2018 McLuhan Fellow to speak in T.O., Nov. 13

2018 McLuhan Fellow to speak in T.O., Nov. 13

JEFF CANOY

Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN broadcast journalist

Jeff Canoy, 2018 McLuhan Fellow and ABS-CBN broadcast journalist, will speak in Toronto on Nov. 13, 2018, on “Reporting from the Margins: The Role of Journalism in covering crises and conflict situations.”

The presentation and forum will be on Tuesdsy, Nov. 13, 2018, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Room 2053, Wilson Hall, 40 Willcocks St. (corner Spadina Ave.), Toronto. (RSVP: fcwjnet@gmail.com)

Canoy has covered major conflicts, humanitarian and natural disasters in the Philippines including volcanic eruptions, landslides, and Category 5 Super Typhoons that hit the country. He has also worked on stories on the Maguindanao massacre, the botched police operation in Mamasapano, and investigative reports on extrajudicial killings and torture linked to police.  He currently covers the Philippine National Police and the government’s war on drugs and is an anchor of the public affairs program Red Alert, focusing on risk reduction and disaster preparedness.

The Toronto event is organized by Filipino Canadian Writers and Journalists Network (FC-WJNet) in partnership with Marshall McLuhan Program (Canadian Embassy in the Philippines), and Women and Gender Studies Institute, University of Toronto.

His work  – “Never Shall be Conquered” – a TV documentary about the Islamic State-inspired siege of Marawi, the Philippines’ only Islamic city,  recently won a Gold Dolphin trophy for Best Documentary under the Current Affairs, Human Concerns, and Social Issues Category at the 9th Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards in France.  The documentary also won a gold medal last year in the New York Festivals – World’s Best for TV.  His stories on disaster response have previously won him several awards from the local broadcasters’ guild.  Most recently, he was an international fellow for the Malaysian Press Institute and has completed journalism programs at the Lauder School of Government in Tel Aviv, Israel and Columbia University in New York, USA.

For his presentation in Canada, Canoy will discuss his experiences in covering the war in Marawi last year, including challenges, gaps, best practices, and efforts to underline the significant role media play as a watchdog to strengthen democracy and rule of law.   His presentation will also discuss the question:  “In a time when human rights and other fundamental freedoms in the Philippines are under the spotlight, what should journalists do to responsibly cover and tell the stories of those displaced by crises and conflicts?”

The Marshall McLuhan Fellowship is the Embassy of Canada’s flagship public diplomacy initiative in the Philippines.  Launched in 1997, this is an advocacy to encourage responsible journalism in the Philippines with the belief that a strong media is essential to a strong democratic society.

Every year, the Manila-based Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility(CMFR) assists the Embassy in choosing a Filipino journalist whose work has contributed to positive changes in the social arena or at least has raised the level of public discourse in a relevant issue usually concerning governance and human rights.

The program provides the winner with a two-week study tour to Canada including at least three major cities.  This will be an opportunity for the winner to interact with his media counterparts, and to discuss significant current issues on governance with Canadian government officials, academic interlocutors and members of civil society.  The winner will also have the chance to visit as a fellow at the McLuhan Institute in Toronto.  Upon the return of the awardee to the Philippines, a series of forums is organized by the Embassy to be held in five key cities around the country to enable the journalist to share his experiences in Canada with students of communication and members of the local and community media.

Aside from contributing to good governance by raising transparency in the public arena, the McLuhan Fellowship also aims to create in the long-term a critical group of influential media personalities with good knowledge and interest in Canadian issues or at least the values Canada stands for:  democracy, good governance, and human rights.

(PRESS RELEASE)