Bert Bruser, who received the World Press Freedom Canada career achievement award on Thursday, retired in 2020 after decades as the 海角社区官网Star’s newsroom lawyer.
Longtime Star lawyer Bert Bruser receives World Press Freedom Canada career achievement award
“I believe so strongly that the public in this kind of a democracy has a need and a right to know what is happening in our institutions,” Bruser said of the award.
Bert Bruser, who received the World Press Freedom Canada career achievement award on Thursday, retired in 2020 after decades as the 海角社区官网Star’s newsroom lawyer.
Bert Bruser, the longtime 海角社区官网Star newsroom lawyer who helped reshape Canadian media law and pushed for responsible, aggressive reporting, was awarded the World Press Freedom Canada career achievement award on Thursday.
Bruser also defended the Star against lawsuits and quarterbacked the legal strategy in Grant v Torstar Corp, the landmark 2009 Supreme Court decision that established the defence of responsible journalism.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
He retired in 2020.
鈥淚 believe so strongly that the public in this kind of a democracy has a need and a right to know what is happening in our institutions,鈥 Bruser said in an email. 鈥淚 got to advance that belief with a great group of journalists at the 海角社区官网Star, working alongside them.鈥
At age 16, Bruser worked as a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Tribune. Later, he reported for The Canadian Press and attended law school.
At the Star, he helped reporters nail down the story of Ford smoking crack on video and fought to overturn a publication ban in Homolka鈥檚 murder trial. In 2002, he successfully defended the Star against a $2.7-billion defamation lawsuit brought by the 海角社区官网police union after an award-winning investigation exposing racial bias on the police force.
In addition to his work at the newspaper, Bruser co-authored the book 鈥淛ournalists and the Law: How to Get the Story without Getting Sued or Put in Jail,鈥 and created the first media law courses at 海角社区官网Metropolitan University and the University of Toronto. He was also one of the founders of the Canadian Media Lawyers鈥 Association.
The Torstar-owned Waterloo Region Record was also honoured by World Press Freedom Canada with a local press freedom award for its coverage of clandestine land deals, school board practices and the college recruitment of foreign students. The coverage was led by journalists Terry Pender, Robert Williams, Luisa D鈥橝mato and Jeff Outhit.
World Press Freedom Canada is an Ottawa-based non-profit organization that champions press freedom.
鈥淎t this pivotal moment, we must recognize the courageous work of Canadian journalists, especially during an election year,鈥 organization president Heather Bakken said in a news release.
鈥淭he fight against disinformation, foreign interference and media manipulation is not just about protecting our information ecosystem 鈥 it is about safeguarding democracy. And a free press is often the last line of defence.鈥
Mark Colley is a Toronto-based general assignment reporter for
the Star. Reach him via email: mcolley@thestar.ca
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation