Fox News congressional correspondent Chad Pergram, ABC News foreign correspondent James Longman, and CNN photojournalist Eddie Gross have been honored by the Radio Television Correspondents’ Association (RTCA) in 2020.
Pergram has earned the RTCA’s 36th annual Joan S. Barone award for excellence in journalism. The award honors the memory of the late Joan Shorenstein Barone, former executive producer of Face the Nation.
Pergram is a repeat Barone award winner, previously earning the honor in 2006.
Pergram joined Fox News in 2007, and had been senior Capitol Hill producer before being promoted to congressional correspondent in January. He focused his award-winning coverage on the impeachment of President Trump, the Mueller investigation, contempt of Congress citations, and breaking down confusing Congressional procedures with props: a kitchen blender and ping-pong balls.
Pergram also won the Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in reporting in 2007, and two years later, Washingtonian recognized Pergram as one of the top 50 journalists in Washington.
He was the first journalist to confirm the death of Osama bin Laden on the air in 2011. In 2017, Pergram first reported that a shooter wounded House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) at a Congressional baseball practice. A die-hard hockey fan, Pergram joined the Washington Capitals for their Nov. 3, 2018 contest against the Dallas Stars. He was responsible for the intermission reports, game resets toward the end of each period and spots on the pregame and postgame shows.
ABC News foreign correspondent James Longman earned the David Bloom Award, named for the late NBC News correspondent and anchor.
According to the RTCA, “The award recognizes a journalist who has exhibited courage in their commitment to staying fresh and daring in their reporting under strenuous circumstances.”
Based in London, Longman was the first U.S. broadcast network reporter at the Thai cave where the soccer team went missing, and was the first to interview them after their rescue. In Syria, he was the first to gain a television interview with American ISIS bride Huda Mothana. From terror attacks in Sri Lanka, protests in Hong Kong, climate change in Antarctica, or earthquakes in Indonesia—and even a royal tour with Harry and Meghan—Longman has covered a wide variety of stories for the network.
Prior to joining ABC in 2017, Longman worked at the BBC as the Beirut correspondent and a general news reporter. During his stint at the BBC, Longman covered everything from terrorist attacks across Europe, to mental health issues and adolescent drug use.
Last, but not least, CNN photojournalist Eddie Gross has earned the ninth annual Jerry Thompson Memorial Award, which honors the memory of the late Jerry Thompson, also a photojournalist at CNN, and was established in 2012 by the RTCA Executive Committee.
Since 1985, he has covered six United States presidents, as well as many kings, queens, and prime ministers from all over the world.
He’s also covered stories ranging from the Iran-Contras Hearing to numerous presidential elections and presidential impeachment trials to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic. These days, Gross is best known for his work with CNN chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju,
According to RTCA, “Eddie embodies the ideals of the Jerry Thompson Award for his hard work, selfless demeanor, constant smile, and most importantly being a friend to all.”