Belle Puri

Belle Puri
Belle Puri at the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation gala.
Belle Puri at the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation gala.
Born
British Columbia
NationalityCanadian
OccupationJournalist
Known forSaid to be Canada's first broadcast journalist of South Asian descent

Belle Puri is a Canadian journalist.[1][2][3]

During a career that has spanned more than three decades Puri has been a business reporter and a legislative reporter. On October 28, 2010, the office of British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell announced he had appointed Puri his press secretary.[4] However, Campbell resigned five days later, before Puri took up this position.[5] Nevertheless, Puri had restrictions put on the kinds of reporting she could do—in particular she was removed from the legislative beat. Charlie Smith, writing in the Georgia Straight, cited Puri as an instance of a CBC reporter who gave the appearance she might have ties with BC politicians that should preclude her from reporting on the legislature.

In 2005 Puri was recognized with British Columbia′s Jack Webster Award for outstanding journalism.[3] In 2022, she won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Local Journalist at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards.[6]

Puri is the chair of the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation.[2]

  1. ^ "B.C. Personalities". Canadian Sikh Heritage. Archived from the original on 2011-09-25. Retrieved 2013-10-09. In recognition of her contributions to the world of journalism, Belle Puri was awarded by the Centennial Foundation in 2000, in recognition of her leadership, excellence and commitment.
  2. ^ a b "Belle Puri". Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2013. With over thirty years experience as a broadcast journalist, she is the winner of the Jack Webster Award for excellence in Legal Journalism, CAN PRO Gold Award, and several regional and national RTNDA awards.
  3. ^ a b "Belle Puri". BC Radio History. 2004. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  4. ^ Dale Steeves (2010-10-28). "BELLE PURI APPOINTED NEW PRESS SECRETARY TO PREMIER". Office of the Premier. Archived from the original on 2012-04-22. Retrieved 2013-10-09. Award-winning television and radio journalist Belle Puri has been appointed as the new press secretary to Premier Gordon Campbell.
  5. ^ Charlie Smith (2012-01-22). "CBC may have to battle a perception that it's too close to the B.C. Liberal government". Georgia Straight. Archived from the original on 2013-05-19. Retrieved 2013-10-09. Luckily for Puri, Williams took her back as a reporter. He told the Royal City Record that there were two conditions: she couldn't go on the air until after the B.C. Liberal leadership convention and "she won't be covering politics for a long, long time, if ever."
  6. ^ Jamie Samhan, "2022 Canadian Screen Award Winners: Broadcast News And Documentary & Factual". ET Canada, April 4, 2022.