Recipients of the 2010 Media Awards for Health Reporting announced

The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) today announced the recipients of the 2010 Media Awards for Health Reporting, Canada's premier health journalism awards.

"It takes a special gift to turn complex health-care issues into compelling stories for the public. The Media Awards for Health Reporting acknowledge the efforts of talented journalists who work so diligently to keep us informed," said CNA President Kaaren Neufeld. "Health reporters act as a catalyst for positive change by drawing public and political attention to important health-care questions. Their work helps shape tomorrow's health-care system and supports Canadians in making informed decisions with respect to their own health."

The CNA and CMA Media Awards honour outstanding Canadian journalism that enhances understanding of health, the health care system and the role of health professionals. Independent panels of individuals with backgrounds in journalism, nursing, medicine, and health care evaluate the entries. This year they selected winners in eight categories out of a total of 141 submissions. Entries were evaluated based on fairness and balance, timeliness, insight, impact and quality of writing and production.

"From the advent of the H1N1 global pandemic to the impact of the economic downturn, the past year has been a challenging one in the health sector," said Dr. Anne Doig, president of CMA. "Just as Canada's health professionals rose to the challenge, so too did our journalists, providing exceptional coverage of the health issues that matter to Canadians. Our congratulations go to the winners of this year's competition who truly represent the best of an exceptional year of coverage, and our thanks go to the judges who deliberated for many hours to make difficult decisions with integrity, keen judgment and a critical eye for quality."

Source: CANADIAN NURSES ASSOCIATION