The London Free Press nominated for National Newspaper Award

The London Free Press is nominated for a National Newspaper Award for its coverage of the alleged hate-motivated attack in June that killed three generations of a Muslim family.

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The London Free Press is nominated for a National Newspaper Award for its coverage of the alleged hate-motivated attack in June that killed three generations of a Muslim family.

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Journalists with Postmedia, which publishes The Free Press, were nominated in four categories of the prestigious annual awards, the finalists for which were announced Friday.

The Free Press team was nominated for its “in-depth reporting and hard-hitting commentary” in the wake of the June 6 crash that killed four members of the Afzaal family and badly injured their young son.

“It is the most affecting but troubling story many of us in the newsroom have ever had to work on,” Free Press editor Joe Ruscitti said.

Salman Afzaal, 46, his wife Madiha Salman, 44, their daughter Yumnah, 15, and Salman Afzaal’s mother Talat Afzaal, 74, died. The couple’s nine-year-old son, Fayez, survived but was badly injured.

Tens of thousands of Londoners attended vigils, marched in the family’s honour and went to an open-air funeral. The Afzaal family tragedy sparked calls to end Islamophobia and inspired the Our London Family Act, proposed legislation to combat anti-Muslim hate in Ontario.

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Other Postmedia journalists nominated for awards include the National Post’s Sharon Kirkey, a veteran health reporter, for work on COVID-19 and other health-related issues.

At the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Zak Vescera, Matt Smith and Dave Breakenridge, were nominated for stories about that province’s drug overdose crisis.

The Vancouver Sun/Province’s John Mackie received a nomination for a story about Sam Sullivan and Tim Louis, two political opposites and former foes, who are both quadriplegics, who have become close friends.

The Postmedia nominations “reflect the level of expertise, enterprise, hustle and writing quality that exists in all of our newsrooms,” said Gerry Nott, the company’s acting senior vice president, editorial content.

“Our nominees have been recognized as among the best in their craft and the calibre of their storytelling is what we strive for on a daily basis across our network,” Nott said.

The awards will be presented at an online ceremony May 6.

The National Newspaper Awards were established in 1949 and recognize journalistic excellence in 22 categories.

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