IRA Media Awards Go to Marsh, Sullivan, Stoia, Cerf, Stiles, Kirsch, Berner, Hartman, Atkins, and Sinek

IRA Media Awards Go to Marsh, Sullivan, Stoia, Cerf, Stiles, Kirsch, Berner, Hartman, Atkins, and Sinek

NEWARK, Del., April 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alphonso Van Marsh, CNN video correspondent based out of Johannesburg, South Africa, is recipient of the International Reading Association's 2007 Broadcast Media Award for Television in the adult category for his story entitled, South Africa: Rosa Parks Library, which first aired on April 20, 2006. Marsh's story captured the renaming of the American Library in Soweto, South Africa, on its 30th anniversary. During its history, the Rosa Parks Library provided safe haven and access to banned American civil rights materials to Sowetan activists for democracy. Marsh joined CNN in 1997 as a freelance correspondent and producer. He has been an associate producer for CNN and served as interim CNN bureau chief in Nairobi, Kenya. Marsh has worked as a journalist in over two dozen countries, including Afghanistan, Egypt, and Cuba. In addition to his work with CNN, Marsh was a correspondent/video journalist for The New York Times-Video News International, a Medill News Service correspondent for KEZI- TV in Eugene, OR, and WHO-AM in Des Moines, IA. Marsh earned his bachelor's degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his master's from Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism. He was a fellow with the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.

Between the Lions Team Wins Broadcast Award for Mrs. McNosh Episode

Brigid Sullivan, Judith Stoia, Christopher Cerf, Norman Stiles, Beth Kirsch, Bill Berner, and Diane Hartman -- the creative team behind the highly- acclaimed PBS children's series, Between the Lions, are recipients of the 2007 Broadcast Media Award in the children's category for "Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash" and "Knuffle Bunny," which originally aired on April 17, 2006. Between the Lions is produced by WGBH Boston, Sirius Thinking, Ltd. of New York, and Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Brigid Sullivan, WGBH vice president for Children's, Educational, and Interactive Programming, and Media Access, is produced documentaries, presidential debates, children's series, national and local documentaries, and dramas for PBS and ABC, since starting her career as a radio reporter. Christopher Cerf -- author, composer-lyricist, record and television producer, editor -- serves as executive producer for Sirius Thinking. Norman Stiles, also executive producer for Sirius Thinking, served as the head writer. Beth Kirsch of WGBH is the series producer, and works with the production team to develop the show content and ensure that the core literacy curriculum is embedded in the programs. Bill Berner served as coordinating producer. Diane Hartman also served as a coordinating producer, overseeing the work of the Mississippi Public Broadcasting production team.

Atkins and Sinek Win IRA Print Award for Summer Reading Series

Andrea Atkins and Sara Sinek are winners of the International Reading Association's 2007 Print Media Award for a series of articles, "Summer Reading Buzz!" published over the 2006 summer in Women's Day magazine.

Atkins of Rye, NY, is a freelance writer whose work has regularly appeared in national magazines, such as Women's Day, Family Circle, and Parents. In 2002, she was named to a health-writing fellowship by the National Press Foundation in Washington, D.C. Atkins is a cum laude graduate of the University of Massachusetts/Amherst, who began her career as a copyeditor for Harper & Row Publishers in New York City. She has worked as an editor and reporter for a number of newspapers and was a senior writer for Better Homes and Gardens. She has written hundreds of articles on health and education.

Sara Sinek of New York, NY, is senior director of corporate communications at Scholastic. Summer Reading Buzz!, featured by Women's Day for three consecutive summers, is a multi-faceted literacy campaign to promote parent involvement in getting children to read over the summer. In 2006, Sinek worked with a corporate research team to develop and publish the Kids and Family Reading Report, a joint study to measure home reading behaviors. Sinek joined Scholastic in 1999 and has helped bring the last four Harry Potter books to millions of enthusiastic readers.

Media award winners will be recognized on May 14, 2007, during the International Reading Association's 52nd annual convention, held this year in Toronto, Ontario.

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Source: International Reading Association

CONTACT: Beth Cady of the International Reading Association,
+1-302-731-1600 ext. 293, bcady@reading.org

Web site: http://www.reading.org/

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