Mr. Louie Palu

The CDA Institute, in partnership with the Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute, is pleased to announce that Mr. Louie Palu has been unanimously selected as the recipient of the CDA Institute Ross Munro Media Award for 2014.

Mr. Palu is a former staff photographer at the Globe and Mail, and is now the Bernard L. Schwartz Fellow at the New America Foundation. His work in war zones and other related military operations has been carried in almost all major Canadian daily news publications and many international news magazines, including cover photos in Newsweek, TIME, The New Yorker and The Atlantic. Louie took enormous personal risk to capture his photos. His images and video - shot during multiple tours - not only gave the public a visceral understanding of the dangers and sacrifices of ordinary soldiers, but also raised the profile of Canadian troops working along allied soldiers. His work has also been displayed at the Canadian War Museum. Examples of his work are available on his website.

Since joining the New America Foundation, Louie Palau has devoted much of his long-term studies to the political and social issues raised during the Kandahar combat mission. He is a sought-after expert on how the media covers modern wars.

The Ross Munro Media Award commemorates Ross Munro, the celebrated Canadian war correspondent who reported on the Second World War in Europe. The Award was initiated by the Conference of Defence Associations and the CDA Institute in 2002 to recognize Canadian journalists who have made a significant and extraordinary contribution to increasing public understanding of Canadian security and defence matters. Recipients of the award have produced outstanding work regarding the efforts of the Canadian Armed Forces in preserving Canadian democratic values. The award consists of a replica of the Ross Munro statue and a cheque for $2,500.

The Selection Committee was chaired by Lieutenant-General Richard J. Evraire (Ret'd), Chairman Conference of Defence Associations (CDA). Members of the Selection Committee were Dr. J.L. Granatstein, Canadian Military Historian; Mr. Nicolas Laffont, Editor-in-Chief, 45eNord.ca; Mr. Stuart Robertson, of O'Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo; and Colonel Charles Keple (Ret'd), Vice-Chairman CDA, Public Affairs.

The award was presented on Thursday, 19 February 2015, during the Conference of Defence Associations and CDA Institute's Conference on Security and Defence at the Fairmont Château Laurier, Ottawa.