Hi there,
I’m thrilled to share that outlets in the Discourse Community Publishing network recently picked up eight (!) Canadian Online Publishing Awards. The Discourse, IndigiNews and The Wren were honoured for our ongoing commitment to top-tier community service journalism.
I want to give a special shout-out to Lys Morton, who won the gold medal for Best Column, for his thoughtful and personal reflections on rising queerphobia on Vancouver Island. Here’s what Lys had to say in response to the win:
“I’m not surprised this article remains just as relevant tonight as it did when I wrote it in June, particularly as we watch restrictive policies across Canada target queer communities, especially our youth. As one of my sources from the United States said, “you’re all just two elections behind us or something like that?” He meant it as a bad joke, one that grows more sour each day.
“Thank you, COPA judges for selecting this piece. The nomination alone brings more attention to these stories and our calls for community support. My immense thanks to my Nanaimo team, Lauren Kaljur and Julie Chadwick, for your editing and support of this piece. And my thanks to the entire Discourse Community Publishing team for providing space for my queer journalistic self.
“Protect queer youth so they grow up to be queer adults. Who knows, some of them might end up in newsrooms trying to break down Short Term Rental regulations for their audiences.”
Lys recently moved on from The Discourse Nanaimo to become the community reporter for the Revelstoke Mountaineer, the latest addition to the Discourse Community Publishing network. We’re so grateful for Lys’s continued journalistic talents and gifts!
As always, we share these honours with you, our readers and supporters. Truly, I believe that it’s our commitment to including you in everything we do that sets our work apart.
I hope you’ll take some time to check out all the award-winning work below. I’m so proud of all my colleagues, and grateful to know them! |