From the assault on the United States Capitol to the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, journalists and columnists from Press recounted anecdotes and testimonies on Wednesday evening about their coverage of the major events of 2021.
Due to the pandemic, the year’s review of Press took place virtually live from the Palais des congrès in Montreal. The evening, hosted by our collaborator Rose-Aimée Automne T. Morin and our columnist Marc Cassivi, was reserved for the first time for daily donors..
Before the start of the evening, Associate Editor and Vice President Information François Cardinal said he was “still as impressed as [ses] beginnings with the colossal work that is done on a daily basis in a large newsroom like that of Press ».
After François Cardinal’s opening remarks, journalist Tristan Péloquin returned to the coverage of the phenomenon of conspirators in 2021, a subject that can quickly become “quite intense”.
PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, THE PRESS
The work of the team of photographers Press was put forward throughout the evening.
Our correspondent in New York, Richard Hétu, recounted the insurrection on Capitol Hill on January 6, one of the most significant events of his journalistic career due to several taboos “shattered in the United States”. Continuing with “another major reversal,” Laura-Julie Perreault, international affairs columnist, spoke of the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban.
Regarding political coverage, journalist Fanny Lévesque recounted the “live writing” work required to cover government announcements. Columnist Paul Journet spoke of “the strength of contacts” allowing us to better understand the issues raised by COVID-19 such as the third dose or the vaccine passport.
Journalist Katia Gagnon, from the investigation team, and journalist Ariane Lacoursière, assigned to health, then recounted the battle to go and cover the pandemic inside hospitals. Patrick Lagacé returned to his “most emotional” column, in which he said he had received his first dose of vaccine. He says he remembered at that time the confidences of people whose relatives had died alone in CHSLDs.
Firearms, Olympics and Elections
The year 2021 was marked by an upsurge in gun-related crimes, a subject covered by journalists Mayssa Ferah and Vincent Larouche. For their part, Caroline Touzin and Gabrielle Duchaine returned to their coverage of the “other epidemic”, child pornography.
Joël-Denis Bellavance, head of the office of Press in Ottawa, spoke of a year 2021 marked by federal elections. In the field of sport, columnists Alexandre Pratt and Yves Boisvert reviewed their Olympic experience in Tokyo. Due to the conditions related to the pandemic, they said they had greater access to the emotions of the athletes.
Regarding the highlights of Quebec television, columnist Hugo Dumas returned to the death of one of the characters in District 31. The evening ended with a word from the chief editorialist Stéphanie Grammond, as well as the caricatures of Serge Chapleau. The images of the photographers of Press punctuated the evening.