Earlier in the week I had the pleasure of attending the National Press Club's annual Journalism Awards dinner. With all the heat the media absorbs, it was refreshing indeed to feel some positive media vibes and a treat to meet some of the nation's best journalists. Whether reporting on consumer, environmental, or any number of other issues, these reporters are truly serious about their craft. Even the humor award recipients, though humorous in their remarks (go figure), take their journalism seriously.
The most moving award was the international Freedom of the Press Award. The honor was presented posthumously to Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who was shot dead and dumped in her Moscow apartment building last year. Suspicion centers on pro-Putin goons.
A colleague of hers, Fatima Tlisova, accepted the award on her behalf, and there was hardly a dry eye in the ballroom. Politkovskaya offered the ultimate sacrifice in her ceaseless attempts to shed light on the situation in Chechnya. While the evening witnessed many deserving honorees, the presentation to Politkovskaya gained the only standing ovation, and deservedly so.
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