The IAPA announces winners of its 2010 Awards for Excellence in Journalism. Guillermo Zuloaga, president of the Venezuelan television network Globovisión, awarded the IAPA Grand Prize for Press Freedom.
MIAMI, Florida (July 20, 2010)—The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) announced today the winners of the annual awards made by the organization to encourage excellence in journalism and defense of freedom of expression throughout the Americas. This year the Grand Prize for Press Freedom is awarded to Guillermo Zuloaga, president of the Globovisión television network of Venezuela. The information was provided by Fabricio Altamirano of the San Salvador, El Salvador, newspaper El Diario de De Hoy, chairman of the IAPA’s Awards Committee.
Winners in 11 categories will be presented with their awards during the IAPA’s 66th General Assembly, to be held in Mérida, Mexico, November 5-9 at the Fiesta Americana Mérida Hotel. “We are delighted to have received such a high number of high-quality entries,” Altamirano said. “It was very difficult to choose the final winners.” The prizes consist of $2,000 in cash as well as plaques and diplomas.
“The award of the IAPA Grand Prize to Venezuelan journalist Guillermo Zuloaga honors every individual in the Americas. Zuloaga is a symbol in the defense of press freedom, not only in Venezuela but throughout the world,” declared IAPA President Alejandro Aguirre of the Miami, Florida, newspaper Diario Las Américas.
Following are the categories and names of entrants who won the awards and honorable mentions:
1. IAPA Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Inter-American Relations Award (Sponsored by La Prensa, Managua, Nicaragua
Diana Carolina Durán Núñez of El Espectador, Colombia, for her work “Extradited Colombian death squad leaders leave valuable information behind,” published in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C., which addresses the little-known issue in the United States of possible interference by the US into the Colombian legal system. The investigation stands out for its level of excellence and depth in processing the information and its checking and verification of sources.
The jury also recommended an honorable mention to Luis Alberto González of La Estrella de Panamá, for his work on “Lucha Antidrogas preocupa a Estados Unidos” (Anti-Drug Fight Worries United States), that explores the issue of the illicit drug trade in Central America backed by substantial information, clear presentation and multiple sources, as well as several explanatory graphics.
2. IAPA Human Rights and Service to the Community Award (Sponsored by Panamá-América, Panama City, Panama; El Comercio, Lima, Peru; Organización Publicitaria, S.A., San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and La Nación, Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Jenny Caputo of The San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio, Texas, for “Africa to America: Educating Refugee Children,” published in the San Antonio Express-News, describing the sharp changes and adaptation of African refugees in the United States. A fabulous series; human, warm, powerful, marvelously well written, an interesting presentation of how the world is connected by almost invisible threads and unexpected routes.
The adjudication panel also recommended an honorable mention to José Alejandro Almazán Rodríguez, Emeequis of Mexico City, Mexico, for “Los niños de Hermosillo” (The Children of Hermosillo) about a tragic fire in an orphanage.
3. IAPA Newspaper in Education Award (Sponsored by Novedades de Quintana Roo, Mexico and El Diario de Hoy, San Salvador, El Salvador)
The newsroom of El Imparcial, Hermosillo, Mexico, for its Press School Program.
An excellent initiative, now in its 12th year. It links the press and education with the clear objective of encouraging readership with a focus on critical reading. A complete and easy-to-follow program, well designed and participative. It not only publishes materials but also includes teacher-training modules.
4. IAPA Opinion Award (Sponsored El Mercurio, Santiago, Chile)
Carlos Alberto Giralda Monsalve of El Colombiano, Medellín, Colombia, for his column “Carta a Alfonso Cano, de las FARC” (Letter to Alfonso Cano from the FARC), denouncing the killing of a peasant family as a result of a mine explosion. Clarity, accuracy, topicality and insight are some of the features that make the reader feel he or she is experiencing first-hand a disaster that is a daily occurrence in Colombia towns, where thousands of innocent people suffer the consequences of a war that has gone on too long.
5. IAPA News Coverage Award (Sponsored by El Nacional, Caracas, Venezuela and O Estado de S. Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil)
Ramsés Tamayo of the newspaper Expreso, Hermosillo, Mexico, for his coverage of the tragedy of the “Guardería ABC” (ABC Nursery School). A magnificent example of how ”local” news takes on a regional, even international dimension due to the weight of the facts and the relevance of the journalistic work. The restrained use of the victims’ photos, with their biographical details, is impactful. An exhaustive coverage that combines the immediacy of the news with the moderation and respect that the occurrence merits.
6. IAPA In-Depth Reporting Award (Sponsored by The Miami Herald, Miami, Florida)
The Wall Street Journal team in Mexico (David Luhnow, José de Córdoba, Joel Millman, John Lyons) for their series about the varying fates of immigrants at the hands of drug cartels and the implications for the United States, published in The Wall Street Journal, New York. A painstaking and comprehensive investigation that creatively and logically assembles the “harsh” reality of the drug trade’s numbers with the human faces of those involved in it.
7. IAPA Features Award (Sponsored by El Comercio, Quito, Ecuador, and McClatchy Newspapers, Sacramento, California)
Marco Aurelio Reis, Elcio Braga and Aline Salgado of Jornal O Dia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for their series on Brazilian survivors of World War II.
In simple and direct language the features relate the story of Brazil’s participation in World War II. Its merit resides in the fact that it was current at the time it was written, used qualified sources, exhibited good investigative work and employed solid support material such as photos, illustrations and infographics.
The adjudication panel also recommended awarding an honorable mention to Alberto Salcedo Ramos, SOHO, Bogotá, Colombia, for the feature “El pueblo que sobrevivió una masacre amenizada con gaitas” (The Town That Survived a Massacre Threatened With Excuses). Excellent use of image and narrative language recounting the massacre; thanks, in essence, to the presence of the writer at the place of the events.
8. IAPA Photography Award (Sponsored by The Washington Post Company, Washington, DC, and ABC Color, Asunción, Paraguay)
Ernesto Benavides del Solar of El Comercio , Lima, Peru, for the photographic report “Rezagos de la Fiebre del Guano” (The Fallout of the Guano Fever), portraying the current movement of guano, a sad reflection of what was once a bonanza poorly taken advantage of. Masterly use of composition, light and layout. A Dantesque portrayal with a great deal of sensitivity.The composition is splendid, a scene in constant movement.
9.IAPA Cartoon Award (Sponsored by El Tiempo, Bogotá, Colombia)
Cristian Gustavo Dzwonik of La Nación, Buenos Aires, Argentina, for his series on the government’s attack on press freedom. The selection of vignettes establishes a direct and intelligent communication with the reader through a combination of resources in each panel: the creativity of the drawing, use of shrewd humor, witty remarks and news reports. Through these elements the cartoonist illustrates the complex situation facing free speech in the country. By picking on the controversial press law, NIK’s cartoons reveal the intent to control the news media in Argentina and make them toe the line.
10. IAPA Infographics Award (Sponsored by Clarín, Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Ary Moraes and Clarissa Monteagudo of EXTRA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for their infographics “Candomblé” (Brazilian Spiritism). The illustration is integrated with the overall design of the pages; the style is uniform and the use of color well balanced. It includes the topic’s history, context, timeline and statistics. In addition, the special layout makes a great collectible poster.
The adjudication panel also recommended awarding an honorable mention to Glauco Costa Lara of O Estado de S. Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, for his infographics on Transportation, which manages to turn a mountain of dry data into useful, understandable and even interesting information.
11. IAPA Online News Coverage Award (Sponsored by The Wall Street Journal, New York)
Gustavo Sierra of Clarín, Buenos Aires, Argentina, for his interesting presentation on the transformation of chemical plants into drug-making facilities. Good use of audiovisual resources, with well structured content cover the topic that generates so much interest: the disturbing problem of drug trafficking on the Mexican border with the United States. Very good work with a richness of resources, very well documented and easy to navigate.
IAPA Grand Prize for Press Freedom
Guillermo Zuloaga
Dr. Zuloaga is a law graduate of Andrés Bello Catholic University.
He has been involved in the world of communications his entire life – on the one hand because of his family’s tradition in journalism – they founded the most renowned newspaper of Venezuela, El Universal, more than 90 years ago, where he played an active role.
With more than 30 years’ experience in the world of communications he designed and executes the project that is revolutionizing information in Venezuela —GLOBOVISIÓN, the first and only television channel specializing in information, the only one of its kind available on open-air broadcast.
Awards Committee
Chairman: Fabricio Altamirano, El Diario de Hoy, San Salvador, El Salvador
Vice-Chairman: Cristina Aby-Azar, The Wall Street Journal, New Jersey, NJ
Members:
Carlos Besanson, Diario del Viajero, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Bruce Brugmann, San Francisco Bay Guardian, San Francisco, California
Francisco Chamorro, El Nuevo Diario, Managua, Nicaragua
Felipe Edwards, La Segunda, Santiago, Chile
Martín Etchevers, Olé, Buenos Aires, Argentina
André Jungblut, Gazeta do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, Brazil
Ed McCullough, Associated Press, Miami, Florida
Francisco Montes, Diario de Cuyo, San Juan, Argentina
José Luis Parra, El Mercurio, Santiago, Chile
Carlos Salinas, El Diario de Coahuila, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico
Gilberto Urdaneta, El Regional de Zulia, Ciudad Ojeda, Venezuela
Gabriela Vivanco, Diario La Hora, Quito, Ecuador
Johnny A. Yataco, Washington Hispanic, Washington, D.C.