North Island Gazette editor Tyson Whitney has been nominated for a Ma Murray Community Newsmedia Award, presented by the BC and Yukon Community News Media Association.
Whitney was recognized for his tireless coverage of the ongoing closures of North Island hospitals, which falls under the feature series award category.
“It’s a nice honour to be recognized for my reporting,” Whitney said. “The hospital closures are a very contentious issue here in our North Island communities. There was a lot of anger and outrage coming from both sides, and I was stuck right in the middle of it all trying my best to find the truth of the matter.”
Whitney thanked senior editor John McKinley for always encouraging him to cover challenging and thought-provoking content.
The awards recognize excellence in advertising, writing and photography as well as special publications as created by community news organizations around British Columbia and Yukon. Three finalists have been announced for all categories and the winners will be unveiled at a BCYCNA gala at the Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver on April 20.
Margaret “Ma” Murray was a Canadian newspaper editor, publisher and columnist, as well as an Order of Canada officer. She built a legendary reputation running newspapers in British Columbia’s northeast with a spicy wit, rural wisdom and strong opinions. Her editorials were often signed off with the phrase “And that’s fer damshur!”