CNN Correspondent Christiane Amanpour to Receive National Press Club's Fourth Estate Award

CNN Correspondent Christiane Amanpour to Receive National Press Club's Fourth Estate Award

-- Special Evening Includes 'Roast' by Madeleine Albright, Wolf Blitzer & Richard Cohen --

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour, who transformed broadcast news coverage of major world events including wars, famines and natural disasters, will receive the National Press Club's highest honor for excellence in journalism. The Fourth Estate Award is given annually to an individual who has achieved distinction for a lifetime of contributions to American journalism.

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"I have always believed this to be a noble profession, and I am passionate about reporting the incredible stories of our time, without fear or favor," said Amanpour. "I respect our viewers' right to know, and I am thrilled to receive this honor from the National Press Club."

The award will be presented to Amanpour at a black-tie dinner at the National Press Club on November 21. Honoring Amanpour at the dinner will be Wolf Blitzer, host of CNN's The Situation Room, Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State, and Richard Cohen, Op-Ed Columnist for the Washington Post. Video tributes from other popular journalists and public figures are planned.

Amanpour is the thirty-sixth recipient of the Fourth Estate Award. She is the fourth female honoree and one of the youngest ever to receive the award. Previous Fourth Estate winners include Walter Cronkite, Eric Sevareid, David Brinkley, Brian Lamb, Helen Thomas and most recently Paul Steiger of the Wall Street Journal.

"Amanpour invented the style of reporting that Americans have come to see as standard," said National Press Club President Sylvia Smith. "In her 18 years as a foreign correspondent she has taken us to war zones and upheavals with in-depth and insightful stories. Viewers have come to rely on her integrity and humanity. As Americans, we see our role in the world in much broader terms than we did before the advent of CNN and Christiane Amanpour. As journalists, we have been challenged by her passion, commitment and tireless energy."

Amanpour joined CNN in 1983 as an entry level assistant on the network's international assignment desk in Atlanta. She worked her way up to correspondent first in CNN's New York bureau before becoming a foreign correspondent in 1990. Her first major assignment was the Gulf War, and she has since covered wars, famine, genocide and natural disasters around the globe.

She has secured exclusive interviews with world leaders from the Middle East to Europe, Africa and beyond, including Iranian Presidents Mohammad Khatami and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as well as the Presidents of Sudan and Syria. After 9/11 she was the first foreign correspondent to interview British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Her tremendous work has drawn a TV Academy Award, eight News and Documentary Emmys, three George Foster Peabody Awards, two George Polk Awards, three DuPont-Columbia Awards, a Courage in Journalism Award and many other accolades. In 2007, Amanpour received a Commander in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE), from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her "highly distinguished, innovative contribution" to the field of journalism. The City of Sarajevo named her an Honorary Citizen for her "personal contribution to spreading the truth" during the Bosnia war from 1992 to 1995.

Amanpour graduated summa cum laude from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor of arts in journalism. She lives in New York City with her husband and son.

Journalists who wish to cover the event must be credentialed. Please call Melinda Cooke (202) 662-7516 for credentials. More information can be found on the Club's website at www.press.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB:

The National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. Founded in 1908, the Club has 3,700 members representing most major news organizations. Each year, the Club holds more than 2,000 events including news conferences, luncheons and panels, and more than 250,000 guests come through its doors.

**Media who wish to cover the event must call Melinda Cooke for credentials**

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Source: National Press Club

CONTACT: Melinda Cooke of the National Press Club, +1-202-662-7516

Web Site: http:///www.press.org

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