New York Association of Black Journalists Celebrates its 21st Annual Dinner, Ceremony
New York, NY – Low Library was filled with journalists, young and experienced, for the New York Association of Black Journalists 2009 awards ceremony. The ceremony shortened and dinner replaced with appetizers. Even with sponsorships down due to the economic crisis, NYABJ still honored journalists whose works are well known but whose faces are not.. Esperanza “Candy” Martinez received the NYABJ “Ed Bradley” Award for Lifetime Achievement in Broadcast. Ms. Martinez is an Associate Director at WABC-TV and has been a journalist and leader at the station for more than 40 years since taking her first job as a production assistant for “Like It Is” in 1969. NY Post Photographer G.N. Miller received the Lifetime Achievement honor for his award winning work in photography. NYABJ un-invited the NY Post to participate as a sponsor after the recent incident involving a cartoon drawn in the tabloid, but has members of the post staff attended as guests of NYABJ to support Mr. Miller achievement. Columbia professor, author and documentary producer June Cross was recognized for her outstanding work in journalism education and her continuing work. Ms. Cross recently produced a PBS documentary called “The Old Man & the Storm” about one man’s fight to recover from Hurricane Katrina.
This year’s theme is “Journalism Survivor: Out Work, Out Write, Outlast” and reflected the turbulent times facing the news business with thousands of journalists out of work or facing termination. All of the 2009 special honorees are:
NYABJ Lifetime Achievement Award, Photo Journalism
G.N. Miller – The New York Post
NYABJ “Ed Bradley” Award for Lifetime Achievement in Broadcast Journalism
Esperanza “Candy” Martinez – WABC-TV
NYABJ Trailblazer Award
The Network Journal – Celebrating 15 years
NYABJ Excellence in Education Award
June Cross – Columbia University
NYABJ Community Service Award
Tawana Tibbs
NYABJ will also recognize the trailblazing work of the Network Journal, celebrating 15 years of publishing business stories in competitive world of financial news and Tawana Tibbs for her dedication to giving back to the community.
Bloomberg, Disney, The Wall Street Journal and BET are major sponsors for the event this year. Vanessa Tyler of WPIX and Russ Mitchell of the CBS Early Show emceed the evening ceremony which also honors journalists for best spot/general, sports, international, arts and entertainment, science, commentaries and public affairs reporting for 2008. See following list of winners
Proceeds from the scholarship and awards dinner help to underwrite NYABJ programs, including its annual workshop for high school journalists, professional development seminars, public forums on issues and people in the news and community workshops on what constitutes news and how to gain access to the media. NYABJ is the New York Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists.
