Anna-Leah Simon is this year’s winner of the Brian Beaton Annual Prize in Journalism for Justice

The winner of this year’s Brian Beaton Annual Prize in Journalism for Justice is Anna-Leah Simon.

Anna-Leah has written and contributed to numerous articles and video reports for us, both as a volunteer and as an intern, many of them focussing on Indigenous language revitalization efforts.

Most recently, she wrote about the outcome of elections in her home community of Elsipogtog, which resulted in gender parity among band councillors for the first time ever. The article highlights aspects of Mi’kmaw culture including care for Elders and the matriarchal tradition that are rarely reflected in the mainstream media.

Other examples of her work from the past year include an article examining how the climate crisis has shortened the season for ice fishing, a video about a university program in Elsipogtog affected by federal funding cuts, and a feature interview with a respected Mi’kmaw Elder who was awarded the 2025 New Brunswick Human Rights Award.

Anna-Leah, who is an undergrad in her final year at St. Thomas University, has also collaborated with other NB Media Co-op volunteers and staff, including through an ongoing series of media production workshops in Elsipogtog, often helping other participants develop their story ideas.

Her thoughtful work illustrates the kind of reporting that the Brian Beaton Prize is meant to encourage.

Congratulations Anna-Leah!