Red River College Journalism Instructor James Turner (r) presents Vivian Ketchum with CNC Citizen Journalism Award.
I was a nominee for the Community News Common first Citizen Journalism Award event held at the Winnipeg Free Press Café on Nov. 24, 2015.
The event was well attended by over 50 people, presenters and people who were nominated for various awards.
I was nominated for Excellence in Journalism. I was excited to be attending the event and was pleased to be nominated for the story that I had written, Plight of beaten woman ignored by general public.
It was a story that was almost never written until I told a friend about what I saw. She advised me to write it and to send it to Community News Common.
After I wrote it, I was worried about the tone of the article – that it was too harsh, but I sent it in to let the editor decide if it was to be published.
After I sent it in, it was published online and the story went viral, and was well received by the general public.
Getting nominated for my story was affirmation enough that I was a writer and was pleased to be nominated for the award. As I told my friends, it would be ‘too much happy’ if I won, but sure enough, I won the Excellence in Journalism Award.
When I heard the other nominees’ names being read out, then my name with the story that I wrote on the big screen, I had butterflies in my stomach, and didn’t expect to win the award.
Then I heard my name being read as the winner. It took a couple of seconds for it to sink in, and I slowly got up to accept the award.
I didn’t bring anyone with me with me to attend the event, but I was posting the news on my Facebook page for my family and friends to follow along with me.
I am originally from Ontario and my family was following me on my page. They were asking for a picture of me with my award and so I posted one on my page with me accepting the award. I received many congratulations from many of my family and friends that evening.
I would like to thank the Winnipeg Foundation and Community News Common for the Award. It allows me to bring to light the stories of the people that I write about in my part of the city. It is their stories , their voices that I offer to the general public.
Thank you.
