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New America Media Salutes 2009 National Ethnic Media Award Winners for Outstanding Print, Web and Broadcast Reporting

Friday 29. May 2009 - New America Media (NAM), the nation's largest association of ethnic media outlets, today announced winners of its National Ethnic Media Awards honoring exceptional contributions to journalism by members of the ethnic media.

More than 300 entrees were submitted for 17 reporting categories ranging from In-Depth/Investigative Reporting to Blogging. Judges from universities, mainstream media and community-based organizations selected the winners, who will be honored at NAM’s National Ethnic Media Expo & Awards on June 4-5 at the Atlanta Hyatt Regency Hotel. The awards will be presented on June 4 at 6:00 p.m., an event that will be co-sponsored by NAM and the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism.

Sandip Roy, coordinator of the awards, said the entries came from a wide range of ethnic media outlets — from Polish newspapers in New York to Hmong journals in Minneapolis to Spanish language television in Los Angeles.

“Our national awards are the grand finale to a series of regional awards honoring outstanding journalism in Boston, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.,” said Mr. Roy. “These have been difficult times for journalists and their media companies. It was gratifying to review print, broadcast and Internet work that made tremendous contributions to ethnic communities.”

At the National Ethnic Media Expo & Awards convention, NAM will showcase the winning entries as examples of the important role that the ethnic media plays today in communities across the country. “Too many people are still unaware of the ethnic media’s reach into communities,” Mr. Roy said. “Our Atlanta convention will be a coming out party, one that gives the nation a better appreciation of the quality and depth of the ethnic news media.”

Among the journalists cited by the judges, Claudia Nunez of La Opinion in Los Angeles won first place in an investigative category for a special report on the masterminds of a group trafficking Mexican immigrants and keeping them in virtual enslavement in California restaurants.

In Minneapolis/St. Paul, Phil Lee of the Korean Quarterly was incensed when the Ladies Professional Golf Association announced new rules that would require golfers to be fluent in English. He responded by writing a blistering editorial, his first editorial ever, which won the award for Best Commentary.

The editors of Azizah magazine in Atlanta showed how going green was actually also good Islam. From car-shares to recycling it was all about how to be good regent or khalifah on earth as Allah had envisioned the role for humankind.

“The award entries clearly demonstrated the breadth of the ethnic media,” said Sandy Close, NAM’s executive director. “The ethnic media is reporting on stories that are making a difference in communities throughout the nation.” Ms. Close noted that NAM will be releasing a poll at the Expo in Atlanta documenting that the ethnic media has been growing, while mainstream media has struggled to keep readers.

Best In Depth /Investigative
Kai Ma “To Have and to Hold” KoreAm Journal
Runner Up: Chris King, “New Beginning” St Louis American


Hon Mention: Anish Majurndar, “Murder & Mourning in Baton Rouge” Little India

Best In Depth/Investigative (In-Language)
Claudia Nunez, “Twenty First Century Slaves” (a series) La Opinion


Runner Up: Weijiang Huang, “American Dream in Single Room Dwelling” Sing Tao Daily, San Francisco

Hon Mention: Milagros Melendez, “I Want to Be With My Mom”, El Tiempo Latino

International Affairs

Winner: Farkhunda Ali “Palestinians Remember Their Catastrophe” Muslim Link

Runner Up: Lou Ann Matossian “Institute of Turkish Studies Chair was Ousted for Acknowledging Genocide,” Armenian Reporter

International Affairs (In-Language)
Winner: Rong Xiaoqing “Dragon Children Return” Sing Tao Daily, New York
Runner Up: Thaer Abbas, “Civil War Looms in Lebanon,” Aramica


Hon Mention: Yu Ting Zhou “Foreign Students: The Neglected Group,” World Journal, New York

Healthcare
Winner: Norma de la Vega “Diet, What Diet?” Enlace


Runner Up: Sunita Sohrabji “Postpartum Depression: South Asian Women Suffer in Silence” India West

Arts, Sports & Entertainment
Almah LaVon Rice “The Rise of Street Literature” ColorLines
Runner Up: Emily Driscoll “Smashing Comeback” Little India
Hon Mention: Kai Ma “High Rollers” KoreAm Journal

Arts, Sports & Entertainment (In-Language)
Winner: Leslie Froelich “A Mixture of Languages” Mundo Hispanico


Runner Up: Boon Hon Choo “Off-Track Betting Stations” World Journal, New York

Commentary/ Editorial

Phil Lee “LPGA: Does This Stand For ‘Lees, Parks Go Away?'” Korean Quarterly

Runner Up: Jerry Sullivan, “A Twice-Told Tale of Black, Brown & LAPD
Blue” Los Angeles Garment & Citizen

Commentary/Editorial (In-Language)


Alejandro Manrique, David Coates, Peter Siavelis, “Que Pasa Supports Barack Obama’s Candidacy,” Que Pasa

Runner Up: Weihang Que Government Officials Accountability Is Only The Beginning Of A Sound Quality Safety System” The China Press in Northern California

Ethnic Elders

Winner: Toan Do “Sharks Are Targeting Servicemen, Elders, and Disabled People,” Viet Tribune

Runner up: Sue Yang “The Future That Maia Henderson Left Behind,” The Korean American Press

Photojournalism
Arindam Mukherjee “Beyond the Burkha” Audrey Magazine
Runner Up: J Emilio Flores “The Airplane of the Deported” La Opinion

Race and Inter Ethnic Relations
Julie Ha “Neighborhood Watch” KoreAm Journal


Runner Up: Gabriela Gonzalez “The Changing Face of Faith” La Prensa, San Diego

Hon Mention: Brian Concannon Jr. “Eating Dirt in Ireland and Haiti” Boston Irish Reporter/Boston Haitian Reporter

Education

Winner: Erika Cebreros “Finishing School is a Complicated Job,” El Mensajero

Runner Up: Wameng Moua “Are Hmong Schools Making the Grade?” Hmong Today

Environmental Issues
Winner: Azizah Kahera and Staff “Color Me Green” Azizah Magazine


Runner Up: Sunita Sohrabji “Green Rules Force Small Truckers Into the Red,” India West

Best Reporting on a Community Issue (Radio)

Winner: Cindy Yip & Otis Fang “Teacher’s Responsibilities vs Survival Instincts” Sing Tao Radio

Runner Up: Alejandro Manrique, “Mass Exodus of Hispanics from North Carolina” Que Pasa

Best Reporting on a Community Issue (TV)
Winner: Vicky Gutierrez “Farm Kids” KVEA Telemundo 52
Runner Up: Thuy Phan “Bone Marrow,” Saigon Broadcasting Television Network
Hon Mention: Harry Liu, “DTV Transition” KTSF

Best Blogger on Ethnic Perspectives
Winner: The Sanctuary
Runner Up: Chris Rabb, Afro-Netizen