne Lebel, Info Sunday, Louis-Jean Cormier at Île aux Lièvres
- Social issues: Olivier Jean, The Press, Housing crisis
- Photo report: Martin Tremblay, The Press, The Zone
- News: Patrick Sansfaçon, The Press, Expelled
- Daily life: Martin Tremblay, The Press, Fire Monster
- Portrait: François Roy, The Press, Slush Heart
- Sports : Patrick Woodbury, The Law, Surf the wave
