RNAO Media Awards

Elizabeth Payne is a veteran health reporter who has won awards for stories about health care in Canada and overseas. Among her award-winning features was a story about the first use of the Canadian-developed Ebola vaccine in Guinea in 2015. Since 2020, she has written hundreds of stories about the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on individuals and the health system. She also covered the convoy protests in Ottawa in 2022 that grew around opposition to pandemic measures.

Bruce Deachman has been a reporter, senior writer and columnist with The Ottawa Citizen for close to 30 years. Over that time, he has covered a wide variety of topics, including health issues, politics, arts and entertainment, sports and municipal affairs. Throughout his career, he has focused on those whose stories have built and defined our city and society – whether high-profile or highly marginalized.

Luis Ibarra was born in Mexico and immigrated to Canada in 2012. In Mexico, he was the director and journalist of five monthly magazines. After three months living in Canada and as a newcomer, he started working for Latinos Magazine, the only bilingual publication in English and Spanish for the Latin community. Now Latinos Magazine turns 10 years old in 2023 and Luis has interviewed ministers, consulates, ambassadors and international artists.

Talia Ricci is a TV, web and radio reporter at CBC News in Toronto. She enjoys covering offbeat human-interest stories and exposing social justice issues. Talia is also an avid traveller and photographer. Her photography has appeared in various publications and exhibits. She recently held an exhibit of portraits of women from around the world at the Yorkville Public Library.

Cynthia Mulligan is an accomplished CityNews journalist who has worked in Toronto for more than 25 years. Cynthia received an Edward R Murrow award for her series on Kicking Cancer, a first-person account of what it is like to suddenly be diagnosed with cancer and the lengthy emotional process of treatment. Cynthia's current focus is politics, with an emphasis on investigative journalism.

Meredith Bond has worked in journalism for the last eight years, beginning her career in radio before transitioning to digital news. She is currently a multimedia content creator for CityNews, specializing in online original and investigative journalism in collaboration with brilliant reporters across all beats, including the health sector.

Lauren Pelley is a senior health and medical reporter for CBC News. She has covered the global spread of infectious diseases ranging from COVID-19 to influenza to mpox, along with an ongoing focus on the Canadian health-care system, health policy, and pandemic preparedness.

Mike Crawley is a senior reporter for CBC News, covering Ontario provincial affairs. He has been a journalist for more than 30 years. Mike's career before coming to Toronto in 2008 included time as a newspaper reporter in British Columbia, a radio reporter in New Brunswick and a freelance journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Mahnoor Yawar is a seasoned journalist with over a decade of professional experience working in some of the largest newsrooms in Canada. One of her many accomplishments during her time at CityNews was overseeing a collaboration with OMNI News called ‘Behind Closed Doors.’ It detailed the epidemic of family violence in our communities and put a spotlight on often-silenced voices.

Gabrielle Dainard has worked in Toronto’s film and television industry, from independent productions to advertising to news, for 15 years, spending the last five years with CityNews. She’s been described by producers as someone who will go above and beyond the job description, doing whatever it takes to get the best possible story.

Aarti Pole is a national anchor with CBC News Network, covering live and breaking news for Canadians five days a week. She has worked with CBC News Network since 2016, prior to that she was a Washington Correspondent. Based in the U.S. capital, she covered the presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Aarti began reporting in 2006 as a VJ in Terrace, B.C.

David Eggleston is a senior story editor and chase producer with CBC News Network. He works with hosts to get newsmakers and guests on the air in a constant deadline-driven environment. Recent guests he has arranged for live talk include MLB superstar José Bautista, Christiane Amanpour, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and former Mexican president Vicente Fox.