The Canadian Embassy awards new McLuhan Fellow

Veteran journalist Carolyn Arguillas has been named the Marshall McLuhan Fellow for 2011 during the Jaime V. Ongpin Journalism Seminar organized by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) in Makati City recently. Ms. Arguillas, editor-in-chief of Mindanews, won the distinction for her collective body of work both as reporter and editor. She has been at the forefront of reporting Mindanao issues and how these stories are significant in the national agenda.

The Marshall McLuhan Prize, named after the world-renowned Canadian communication scholar, is the Embassy of Canada’s flagship public diplomacy initiative. Launched in 1997 to encourage investigative journalism in the Philippines, the Prize underlines Canada’s belief that a strong media is essential to a free democratic society.

The program, with financial support from Sun Life of Canada, provides the winner with a study tour to Canada. This will be an opportunity to interact with media counterparts and to discuss current governance issues with Canadian government officials and members of civil society. The winner will also have the chance to sit as a fellow at the McLuhan Institute in Toronto.

Canada’s Ambassador to the Philippines Christopher Thornley presented the award to Ms. Arguillas.