2011.11.07 | CWA Canada Local 30213 | Canadian Media Guild

 

Hanson Award gives budding photojournalists chance for stint at Canadian Press

The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) began accepting online submissions today for the Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award.

The recipient gets a six-week paid internship at The Canadian Press, where employees are represented by the Canadian Media Guild, CWA Canada's largest Local.

Anyone who aspires to break into photojournalism is encouraged to review and update portfolios and apply before the deadline of Jan. 8, 2012.

Tom Hanson was an award-winning photographer for The Canadian Press who travelled across the country and around the world, shooting some of the most iconic news and sports images of the last 15 years.

When he died suddenly at age 41 in 2009, his family, friends and colleagues at CP created this award to honour his memory. It is open to any Canadian photojournalist who has been in the business fewer than five years, from students to freelancers to photographers working at regional publications.

Applicants must submit a portfolio of their work to a selection committee comprising CJF board members, photographers and photo editors from The Canadian Press and daily newspapers, as well as members of Hanson's family. Finalists for the award will be interviewed by the selection committee in January and a winner announced by early February.

The internship, with a salary equivalent to the starting rate for CP photographers, takes place between April and September in Toronto. The award winner is expected to cover travel and accommodation costs.

Aaron Vincent Elkaim, the 2011 recipient, spent a memorable six weeks shooting some of Canada's biggest news events. One such assignment was capturing the response to the death of federal NDP Leader Jack Layton, a former city councillor in Toronto.

"The city was in grief and I was on duty to capture the remorse in the streets," recalls Elkaim in his internship report, which includes a slideshow of images from his time at CP. "It was quite inspiring to see how the city came together to mourn Jack. I felt honoured to be part of that process."