CNN has won three awards over the past 24 hours. The network won two awards at the Radio/Television Correspondents’ Association Dinner last night and a Livingston Award for an online multimedia feature this afternoon.
CNN took home two of the four awards presented at RTCA event. Chief congressional correspondent Dana Bash and senior producer Deirdre Walsh won the Joan S. Barone Award for excellence in congressional reporting and senior photojournalist Tony Umrani won the Jerry Thompson Award for excellence in photojournalism. The BBC and WTOP’s Dave McConnell were also honored with awards.
“Mauritania: Slavery’s Last Stronghold,” a multimedia feature by CNN Digital’s John Sutter and Edythe McNamee, was also announced as a Livingston Award winner this afternoon.
“There are a lot of ways we know our programming is making an impact. These types of awards are an important one,” CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker wrote to staffers in a memo this afternoon. “Congratulations to everyone involved, and thanks for your continued hard work.”
Read Zucker’s full memo after the jump.
I am happy to be sharing more great news of honors CNN has received in the past 24 hours.
Last night, at the Radio & Television Congressional Correspondents’ Association dinner, a few of our colleagues were honored for their commitment to journalism and newsgathering. Chief congressional correspondent Dana Bash and senior producer Deirdre Walsh were honored for excellence in congressional reporting with the Joan S. Barone award. In 2012, Deirdre and Dana’s reporting of the insider trading bill, known as the Stock Act, uncovered a flaw in the legislation which enabled lawmakers and their families to profit from securities trading. In addition, senior photojournalist Tony Umrani was the recipient of the second annual Jerry Thompson award, which exhibits excellence in the field of photojournalism. This honor is especially important to the CNN family because it is awarded in remembrance of our colleague and veteran photojournalist Jerry Thompson.
What has surely become one of the winningest works in CNN history was recognized with another prestigious accolade this afternoon. “Mauritania: Slavery’s Last Stronghold,” the remarkable multimedia feature by CNN Digital’s John Sutter and Edythe McNamee, has added to its achievements a Livingston Award. Reported in support of The Freedom Project, the story takes an artful look at a country that publicly abolished slavery in 1981, yet an estimated 10-20 percent of the population remains enslaved.
There are a lot of ways we know our programming is making an impact. These types of awards are an important one. Congratulations to everyone involved, and thanks for your continued hard work.
– Jeff