(May 11, 2016 | Washington, D.C.) Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights announced the winners of its annual Book and Journalism Awards today.
David Maraniss receives the 2016 Robert F. Kennedy Book Award for Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story, an insightful look at Detroit’s history as a once-powerful manufacturing metropolis fueled by the motor industry, but with foreshadowing of an imminent decline.
“Throughout his life, my father held a deep commitment to freedom of expression and freedom of the press,” observed Kerry Kennedy, President, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. “He would invite reporters and news crews to join him in the most impoverished city neighborhoods, to Indian reservations and communities in Appalachia, California’s Central Valley or rural Indiana—places that often lacked electricity and plumbing—and he would ask the press corps why it wasn’t covering those issues and these places. The Journalists who followed his ’68 campaign created the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards in his name, to honor those who covered the issues most important to him.”
This year’s Book and Journalism Award winners were chosen from out of more than 300 submissions. Historian Michael Beschloss chaired the judges’ panel for the 2016 Robert F. Kennedy Book Award.
The book award, now in its 36th year, will be presented by Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy at a ceremony featuring remarks by Kerry Kennedy and Michael Beschloss on Wednesday, May 25, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.
The ceremony will also feature the presentation of the 2016 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, celebrating their 48th year. All honorees will receive a bust of Robert F. Kennedy in recognition of their award.
This year’s winning journalists, in nine professional and three student categories, are:
High School Broadcast Winner
“The Jellybean Jar of Life: Nick’s Story,” Becca Kristofferson, Jacob Jaeger, Dylan Goodman, and Seamus Levin, Mexico High School, Missouri
High School Print Winner
“What One Family Could Never Forget,” Anthony Kristensen, North Star, Francis Howell North High School, Missouri
College Journalism Winner
“Land of Broken Promises,” Depth Reporting Class, Meek School of Journalism and New Media, University of Mississippi
Domestic Print Winner
“Beware the Fine Print,” Jessica Silver-Greenberg, Michael Corkery, Robert Gebeloff, and Christine Kay, The New York Times
International Print Winner
“Seafood from Slaves, “ Martha Mendoza, Margie Mason, Robin McDowell, and Esther Htusan, The Associated Press
Domestic Photography Winner
“The Geography of Poverty,” Matt Black, MSNBC
International Photography Winner
“Europe’s Migrant Crisis,” Carolyn Cole, Los Angeles Times
Radio Winner
“Injured Nurses,” Daniel Zwerdling, NPR News
New Media Winner
“Exxon: The Road Not Taken”, Neela Banerjee, John Cushman, Jr., David Hasemyer, and Lisa Song, InsideClimate News
Cartoon Winner
“Editorial Cartoons,” Angelo Lopez, Philippines Today
Domestic Television Winner
“Citizenfour,” Laura Poitras, HBO
International Television Winner
“Escaping Isis,” Edward Watts, Raney Aronson, John Bredar, Andrew Metz, and Evan Williams, FRONTLINE/WGHB