IAPA Russ Ramsay Media Awards
2010 Awards for Excellence in Health and Safety Reporting

The IAPA Russ Ramsay Media Awards for Excellence in Health and Safety Reporting have been established by IAPA to honour outstanding journalism in Ontario that enhances understanding and raises public awareness of workplace health and safety.

The entry process is now closed.


Information Packet and Registration Form


Categories

Entries may be submitted in the following categories:

Trade Media

  • Excellence in print feature reporting

Consumer Media

  • Excellence in print feature reporting (newspapers and magazines)
  • Excellence in radio feature reporting
  • Exellence in television feature reporting

Student Media

  • Excellence in print feature reporting (newspapers and magazines)
  • Excellence in radio feature reporting

The IAPA Russ Ramsay Media Awards for Excellence in Health and Safety Reporting will be presented to the journalist, whether a freelancer or on staff.

Award Criteria and Eligibility

The IAPA Russ Ramsay Media Awards for Excellence in Health and Safety Reporting are open to print media available in Ontario and radio and television stations that broadcast in Ontario.

The following criteria and eligibility guidelines will be the basis for judging submissions in each award category.

Criteria
The primary focus of any submission must be workplace health and safety. All entries will be judged on how well the issue of workplace health and safety is covered, how well the story is told (i.e. through the writing and/or visuals for print and the writing/delivery and production for broadcast), and how in-depth the coverage is of the topic/issue. Each entry will be reviewed based on the following criteria.

  • Comprehensiveness – Is the piece clear, concise, and fair? Does it capture multiple perspectives and present a balanced point of view?
  • Timeliness – Immediacy and relevance to the audience will be considered.
  • Contribution – How has the piece contributed to society and the public understanding of the issue(s)?
  • Accuracy – Depth of research and accuracy of information will be considered.
  • Creativity – Is the approach creative, original, compelling, and interesting?

 

Eligibility

  • The work must have been published or aired each year between January 1 and December 31 in the previous calendar year (i.e. for presentation in 2010, work must have been completed in 2009)
  • The work can be submitted either by the media outlet or by the journalist.
  • The subject matter must be related to workplace health and safety and must be deemed appropriate to IAPA.
  • Work may include, but not be limited to, a single story, a series of individual stories, or a complete series.
  • Work submitted in languages other than English must be accompanied by an English translation.
  • Work appearing in IAPA owned/operated magazines and/or newsletters will not be accepted.
  • IAPA reserves the right to change the category under which the submission is being considered if the submission is deemed to be more appropriate to another category.
  • IAPA reserves the right to disqualify any entry that may indicate a conflict of interest.
  • IAPA reserves the right not to present an award in any or all categories if it feels there are no suitable submissions.

How to Enter

The entry process is now closed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are the entries judged?
IAPA will review all submissions based on the criteria and eligibility and present a list of nominees to the judging committee, who will review and judge each nominated submission. The judging committee consists of IAPA managers, senior leaders, and staff, as well as journalists and other media industry professionals.

The judging committee will have the final decision on the award recipients.

When and how will I be notified about the status of my entry?
You will be notified by email that your entry has been received within 10 business days of its receipt. After the final decision of the judging committee, award recipients will be notified directly and will be provided with details about the awards presentation.

When and where will the awards be presented?
The awards will be presented at IAPA’s Health & Safety 2010 Conference and Trade Show, May 3-5, 2010 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

Who can attend the awards presentation?
The award recipient and one guest will be invited to attend the awards presentation.

What is the criteria and eligibility for entering?
The awards are open to the print media available in Ontario and radio and television stations that broadcast in Ontario. The awards will be presented to the journalist, whether a freelancer or on staff.

How and where do I submit by entry?
Full details can be found on the entry form. Please ensure that the form is completed in full and all instructions are followed before submitting an entry.

Is there a fee for entering?
No. There is no entry fee this year.

Can I submit an entry in a language other than English?
Yes, however, work submitted in languages other than English must be accompanied by an English translation.

How many entries can I submit?
A journalist may submit up to three entries in total. However, each entry must be submitted in only one category.

What is the deadline for submission?
Material must be received by Tuesday, February 9, 2010. Any material received after this date will not be accepted.

About Russ Ramsay

Russ Ramsay was a pioneer in the promotion of health and safety in the workplace, as well as a leader in the broadcasting industry.

Russ Ramsay, IAPA’s fifth and last general manager (1987-1995), was a former Minister of Labour for the Province of Ontario.

His political career began in 1978 when he was elected to the provincial legislature, representing Sault Ste. Marie. Ramsay served as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Labour from June 1980 to April 1981, after which he was appointed to the Cabinet as Provincial Secretary of Resources Development. In February of 1982, he was appointed Minister of Labour.

Between 1985 and 1987, Ramsey served as Special Consultant to Labour Canada, as well as Chairman of the Board for Ontario Health Discipline, and President of the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Council.

He was also affiliated with the broadcast industry for more than 30 years. Ramsay was President and General Manager of Hyland Radio TV Limited and Lake Superior Cablevision Limited until August 1976 and Vice President and General Manager of Huron Broadcasting Limited (operators of Lake Superior Cablevision) until December 1979. In addition, he held the position of President of the Central Canada Broadcasters’ Association and was a board member of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters.

Ramsay has been the recipient of numerous accolades including:

  • B’nai B’rith Society’s Citizen of the Year in 1967
  • the second Howard Caine Memorial Award from the Central Canada Broadcasters’ Association in 1970
  • induction into the Sault Ste. Marie Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975
  • the Medial of Merit from the Municipality of Sault Ste. Marie in 1978
  • having a sports gallery in Sault Ste. Marie Museum renamed as the Russell H. Ramsay Sports History Hall of Fame Gallery in 1991
  • the commemorative medal for the 125th Anniversary of Canadian Federation in 1992
  • the Order of Canada in 1993

Russ Ramsay Media Award Recipients

2009:
Dan Birch
Trade Media: Excellence in Print Feature Reporting “Under Fire” – OHS Magazine

2008:
Kellie Hudson
Consumer Media: Excellence in Radio Feature Reporting
"It's All in Your Head" - CBC Radio, Thunder Bay

Michelle Morra
Trade Media: Excellence in Print Feature Reporting
"Are booms a bust for safety?" - Canadian Occupational Safety Magazine


Press Releases

  • April 20, 2009
    Journalist Honoured for Outstanding Health and Safety Reporting
  • May 12, 2009
    Call for Nominations Now Open - 2010 IAPA Russ Ramsay Media Awards