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| In The News : SAJA Group Inc. Press Release |
| Press contact: Sandeep Junnarkar, awards chair: saja@deepnews.org |
SAJA Group, Inc.
in collaboration with SAJA, South Asian Journalists Association
Representing 1,000 journalists across the U.S. and Canada
Established March 1994
Press Release Archive
[Below the introduction, you will find a list of winners.
All first, second and third prize winners are provided one free convention pass and gala dinner ticket. If you would like to buy a table for 10, please let us know. If you are a winner and would like to buy a discounted ticket for just the dinner - in addition to the free one you get - please let us know.
E-mail saja@deepnews.org - subject line = Award winner response]
SAJA Announces 2006 Journalism Award Winners
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| Brian Williams of NBC News |
Tom Curley of Associated Press |
Brian Williams of NBC, Tom Curley of Associated Press and the late A.M. Rosenthal among the honorees at 12th Anniversary Convention and Job Fair of South Asian Journalists Association (July 13-16 at Columbia University). Winners named for annual Daniel Pearl award for print reporting as well as one-time category for South Asian earthquake coverage.
http://www.saja.org/events/convention2006.html
NEW YORK CITY, June 30, 2006 -- SAJA Group, Inc. and the South Asian Journalists Association, will honor the winners of the 2006 SAJA Journalism Awards contest at its 12th annual dinner on Saturday, July 15, at Columbia University in New York.
These annual awards recognize
excellence in reporting about South Asia, as well as outstanding
reporting by South Asian journalists and students in the
U.S. and Canada. The Awards ceremony is part of the SAJA's
international convention, which takes place July 13-16 and
is expected to draw 1,000 journalists and guests from the
U.S., Canada, Europe and South Asia (South Asians and non-South
Asians will participate).
The
awards will be presented at Columbia University by Tom Curley, president and CEO of Associated Press. In addition, Curley will
receive this year's SAJA Journalism Leader Award in
recognition of his contributions to the industry. In a ceremony being held on Friday, July 14, another SAJA Journalism Leader Award will be presented to Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News. Both awards will be presented by Deepti Hajela, SAJA president and
a newswoman for the Associated Press.
"SAJA's Journalism Leader Awards have always recognized journalists
who have made a difference in our profession, and this year is no
different," Hajela said. "SAJA is thrilled to recognize Tom and Brian
for the high standards they have set."
Previous
winners of this award are Peter
Bhatia of The Oregonian; Steve Coll of
The Washington Post; Rena Golden of
CNN; Karen
Elliott House and Peter Kann of
Dow Jones; Peter Jennings of ABC News; Jai
Singh of CNet News.com; Steve Shepard, former editor-in-chief of BusinessWeek and founding dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at City University of New York; Paul Steiger of
The Wall Street Journal; and Fareed Zakaria of
Newsweek.
SAJA
will also pay tribute to the memory of slain reporter Daniel
Pearl, who, as Mumbai bureau chief of The Wall
Street Journal, was a regular participant in SAJA's
cyber activities. The fifth Daniel Pearl Award for
outstanding print reporting on South Asia by U.S.
and Canadian journalists will be presented that night. This year's
winners are four journalists from two Canadian newspapers, Vancouver Province and Calgary Herald, who jointly exposed a marriage scam spanning two continents.
Also
at the dinner, the newest member of the SAJA Hall of Fame
will be inducted posthumously: A.M. Rosenthal, the former New York Times editor who covered South Asia as a young correspondent and continued to write about the region as a columnist. The Hall of
Fame recognizes veteran U.S. journalists who helped shape
coverage of South Asia, as well as pioneering South Asian journalists
for their contributions to U.S. media. Rosenthal joins previous inductees Gobind Behari Lal, who won
a Pulitzer Prize for science writing in 1937; Brij Lal, veteran broadcast journalist who joined
ABC News in 1952 (and Gobind's nephew); Rajan Devdas, photojournalist
for more than 60 years; Amrit Kakaria, who spent more than 45 years as a journalist in US and India; James W. Michaels,
former editor of Forbes who first covered India
during its struggle for independence and revisited
the region in reports over five decades.
According to Sandeep Junnarkar, chair of the SAJA awards committee,
these awards "honor the insightful coverage of South Asia and
showcase the excellence of South Asian journalists in North
America."
SAJA has also announced the winners of its 2006 journalism scholarships: Sumit Dayal and Rubina Madan in the graduate student category; Sonia Moghe in the college category; and Manisha Priyadarshan in the high school category (a total of $5,000 will be divided among these students).
Emceeing the gala will be two prominent South Asian TV personalities, Hari Sreenivasan of ABC News and Suchita Vadlamani of "Good Day Atlanta" on WAGA-TV.
This year's awards contest reflected the higher visibility of South Asians
in the United States and the increased attention paid to
the subcontinent, including the effects of the 2004 tsunami and the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. Below
is a list of winners of this year's awards. Web versions
of articles and photographs will be available online at
the SAJA site in August 2006. The awards will
be presented on Saturday, July 15, at 6:30 p.m. at
a gala awards ceremony at the Roone Arledge Auditorium
at Columbia's Lerner Hall (115th St & Broadway) as
part of the four-day SAJA
Convention (http://www.saja.org/event/convention2006.html).
The
four-day convention will open with a day of workshops
on Thursday, July 14, and a reception at the U.S. headquarters of Reuters, located in Times Square. Betty Wong, managing editor of Reuters USA will speak that night. Friday opens with talks by NBC's Brian Williams and Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia. After a day of workshops and panels, the evening
reception will be headlined by Riz Khan, anchor of Al Jazeera International, followed by a hip hop afterparty, hosted by MTV Desi and featuring performances by three South Asia rappers. The
last day of workshops and panels on Saturday concludes
with the gala banquet and awards ceremony later
that evening.
Sunday,
July 16, brings a more relaxed event, a networking brunch
featuring South Asian standup comics.
"This year's convention will have something for everyone," said Vikas
Bajaj, SAJA's vice president and a business reporter at The New York
Times. "From hip hop to international relations between the United
States and South Asia, the convention will address a range of issues
that are of interest to our members, the larger journalism profession
and the South Asian community."
The convention and dinner are open to the public. All are welcome. Visit http://www.saja.org for details, including ticket information. Those interested in press passes should send relevant information to saja@columbia.edu. |
SAJA
JOURNALISM AWARDS 2006
Winners for work executed in calendar year 2005. Each person/team below will receive a certificate at the
SAJA Annual Dinner on Saturday, July 15, 2006, at Columbia University. The student winners will receive an additional cash prize. |
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CATEGORIES
FOR US/CANADIAN MEDIA OUTLETS
I. The Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding story about South Asia, or South Asians in North America: Print
- 1. Fabian Dawson, Valerie Fortney, Michael Roberts, Ted Rhodes, Vancouver Province and Calgary Herald, for "Abandoned Brides: Canada's Shame, India's Sorrow." A joint public service investigative project by two newspapers about sham weddings by Canadians to women in India. The story, which ran over five days in October 2005, had wide-ranging impact, including changes in governmental procedures and the issuance of a religious decree condemning the practice.
- 2. Cam Simpson, Chicago Tribune, for "Pipeline to Peril." An investigative series about the deaths of 12 Nepalese men massacred in Iraq and how they were pawns in an international trafficking scheme, one that gets financial support from the U.S. government, which relies on an illicit pipeline of cheap labor for America's military bases in the region.
- 3. (tie) Amy Waldman, The New York Times, for "India Accelerating." A four-part series on India's vast new highway network, its biggest public works project since independence - and all that the project is helping to spread: capitalism, transformation of villages and AIDS.
- 3. (tie) BusinessWeek staff for "China & India: What You Need to Know Now." A special cover story that comprehensively compared the rise of these two giants and offered reportage, analysis and guidance for how America can do business - and compete - with both countries.
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II. Outstanding story about South Asia, or South Asians in North America: Broadcast (TV/Radio)
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- 1. Anna Cater, Safina Uberoi, Wide Angle, Thirteen/WNET, for "1-800-INDIA." A documentary about how the lives of young Indian men and women working at call centers are changing - and how, they, in turn, are changing India.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/india2
- 2. Madhulika Sikka, Jay Lamonica, Brook Runnette, ABC News Nightline, for "Bollywood 101." A special report on India's movie industry, its biggest starts and its impact on Indian culture and society.
- 3. Shazia Khan, NY1 News, for "Little Bangladesh ." A look at the Bangladeshi community in Brooklyn, NY.
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III. Outstanding story about South Asia, or South Asians in North America: New Media
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- 1. Arthur Rhodes, AsiaMedia, for "Sri Lanka's Presidential
Election: Tamils Explain Why They Will Not Vote." A piece that
explores how the country's civil war is shaping its election.
- 2. Shruti Mathur, Minneapolis-St. Paul StarTribune.com, for
"Being Hindu." A multimedia slideshow that describes what it is to be
a Hindu to a Midwestern readership.
- 3. Francis C Assisi, Elizabeth Pothen, INDOlink.com, for
"South Asians and the US Civil War." A series that investigates the
role South Asians played during the US Civil War.
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| IV. Outstanding editorial/commentary on South Asia, or South Asians in North America: All media |
- 1. Bret Stephens, The Wall Street Journal, for "Chinook Diplomacy." A first-hand look at the effect of U.S. aid, delivered by Chinook helicopters and other means, on areas in Pakistan devastated by the 2005 earthquake.
- 2. Anindya Mukherjee, Bloomberg, for "The Evolving India." A series of columns about India's efforts to modernize its industries and its political system.
- 3. Swetha Iyengar, India Life & Style, for "20 Something." A series of essays by a young South Asian American, covering, race, politics, religion and more.
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V. Outstanding photograph about South Asia, or South Asians in North America (single or series)
- 1. Tomas Van Houtryve, Time Asia , for " Gunning for Nepal." A series of photographs that depict one of Asia's deadliest conflicts.
- 2. John Stanmeyer, Time Asia, for "Beyond Denial." A series that portrays how India's government and wider society have yet to acknowledge the scale of the country's AIDS problem.
- 3. Yuri Kozyrev, Time Asia, for "Asian Journey: Ghosts of War." A series that depicts how decades of conflicts have left a permanent mark on the Afghan landscape.
See a slideshow with full-size images of the winners.
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CATEGORIES FOR SOUTH ASIAN JOURNALISTS BASED IN THE US OR CANADA
VI. Outstanding story on any subject: Print
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- 1. Geeta Anand, The Wall Street Journal, for "The Most Expensive Drugs." A four-part series about how well-intentioned legislation to encourage treatments for rare diseases has led to a wave of very expensive drugs, some costing patients as much as $600,000 a year .
- 2. Shankar Vedantam, The Washington Post, for "Psychiatry's Missing Diagnosis." A three-part series on the importance of ethnic and social differences in treating mental patients.
- 3. Bijal Trivedi, Wired, for "The Rembrandt Code." A report on high-tech techniques are being put to battling forgeries of classic paintings.
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| VII. Outstanding story on any subject: Broadcast/Radio
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- 1. Pia Sawhney & Sanjana Singh, Chai Break Films, for "Out of Status." A documentary about four Muslim families whose lives were changed when a family member was detained or deported after 9/11.
- 2. Sharmeen Obaid, New York Times Television, for "Women of the Holy Kingdom." A documentary about the everyday lives of Saudi women. Produced with Jay Keuper and Maiken Baird.
- 3. Arun Venugopal, WNYC, for "Kabaddi in Queens." A light-hearted radio piece about the fifth annual international Kabaddi tournament in Queens and the unique characters playing this unique sport.
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VIII. Outstanding story on any subject: New Media
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IX. Outstanding editorial/op-ed/commentary on any subject: All media
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- 1. Dharma Adhikari, Counterpunch, for "The Reversal of Democracy in Nepal." An in-depth analysis of current events in Nepal.
- 2. Shivali Shah, Southern Exposure, for "South Asian Americans in the American South." A cover-story essay that explores the experiences of South Asian immigrants in southern U.S. states.
- 3. Sindya Narayanaswamy, Khabar, for "Musings on Identity." An essay about a young South Asian American's visit to nonprofit in Bangalore.
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CATEGORIES FOR STUDENTS OF SOUTH ASIAN ORIGIN IN US OR CANADA
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| X. Outstanding story on any subject by a South Asian STUDENT in the US or Canada: All media, including photography. |
| The student winners receive a certificate, plus a cash award as indicated below.
- 1. Arjun Kashyap, Michigan State University, for "The New Indian Princes." An in-depth report about prominent Indian executives and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and how their education and experiences in India shaped them. ($500.00)
- 2. Mayank S. Bubna, New York University, for "Artists in Exile," published in Humanus. A look at the growth of the Tibetan art movement in the U.S. and abroad. ($300.00)
- 3. Rohina Phadnis, University of Maryland, for "Cabbie and the City," published in ABCDLady. A profile of an Pakistani cab driver and his adventures in New York. ($200.00)
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SPECIAL ONE-TIME CATEGORY FOR COVERAGE OF 2005 SOUTH ASIA QUAKE
XI. Outstanding story covering the Earthquake's aftermath: All Media
1. Janet I. Tu & Thomas James Hurst, Seattle Times, for "A Journey to Pakistan." A special report about the efforts by a Pakistani organization in Seattle to make a difference among the suffering and destruction caused by the earthquake.
http://www.seattletimes.com/pakistan
2. Somini Sengupta, The New York Times, for a series of front-page and other stories that covered the earthquake from all angles.
- 3. (tie) Matthew Pennington, Tim Sullivan, Munir Ahmad, Associated Press, for series of stories about the human cost of the earthquake.
- 3. (tie) Satinder Bindra, CNN, for series of breaking news reports about the earthquake and its aftermath.
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* ATTENTION: Winners - we need a response! All first, second and third prize winners are provided one free convention pass (for the four days) and gala dinner ticket (in addition to a certificate). See program of the convention here. If you would like to buy a table for 10 to have your colleagues and friends cheer you on, please let us know. If you are a winner and would like to buy a discounted ticket for just the dinner - in addition to the free one you get - please let us know. E-mail saja@deepnews.org - subject line = Award winner response. Even if they are not attending, the winners should contact saja@deepnews.org so that we can make sure the certificate is mailed to them in August. Also, please let us know of URLs for the winning stories.
Notes:
* No award was made this year in the category of photography by South Asian journalists.
* The awards were judged by journalists drawn from various newsrooms in New York and Connecticut and the faculty of the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism in New York and the Indiana University School of Journalism at Bloomington. Our thanks to all the judges.
WINNERS OF THE 2006 SAJA SCHOLARSHIPS
SAJA has also announced the winners of its 2006 journalism scholarships. They are Sumit Dayal and Rubina Madan in the graduate student category; Sonia Moghe in the college category; and Manisha Priyadarshan in the high school category.
These annual monetary awards recognize the reporting abilities and commitment of emerging journalists. Students from across the United States, Canada and South Asia applied for the awards. The judging was conducted by SAJA professional members. The recipients will receive awards from SAJA for $1,500 (graduate school), $1,000 (college), and $1,000 (high school) to fund their education.
Dayal, a student at the International Center of Photography in New York City, plans to work on a photo project about war zones after graduating this year. "More than anything else, the SAJA scholarship is a recognition of my work. As an aspiring photojournalist, this means a lot to me," he said.
Madan, who plans to enter Columbia University's School of Journalism this fall, has been an education reporter at the Gwinnett Daily Post in Lawrenceville, Ga. She is a 2005 graduate of Emory University.
"As the cost of higher education continues to rise, and prospects for young journalists look bleak, it is important to have the support of SAJA and other organizations to help minority journalists achieve their goals," Madan said. "Our newsrooms need to increase their diversity to match the changing American population. Otherwise they run the risk of isolating themselves from their readers."
Moghe, the college category winner, is a senior at Texas A&M University. "I can hardly express the depth of my gratitude to SAJA and its members," she said. "Since I was a freshman, I've been reading messages on the SAJA e-mail lists and grew wide-eyed at the amount of involvement South Asians had in the media. SAJA has always
inspired me to persevere to achieve my dream."
Priyadarshan, a graduate of Methacton High School in Norrisville, Pa., will enter Temple University this fall.
"The scholarship from SAJA will relieve a financial burden by helping me to pay for my education without any anxiety," she said. "More importantly, though, it will provide me with the encouragement to venture into the field of journalism as a representative of the South Asian community. I feel honored that SAJA has found me worthy of this scholarship."
All four recipients will be recognized at SAJA's Awards Dinner in New York City on Saturday, July 15, 2006
ABOUT SAJA GROUP, INC. & SAJA
SAJA, the South Asian Journalists Association, was founded in March 1994 as a networking group for journalists of South Asian origin in New York City. It has grown into a national group of more than 1,000 journalists working for leading publications, broadcast networks and online outlets in various cities in the US and Canada.
SAJA works closely with SAJA Group, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, in offering a variety of activities and resources.
Details of SAJA's activities and resources for journalists are available at http://www.saja.org.
Among these are the SAJA Journalism Awards program (http://www.saja.org/awards.html), Web-based SAJA Stylebook for Covering South Asia and the South Asian Diaspora (http://www.saja.org/stylebook) and its tips and resources for journalists covering South Asia or South Asians living in North America (http://www.saja.org/tips.html).
The flagship chapter in New York chapter hosts monthly meetings in Manhattan with distinguished guest speakers, as well as various career-oriented panels. SAJA has busy chapters in Washington DC, Bay Area, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Texas and Boston.
Please direct all questions about the SAJA Awards to Sandeep Junnarkar, awards chair: saja@deepnews.org; http://www.saja.org. Please contact Vikas Bajaj, convention chair and business reporter for The New York Times for information about the convention. |
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