Syria and China Lead in Top International Stories of the Year at the 74th Overseas Press Club Awards

Syria and China Lead in Top International Stories of the Year at the 74th Overseas Press Club Awards

Tom Brokaw Receives Lifetime Achievement Award; Diane Foley, mother of James Foley, will light the candle in memory of the Journalists Killed and Missing in Action

NEW YORK, April 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- 2012 saw key international press coverage originating from Syria and China. Those two countries dominated the annual awards from the Overseas Press Club, with both the Associated Press and National Geographic capturing three prizes each.

Syria dominated the breaking news categories, with reporters and photographers taking home a large number of awards for their coverage of that dangerous conflict. Other stories focused on China's government and state-owned enterprise corruption, as well as corporate espionage.

Tom Brokaw, anchor of NBC News from 1982 to 2004, will receive the President's Award for lifetime achievement. Diane Foley, mother of James Foley, who was kidnapped in Syria on Thanksgiving day last year, will light the candle in memory of journalists who have died in the line of duty in 2012 and in honor of those injured, missing and abducted.

Other news organizations winning awards include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, CNN, Harper's, CBS News, WGBH, WBEZ, Bloomberg News and Agence France-Presse. Recognizing the changed media landscape, 2012 is the first year that the Overseas Press Club incorporated the online media platform into many of its awards previously designated only for the print medium.

Raja Abdulrahim of The Los Angeles Times won the prestigious Hal Boyle Award for best newspaper reporting from abroad for her series "Inside Syria," a vivid and powerful series of reports from inside Syria range from bomb making lessons to kidnapping and government tactics.

The Robert Capa Gold Medal Award, which honors press photography requiring exceptional courage and enterprise, went to Fabio Bucciarelli, whose combat images from Syria were published by Agence France-Presse.

"Covering the world has never been more dangerous and that is reflected in the stories that were prominent in the awards this year," said OPC President Michael Serrill. "We pay tribute to the men and women at the forefront of covering news around the world."

There were also tales from more remote corners of the world. Especially noteworthy is a combination print, radio and video package by WBEZ and ProPublica that uncovers for the first time details of the military massacre that destroyed a village in Guatemala 30 years ago.

Detailed information and photographs are posted on the OPC website at www.opcofamerica.org.

There were 441 entries in this year's competition. The winners:

Newspaper, News Service or Online

THE HAL BOYLE AWARD
Best newspaper, news service or online reporting from abroad
Raja Abdulrahim, The Los Angeles Times
"Inside Syria"

THE BOB CONSIDINE AWARD
Best newspaper, news service or online interpretation of international affairs
Jeremy Page, The Wall Street Journal
"A Murder Shakes China"

THE MALCOLM FORBES AWARD
Best international business news reporting in newspapers, news services or online
David Barboza, The New York Times
"China's Secret Fortunes"

THE ROBERT SPIERS BENJAMIN AWARD
Best reporting in any medium on Latin America
Alberto Arce, The Associated Press
"Honduras"

BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
Best investigative reporting in any medium on an international story
Michael Forsythe, Shai Oster, Natasha Khan, Dune Lawrence,
Ben Richardson, Henry Sanderson
Bloomberg News
"Revolution to Riches"

BEST COMMENTARY
Best commentary on international news in any medium
David Ignatius, The Washington Post
"Foreign Affairs"

Photography

THE ROBERT CAPA GOLD MEDAL AWARD
Best published photographic reporting from abroad requiring exceptional courage and enterprise
Fabio Bucciarelli for Agence France-Presse
"Battle to Death"

THE OLIVIER REBBOT AWARD
Best photographic reporting from abroad in magazines or books
Samuel James, Freelancer for Harper's Magazine
"The Water of My Land"

THE JOHN FABER AWARD
Best photographic reporting from abroad in newspapers or news services
Bernat Armangue, The Associated Press
"Conflict in Gaza"

FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD
Best feature photography published in any medium on an international theme
Oded Balilty, The Associated Press
"An Ultra Orthodox Wedding"

TV and Radio

THE LOWELL THOMAS AWARD
Best radio news or interpretation of international affairs
Brian Reed, Habiba Nosheen, Sebastian Rotella, Ana Arana
WBEZ's "This American Life," ProPublica and Fundacion MEPI
"What Happened at Dos Erres"

THE DAVID KAPLAN AWARD
Best TV spot news reporting from abroad
Anonymous CNN Correspondent and Photojournalist, Tamara Hunt, Tony Maddox,
Parisa Khosravi, Deborah Rayner and the CNN International Newsgathering Staff
CNN
"Damascus Undercover"

THE EDWARD R. MURROW AWARD
Best TV interpretation or documentary on international affairs
Scott Pelley, Jeff Fager, Bill Owens, Henry Schuster
CBS News, "60 Minutes"
"Killing Bin Laden"

THE DAVID A. ANDELMAN and PAMELA TITLE AWARD

Best international reporting in the broadcast media and
online showing a concern for the human condition
Najibullah Quraishi and Jamie Doran
WGBH Frontline and Clover Films
"Opium Brides"

Magazines

THE ED CUNNINGHAM AWARD
Best magazine reporting from abroad
Russ Rymer with photographer Lynn Johnson
National Geographic Magazine
"Vanishing Languages"

THE MORTON FRANK AWARD
Best international business news reporting in magazines
Michael Riley, Ashlee Vance with Zoe Schneeweiss
Bloomberg Businessweek
"It's Not Paranoia If They're Stealing Your Secrets:
Inside the Chinese Boom in Corporate Espionage"

THE MADELINE DANE ROSS AWARD
Best international reporting in the print medium or online showing a concern
for the human condition
Mark Jenkins with photographer Lynn Johnson
National Geographic Magazine
"The Healing Fields"

THE WHITMAN BASSOW AWARD
Best reporting in any medium on international environmental issues
Peter Gwin with photographer Brent Stirton
National Geographic Magazine
"Rhino Wars"

Books

THE CORNELIUS RYAN AWARD
Best non-fiction book on international affairs
Peter Bergen, Crown Publishing Group
Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad

Cartoons

THE THOMAS NAST AWARD
Best cartoons on international affairs
Rob Rogers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Multimedia

THE JOE and LAURIE DINE AWARD
Best international reporting in any medium dealing with human rights
Sebastian Rotella, Ana Arana, Brian Reed, Habiba Nosheen
ProPublica, Fundacion MEPI and WBEZ's "This American Life"
"Massacre, Memory and Justice in Guatemala"

BEST MULTIMEDIA NEWS PRESENTATION
Best use of video, interactive graphics and slideshows to report on international news
Thomas Jennings, Sabrina Shankman, Travis Fox, James Milward, Pietro Gagliano,
Ryan Andal, Ashlee Lougheed, Sam Bailey, Andrew Golis
Based on reporting by Sebastian Rotella of ProPublica
WGBH Frontline and Secret Location
"A Perfect Terrorist: David Coleman Headley's Web of Betrayal"

SOURCE Overseas Press Club

Overseas Press Club

CONTACT: Tamara Boorstein (347) 628-8983 or tamara.boorstein@gmail.com

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


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