(May 4, 2007) Internews Network celebrated its 25th anniversary and presented the first ever Internews Media Leadership Awards to Peter Jennings (posthumously) and others at a gala event in Washington, DC on May 3, World Press Freedom Day. In her opening remarks for the celebration, emcee Jacki Lyden, Senior Correspondent for National Public Radio, said, “This day traditionally honors the courageous journalists around the world who often practice their art facing repressive regimes. Tonight Internews would like to expand that theme to celebrate the media professionals who are committed to bringing independent media and quality news and information to nations around the world.”

Facing Criminal Investigation, Honoree Manana Aslamazyan Unable to Attend

Underscoring the difficult nature of media development work in some countries, one of the five honorees was unable to attend. Manana Aslamazyan, Director of the Educated Media Foundation, is currently facing a criminal investigation by Russian authorities related to a customs declaration violation in January.

The independent Russian NGO Educated Media Foundation (formerly known as Internews Russia) has been forced to suspend activities following an April 18 raid on its Moscow office by Russian police, who confiscated computer servers and financial and legal documents in the course of an eleven-hour search. (more)

Internews Chief Operating Officer Jeanne Bourgault reported that to date, over 2000 Russian journalists and other media professionals have courageously signed an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin in support of Aslamazyan and the Educated Media Foundation asking him to intervene in the case.

Aslamazyan’s long-time colleague and friend Persephone Miel read a statement from her that said, “For many years I have tried to do everything so that media in my country would be not only financially more independent but also felt their responsibility to their audience and their country. In Russia we have a saying that roughly translates as ‘every storm cloud has a silver lining.’ I am sure that I personally and Internews Russia have so many real friends, if not for the very bad luck that has befallen me and my organization. That friendship has made my fifteen years doing this work worthwhile.”

Peter Jennings Remembered by ABC’s John Cochran

Former ABC News Anchor Peter Jennings was honored posthumously for his commitment to international reporting. Attendees saw a clip of Jennings as US host of Capital to Capital, a series of live, televised dialogues between Members of the US Congress and their counterparts in the Supreme Soviet from 1987-1990, which was produced by ABC in association with Internews and Soviet State Television.

ABC Senior News Correspondent John Cochran presented Jennings’ Internews Media Leadership Award to documentary producer Kayce Freed Jennings, who accepted on behalf of her late husband.

Cochran related stories of Jennings’ deep commitment to quality international reporting, as well as his sense of humor. Freed Jennings said how much Peter Jennings loved being a journalist, waking up every morning knowing he would learn something new.

United Nations Foundation’s Kathy Bushkin Calvin Honored

Internews Network President David Hoffman presented an award to Kathy Bushkin Calvin, Executive Vice-President and COO of the United Nations Foundation. Hoffman related that Calvin was instrumental in pushing Internews to expand its work to train African journalists how to report on HIV/AIDS effectively and to launch the Global Internet Policy Initiative, among other projects. Calvin serves as co-chair of the board of Internews Network.

Indonesian activist and journalist Debra Yatim was honored for her work leading NGO reconstruction in the Indonesian province of Aceh following the devastating Asian tsunami in 2004, as well as the May 2006 earthquake in Yogyakarta, which killed som 5000 people. Yatim’s organization, Visi Anak Bangsa, partnered with Internews to get urgent information to the one million people affected by the earthquake, conducting a comprehensive public awareness campaign involving billboards, music videos, and even comic books.

Kenyan radio journalist Anne Waithera received an Internews Media Leadership Award for her work reporting on HIV/AIDS in Kenya, where some 1.2 million are infected with HIV. As one of the first trainees in Internews’ Local Voices program, launched in 2003, Waithera has become an award-winning journalist who is creating a ground-breaking program on HIV/AIDS for Easy FM, part of NATION Media, Kenya’s largest and most respected media group.

Some 200 guests attended the evening reception, held at the historic Washington Club on DuPont Circle in Washington, DC. Notable guests included former Senator Tim Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation, Daniel Kaufmann, Director of Global Programs and Governance at the World Bank Institute, Sandy Socolow, Executive Producer of Cronkite Productions, and Susan Rice, former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under the Clinton administration and currently a fellow at the Brookings Institution.

The event was made possible by donations from the Pluralism Fund, the United Nations Foundation, and Washington Monthly as well as individual donations from Alan Gourley, Elizabeth Griffith, Jill Iscol, Terry Peel, Tara Sonenshine, and Barbara Turner.

Founded in 1982, Internews is a non-profit organization that has worked in 70 countries to improve access to information for people around the world by fostering independent media and promoting open communications policies in the public interest.

Photos of Internews Network’s 25th anniversary event

Photos of Internews Kyrgyz Republic's 10th anniversary event

Slide shows of the honorees

Timeline of Internews’ history 1982-2007

Internews’ 25th anniversary publication (2.5 MB PDF)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Annette Makino, Senior Vice-President for Communications and Corporate Affairs