Annual Courage in Journalism Awards Honored by IWMF
The International Women’s Media Foundation honored two journalists for their courageous reporting “despite incredible odds” during their annual Courage in Journalism Awards Tuesday night.
Co-Hosts Willow Bay, Gelila Assefa Puck, and Charmaine DeGraté welcomed an intimate crowd for a dinner celebration in Los Angeles. Bay, the dean of the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, expressed gratitude for Puck and DeGraté joining her as co-hosts for this year’s event.
“What’s interesting now, decades later, is that their [journalists] stories used to feel a little remote. They were out there in the world,” Bay told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Today, we are living at a moment where freedom of the press has never been more in jeopardy, where women journalists and non-binary journalists have never been more in danger,” she continued, noting that the danger is as close to home as it is far away. “I think the inspiration remains true each and every year, but the sense of urgency feels very powerful and very palpable right now to support this kind of work.”
“I think that we’ve all seen the last few years now more than ever, there seems to be a little bit of threat around journalism, particularly, specifically female journalism,” DeGraté said of why the IWMF’s work is so meaningful to her.
Puck, brought into the fold by Bay, emphasized her opposition to corruption and the importance of journalists who uncover the truth, highlighting their bravery in war zones and exposing corruption among government officials.
Among the women honored were New Hampshire-based NHPR reporter Lauren Chooljian and Ecuadorian journalist Mónica Velásquez (unable to attend due to fleeing her native country following investigative reporting into political corruption and organized crime).
Vince Bucci
Chooljian, recognized for her work as the host and reporter behind The 13th Step, a podcast about sexual misconduct in the addiction treatment industry in the state, expressed her motivation from the bravery of those willing to share their stories with her.