Ottawa Citizen reporter Elizabeth Payne was one of the seven recipients to receive an RNAO Media Award this year. Her winning entry focused on a nursing home administrator, Carolyn Della Foresta, who works at Almonte Country Haven, just outside of Ottawa. She explored the sorrow and trauma felt by staff when nearly one-third of the home’s population died during one of the province’s first and deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks in the spring of 2020. RNAO President Morgan Hoffarth was joined by RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun for the awards presentation and highlighted the important role journalists have had during the pandemic: “Just like the work of nurses, the work of the media has been intense and challenging: covering the pandemic from different viewpoints and shedding light on what needs urgent action. RNAO values the work of all journalists keeping Ontarians informed and engaged,” says Hoffarth. You can read the bios for all of this year’s Media Award winners here. (Ottawa Citizen, June 16)