For immediate release
Freelance journalist Paul Williams of Ottawa has been awarded the fifth annual Volvo Award for Environmental Journalism.
The 2003 award, for a three-part series written about living with a hybrid car, was presented as part of the annual Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) awards night on October 30.
Williams' feature about driving a Honda Civic hybrid across the country appeared in the Ottawa Citizen and selected other CanWest newspapers, as well as on CanadianDriver.com. The two judges - one each from Quebec and Ontario - reviewed 32 entries from 14 journalists, in French and English. Subjects ranged from alternate fuels to manufacturing to farmers to automobile brakes.
Said one judge of Williams' entry: "Much of the appeal of this piece is it sets out to present a picture of living with a hybrid. He drives 8,000 kilometres in 12 days and tells the tale in a chatty, friendly series. At the same time, it clearly presents the rationale for buying and owning a hybrid, and successfully outlines where hybrids fit in the current and future automobile market."
Williams was presented with a memento and a cheque for $500.
The Volvo Award for Environmental Journalism was created to encourage coverage of all issues relating to the purchase, ownership and care of automobiles. The award is given annually to a member of AJAC, and is open to any member of the association. Entries may originate in print, broadcast or new (on-line) media during the past year.
The award was created in the belief that greater coverage of environmental issues will help consumers to make informed decisions in their purchase of automobiles and auto services. Judges look for the ability to make a complex subject understandable to a non-technical audience along with a high standard of reporting and writing.
Volvo Cars of Canada is part of the Volvo Car Corporation of Göteborg, Sweden. The company provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to the 43 Volvo automobile retailers across the country. The 2004 Volvo vehicle line includes the flagship S80 luxury sedan, versatile V70 wagon and rugged XC70, exotic C70 convertible, the sporty S60 sedan, compact S40 and V40, and the award-winning new Volvo XC90 sport utility vehicle, described as "the next generation SUV."
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Contact:
Doug Mepham
Media website: www.volvocars-pr.ca
1 877 975 1572 office
416 727 4543 mobile
