The Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB), in partnership with TVO, the Toronto Star and Piz Gloria Productions, is pleased to announce that The Ultimate Choice podcast has won a Signal Award in the Documentary category for Individual Episodes. The prestigious international competition honours podcasts that define our culture. The Ultimate Choice is recognized with a Silver distinction.
A groundbreaking and thought-provoking docuseries, The Ultimate Choice chronicles the journey of Michael and his wife as they confront the complexities of Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in Canada. With Michael facing severe, unrelenting pain and an incurable illness, he sees MAID as a powerful solution to his suffering. The series offers an intimate look into his motivations, the toll on his loved ones, and the ethical questions surrounding MAiID’s expansion in Canada.
IJB founder Robert Cribb, who hosts the podcast series, undergoes his own personal journey as he is faced with a troubling family history that helps to frame this highly charged story. The Ultimate Choice is both a portrait of a family’s autonomy and a hard-hitting exposé, as it reveals the political and ethical stakes behind Canada’s debate to expand MAiD like never before.
The IJB’s award-winning newsroom expanded its storytelling into audio and video in the past two years with three national podcasts and a feature documentary that aired on CBC TV this fall.
“Having this work acknowledged by a major U.S. podcast award committee is a deep honour that speaks to the power of collaborative investigative research and reporting,” said IJB founder and director Cribb. “It is a testament to our unique model that brings together skilled journalists, researchers, academics and young reporters to tell forensically-researched stories with a strong heartbeat.”
The Signal Awards will celebrate all of its 2024 honorees during the upcoming Winners Party on November 12th, taking place at Public Records in Brooklyn, NY.
The Ultimate Choice Credits:
Rob Cribb
Investigative Journalism Bureau
Host/Producer
Mashih Khalatbari
Investigative Journalism Bureau
Researcher/Reporter
Declan Keogh
Investigative Journalism Bureau
Researcher/Reporter
Susanne Reber
Piz Gloria Productions
Writer/Producer/Executive Producer
Shaghayegh Tajvidi
TVO Media Education Group
Managing Editor, Podcast and Digital Video
Bruce Edwards
Sound mix and design
Allison Leyton-Brown
Original music composition
Jasmine El Kurd
TVO Media Education Group
Original artwork
Laurie Few
TVO Media Education Group
Executive Producer, Digital
John Ferri
TVO Media Education Group
VP, Programming and Content
About the IJB
The Investigative Journalism Bureau is an impact-driven, collaborative newsroom, bringing together professional and student journalists, academics, graduate students and media organizations to tell deeply-reported stories in the public interest while training the next generation of investigative journalists. The IJB has published dozens of front-page investigations in Canada’s largest newspaper ranging from public health threats to sexual harassment by lawyers to First Nations health care inequity to failures of government systems that have impacted millions of people.
About The Signal Awards
The Signal Awards are mission-focused on uplifting the podcast medium by recognizing the most potent, meaningful and unprecedented audio projects being made today. Now in its third year, entrants to The Signal Awards are reviewed by The Signal Awards Judging Academy, an esteemed collective made up of the architects, instigators and trailblazers of the medium. The Signal Awards set a standard for editorial excellence by honoring the organizations, artists, mavericks, brands and storytellers who are shaping the podcast industry.
IJB Contact:
ijb.dlsph@utoronto.ca
