We’ve been recognized for excellence in journalism. Our members make it all possible
The award nomination from the Canadian Journalism Foundation, for photojournalist Amber Bracken’s account of her arrest at the hands of the RCMP on Wet’suwet’en territory, underscores the critical support our members provide for on-the-ground reporting
Our limited-edition 2022 print magazine features photojournalist Amber Bracken's reporting from Wet'suwet'en territory. The Narwhal has earned a finalist selection for the Canadian Journalism Foundation's Jackman Award for excellence in journalism in recognition of Bracken's work.
Photo: Carol Linnitt / The Narwhal
This article is more than 2 years old
The world is full of a lot of hard things these days: war, climate change, political polarization.
In times like these, it’s easy to feel like what we do doesn’t matter. But, as Margaret Mead said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
The truth is The Narwhal wouldn’t exist without the generosity of thousands of readers — people who have decided to do their part to change the world.
From the beginning, we dreamt of doing something different, of breathing new life into a tired news landscape. No ads, no paywall, no clickbait. Instead, we wanted to focus on in-depth and investigative journalism — the stuff traditional newsrooms were doing less and less of.
This week that commitment paid off when we were named a finalist for the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s Jackman Award for excellence in journalism for photojournalist Amber Bracken’s work in Wet’suwet’en territory (work for which she was wrongfully arrested and detained by the RCMP).
This is the last image photojournalist Amber Bracken took before she was arrested on Nov. 19 while covering opposition to the Coastal GasLink pipeline project in Wet’suwet’en territory.
Without our members, we wouldn’t be able to invest in sending journalists like Amber to report from remote locations for days and sometimes weeks on end.
Our biggest dream for The Narwhal was to redefine what’s possible in the Canadian journalism landscape and to prove that when people come together, anything is possible.
Last week, many of our new members wrote to say that The Narwhal gives them something to feel hopeful about.
“What you do is vital and it gives me hope in a time when hope is often hard to come by,” wrote Brian.
Our members are proof that when you restore the connection between journalists and the public they serve, anything is possible. ✨
When those boxes of heavily redacted documents start to pile in, reporters at The Narwhal waste no time in looking for kernels of news that matter the most. Just ask our Prairies reporter Drew Anderson, who gleefully scanned through freedom of information files like a kid in a candy store, leading to pretty damning revelations in Alberta. Long story short: the government wasn’t being forthright when it claimed its pause on new renewable energy projects wasn’t political. Just like that, our small team was again leading the charge on a pretty big story.
In an oil-rich province like Alberta, that kind of reporting is crucial. But look at our investigative work on TC Energy’s Coastal GasLink pipeline to the west, or our Greenbelt reporting out in Ontario. They all highlight one thing: those with power over our shared natural world don’t want you to know how — or why — they call the shots. And we try to disrupt that.
Our journalism is powered by people just like you. We never take corporate ad dollars, or put this public-interest information behind a paywall. Will you join the pod of Narwhals that make a difference by helping us uncover some of the most important stories of our time?
When those boxes of heavily redacted documents start to pile in, reporters at The Narwhal waste no time in looking for kernels of news that matter the most. Just ask our Prairies reporter Drew Anderson, who gleefully scanned through freedom of information files like a kid in a candy store, leading to pretty damning revelations in Alberta. Long story short: the government wasn’t being forthright when it claimed its pause on new renewable energy projects wasn’t political. Just like that, our small team was again leading the charge on a pretty big story.
In an oil-rich province like Alberta, that kind of reporting is crucial. But look at our investigative work on TC Energy’s Coastal GasLink pipeline to the west, or our Greenbelt reporting out in Ontario. They all highlight one thing: those with power over our shared natural world don’t want you to know how — or why — they call the shots. And we try to disrupt that.
Our journalism is powered by people just like you. We never take corporate ad dollars, or put this public-interest information behind a paywall. Will you join the pod of Narwhals that make a difference by helping us uncover some of the most important stories of our time?
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Your access to our journalism is free — always. Sign up for our weekly newsletter for investigative reporting on the natural world in Canada you won’t find anywhere else.
