Reporters from The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and ABC News 20/20 were among the honorees at the 42nd Annual Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Journalism Awards at GW’s Jack Morton Auditorium.
RFK’s wife Ethel Kennedy and daughters Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Courtney Kennedy were on hand to present the awards, given in nine professional and two student categories, including photography, radio and print.
This year’s winning journalists covered a variety of subjects, including human trafficking, Latin America’s youngest migrants, Alzheimer’s disease, infant mortality and repression in Iran. The winning entries were selected in several rounds by a panel of 60 volunteer judges, all media professionals.
“We look up to [the winners] in admiration and with respect -- and also with the hope that others will follow their lead,” said Mike Freedman, director of the GW Global Media Institute, during the ceremony. “We know that in the midst of this dramatic and swift transformation of journalism, it is not a time to be nostalgic but rather a time to be inspired and to inspire others. The efforts of the winners are superb examples of inspired and inspirational work.”
HBO’s Rebecca Cammisa won both the grand prize and in the international television category for her documentary “Which Way Home,” a story about immigrant children traveling from Latin America to the United States in search of a better life. In her acceptance speech, Ms. Cammisa told the audience the film took seven years to make and dedicated her award to the migrants who “trusted us to tell their stories to the world.”
“The main reason I set out to make this film was because I was extremely angry watching the news and seeing day after day reports about immigrants being squashed into statistics, being dehumanized and listening to pundits spouting their opinions,” said Ms. Cammisa. “I thought what viewers need is something more in-depth and humane that really gets into someone’s shoes and tells the stories as best it can. After all the pain and suffering of making this film, I guess it was the right decision, because I’m here.”
ABC News’ Diane Sawyer won in the domestic television category for her piece on “A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains,” which chronicled the social, medical and financial challenges facing children in Appalachia. Ms. Sawyer’s lead producer, Claire Weinraub, accepted the award on her behalf.
At the ceremony, Amy Bach was presented with a 2010 RFK Book Award for her work “Ordinary Injustice: How America Holds Court,” which detailed the failings of the American justice system.
Hosted by the GW Global Media Institute for the second consecutive year, The RFK Journalism Awards honor outstanding reporting on the issues that defined the life and work of Robert F. Kennedy: human rights, social justice, and the power of individual action in the United States and around the world.
Founded in 1968 by his family and friends, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights is dedicated to advancing human rights and social justice around the world. The GW Global Media Institute is part of GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs and the Graduate School of Political Management.