The Canadian Journalism Foundation to honour Michel Auger with Lifetime Achievement Award

TORONTO, April 27, 2015 /CNW/ - Michel Auger, the longtime crime reporter with Le Journal de Montréal who survived an attempt on his life, will be honoured with The Canadian Journalism Foundation's (CJF) Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual CJF Awards on June 3 in Toronto.

Best known for his exposés of organized crime, Auger's coverage of the long and violent rivalry between motorcycle gangs in Quebec in the 1990s is credited with helping to establish a provincial task force that eventually led to the end of the war and the jailing of many of its key figures. His reporting was informed by his underworld connections as well as police sources. In 2000, he was shot six times in the back during an attack by an unknown assailant, but went on to write a best-selling memoir (one of his several books), The Biker Who Shot Me.

"Over his time as a crime reporter, Auger exceeded the call of duty by digging deeper than his competition and giving readers the fullest possible picture of Montreal's underworld," says Chantal Hébert, a member of the selection jury and political columnist for the Toronto Star, le Devoir, l'Actualité, CBC and Radio-Canada. "He dug so deep that the people he covered (or uncovered) wanted him dead. He very much inspired the generation of investigative journalists whose work led to the Quebec corruption inquiry."

For his work, Auger—who also worked for the CBC and Radio-Canada—has earned a number of awards and citations from organizations including the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, the Canadian Association of Journalists, the National Newspaper Association, the National Assembly of Quebec and the International Francophone Press Union.

Auger joins a distinguished group of CJF Lifetime Achievement Award winners. Past recipients include: Peter Bregg, Michael Maclear, Jack Sigvaldason, Patrick Brown, Lise Bissonnette, Joe Schlesinger, Sally Armstrong, Norman Webster, Knowlton Nash, Pierre Berton (posthumous), June Callwood, Doris Anderson, Trina McQueen, Doug Creighton, Mark Starowicz, Bernard Derome, Peter C. Newman, Peter Gzowski and Robert Fulford.  View our video gallery of past recipients.

The Lifetime Achievement Award jury members are:
Chair – Valerie Pringle, longtime program host and television journalist, CBC and CTV (Canada AM)
Michel Cormier, directeur-général de l'information, Société Radio-Canada/CBC
Chantal Hébert, political columnist, Toronto Star, le Devoir, l'Actualité, CBC, Radio-Canada
Sarah Jennings, journalist and author of Art and Politics
Kirk LaPointe, publisher and editor-in-chief, Self-Counsel Press
Jane Taber, senior political writer, The Globe and Mail
Anthony Wilson-Smith, president, The Historica-Dominion Institute

Visit our CJF Awards page for more details about this year's event and follow #CJFawards on Twitter.

About The Canadian Journalism Foundation
Established in 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation promotes excellence in journalism by celebrating outstanding journalistic achievement. Our signature events include an annual awards program featuring a must-attend industry gala where Canada's top newsmakers meet Canada's top news people. Through J-Talks, our popular speakers' series, we facilitate dialogue among journalists, business people, academics and students about the role of the media in Canadian society and the ongoing challenges for media in the digital era. The foundation also supports journalism websites J-Source.ca (English) and ProjetJ.ca (French) and fosters opportunities for journalism education, training and research.

SOURCE Canadian Journalism Foundation

Image with caption: "Michel Auger, the longtime crime reporter with Le Journal de Montréal who survived an attempt on his life, will be honoured with The Canadian Journalism Foundation’s (CJF) Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual CJF Awards on June 3 in Toronto. (CNW Group/Canadian Journalism Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150427_C5798_PHOTO_EN_15774.jpg