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New America Media Award Winners Spotlight Expanding Ethnic Media Lens

Posted on: Thursday, 2 November 2006, 06:00 CST

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- New America Media, the country's first and largest association of ethnic media, announces the winners of its First National Ethnic Media Awards, honoring the sector's contributions to American journalism.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060823/SFW081LOGO )

Close to 600 ethnic media practitioners competed in 14 categories for recognition in 19 categories, ranging from Investigative Journalism to Best Community Talk Show. More than 50 judges nationwide, from universities, mainstream media and community based organizations, came together via teleconference to judge the entries over one week.

"Hurricane Katrina and immigration rights dominated news in ethnic media over the last year," says awards coordinator Sandip Roy. "Each of these complex stories reflects ethnic media' s unique role as an advocacy voice, as well as a vital source of news and information for their audiences."

Winners confound the conventional view of ethnic media as operating in a cultural silo. This year's winners demonstrate ethnic media's role in building understanding between America's ethnic communities while serving their communities' information needs.

Roy Lu, of Mandarin-language KSCI-TV in Los Angeles, traveled to the U.S. Mexican border to bring the issue of undocumented immigrants to Chinese audiences.

Euy Hun Yi of The Korea Times became the first Korean-American journalist to report from Afghanistan, where he found many parallels with his home country after the Korean War.

As important as ethnic media are as community spokespersons, this year's awards also honors those unafraid to turn a critical eye on their own communities.

Dennis Romero of Tu Ciudad magazine won the Best In Depth Award for his vivid profiles of Latinos who staunchly oppose illegal immigration, and even volunteer with the Minutemen.

Ray Hanania, an Arab-American columnist for a Jewish publication and website, won Best Commentary for his humorous take on some of the thorniest political issues of our time.

"Over the years that NAM has held awards, we've seen more and more efforts by ethnic media outlets to help their audiences understand each other," says Sandy Close, executive director of NAM.

This year NAM honors Pilar Marrero of La Opinion and ReShonda Billingsley of Houston Defender for reporting on black-brown relations and for their exceptional coverage of the immigration debate from the perspectives of both communities.

The New America Media awards will be presented at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m.

For full list of winners, visit http://www.newamericamedia.org/awards/winners06

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060823/SFW081LOGOPRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

New America Media

CONTACT: Brahmani Houston of New America Media, +1-415-503-4170, orbhouston@newamericamedia.org

Web site: http://www.pacificnews.org/

Web site: http://www.newamericamedia.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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