TORONTO – Four Global News journalists have been honoured for their health reporting by the Canadian Medical Association.
Global Toronto reporter Crystal Goomansingh and producer Kathlene Calahan received the Excellence in Health Reporting award in television news.
Online reporters Carmen Chai and Patrick Cain won in the Excellence in Local Media Health Reporting category.
“Health reporting has tremendous value to Canadians as it provides a window into everyone’s number one concern, their health,” Dr. Chris Simpson, president of the CMA, said in a statement announcing the awardees.
“Global News is putting more focus than ever on research and original, enterprise reporting. We’re thrilled these efforts are being recognized not just with two prestigious CMA awards, but with tremendous impact for our viewers,” Troy Reeb, senior vice-president of Global News, said.
Goomansingh and Calahan’s “cancer alcohol” piece looked at how alcohol consumption increases the risk of some cancers. Up to 3,000 cancer diagnoses in Ontario in 2012 were linked to drinking, according to a Cancer Care Ontario report.
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Watch video above: Alcohol consumption increases the risk of some cancers, says new report. Crystal Goomansingh reports.
READ MORE: Alcohol an often overlooked cancer risk, Cancer Care report warns
Goomansingh and Calahan also received a special mention in the same category for their work on recommended sugar intake in Canada.
READ MORE: Why Health Canada might change recommended levels of sugar intake
In the local reporting category, Chai and Cain garnered an award for their work on documenting vaccination rates for measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox in all of Toronto’s schools.
The variety in rates for every school in Toronto – obtained exclusively by Global News under the Freedom of Information Act – suggests a significant disparity in vaccination uptake across the city.
READ MORE: Which Toronto schools have the lowest measles vaccination rates?
The Global News reporters will be honoured with other winners at a gala celebration on Oct. 21 at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa.
See a full list of the winners here.
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