2024 Zenger Award Dinner Program

John Peter and Anna Catherine Zenger Award for Press Freedom Dinner November 1, 2024

Presented by the University of Arizona School of Journalism

#Zenger2024

Welcome Greetings, Thank you for joining us this evening at the Zenger Award for Press Freedom Dinner, hosted by the University of Arizona School of Journalism.

It is with great honor that we present this prestigious award, which has, since 1954, celebrated steadfast champions of a free press and the fundamental right of the public to be informed.

Tonight, we pay tribute to the remarkable Lyse Doucet, chief international correspondent for the BBC, whose distinguished career spans four decades across West Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe.

Doucet has demonstrated unwavering courage in her reporting on the most pressing global issues, including war, famine, drought, and the plight of refugees—all from regions often hostile to journalistic freedom. Her exemplary work has garnered significant accolades, including a Peabody Award for her groundbreaking coverage of maternal mortality rates in Afghanistan and an Emmy Award for her compelling reports on the conflict in Syria during the tumultuous Arab Spring.

Through her storytelling, Doucet illuminates the lived experiences of individuals, reminding us of the profound impact of journalism on society. In her own words, as she shared with The Guardian in 2015, "I'm a big believer in the small story telling the big story."

Her dedication echoes the legacy of colonial printer John Peter Zenger, who, in 1735, faced imprisonment for daring to criticize the British governor. During his incarceration, his wife, Anna Catherine Zenger, admirably took up the mantle of publishing their newspaper, exemplifying resilience in the face of adversity.

In the face of numerous challenges, journalism is guided by figures like Lyse Doucet, who illuminate the path toward enlightenment and empower individuals with essential information to improve their lives and advocate for their freedoms.

As the University of Arizona School of Journalism strives to train the next generation of journalists, we are honored to present them with an inspiring example of exceptional journalism.

Thank you and gracias,

Dr. Jessica Retis Director, School of Journalism

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Program DINNER OPENING REMARKS E m ce e Fe r n a n d a E ch av ar r i Ch r i s K l in e , CE O o f Ar i z o n a Me d i a As s o c i at i o n a n d Ar i z o n a Lo ca l N e ws F o u n d a t io n D r . J es s i ca Re t i s , D i r ec t o r o f t h e S ch o o l o f J o u r na l i s m

P R E S E N T A T I O N OF ZENGER AWARD D r . J a n e Z a v i s c a , As so c i a t e Dea n f o r Re s ea r ch & Gr a d u a t e S t u d ie s , Co l l eg e o f S o c i a l a n d B e h a v i o r a l S ci e n ce s

ACCEPTANCE REMARKS L y s e Do u c et , Ch i e f I n t er n at i o n a l Co r r es p o n d en t , B BC

DESSERT QU E S T I O N - A N D - A N S W E R L y s e Do u c et a n d D r . Mo n i ca Ch a d h a , D i r e ct o r o f Gr a d u a t e S t u d i es a nd As s o ci a t e P r o f es s o r , School of Journalism

CLOSING REMARKS E m c ee F er na n d a E ch a v a r r i

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Meet the emcee Fernanda Echavarri is an award-winning bilingual journalist and a senior producer of podcasts at Futuro Studios based in New York City. She has received a Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, a National Edward R. Murrow Award, a Dori J. Maynard Award for Diversity in Journalism, a Regional Emmy Award, and has been a Peabody Award finalist.

She has worked for local newspapers, Arizona Public Media, Latino USA, and Mother Jones Magazine.

Fernanda is a native of Queretaro, Mexico, and graduated from the School of Journalism in 2007.

A Special Thanks To: Title Sponsor

Corporate Sponsors

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About the School of Journalism The University of Arizona journalism program, founded in 1951 and nationally accredited since 1964, offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and studies of global media, as well as an M.A. in bilingual journalism.

We are one of few programs in the country to offer dual master’s degrees in Latin American Studies, Middle Eastern and North African Studies and other disciplines. In addition to a strong focus on border and global journalism, the school also excels in science and environmental journalism, and visual and audio reporting.

The school teaches reporting fundamentals that can help graduates in their career, whether it be in print, broadcast or digital arenas. Students learn to gather information then critically analyze and effectively communicate that information accurately and ethically in any format.

The school requires every student to take courses in ethics, public affairs reporting and media publication. Classes are also small, allowing students to get to know their professors and effectively practice the skills they are learning.

Faculty members and adjunct instructors have professional experience in local, national and international outlets, including the New York Times, BBC World Service and NPR. Our graduates have gone to work for major news media outlets ranging from The Associated Press and The New York Times to CNN International and NBC’s TODAY show; they have won major awards in the profession, including Pulitzer Prizes and Edward R. Murrow Awards; they have written and produced stories that have changed state and national laws and policies; and they continue to serve communities across the country as reporters, producer, editors and more.

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2024 Zenger Award for Press Freedom Lyse Doucet BBC News

Lyse Doucet is the BBC’s award-winning chief international correspondent and a presenter for BBC World News and BBC World Service. She began her career with the BBC as a foreign correspondent in 1983, reporting from North and West Africa, Jordan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and other areas of South Asia and the Middle East.

Since joining BBC’s team of presenters in 1999, Doucet has often been deployed to give special reports from the field and has covered numerous humanitarian crises, natural disasters, famines, wars and the assassinations of world leaders.

In 2014, Doucet and her team won an Emmy award for their reporting from Syria. That same year, she was awarded the 6

Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her contributions to broadcast journalism. During an admirable 40-year career, she has also received a Peabody, a David Bloom Award, a Bayeux CalvadosNormandy Award, a Sony Radio Academy Award and an Edward R. Murrow award, among other honors.

Born in New Brunswick, Doucet was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2018 and has been awarded honorary degrees by more than a dozen universities in Canada and the United Kingdom, including two honorary doctorates conferred earlier this year.

“For decades Doucet has done an exceptional job reporting from all over the world, obtaining prestigious recognitions for her contributions to journalism,” School of Journalism Director Jessica Retis said. “Her inclusive and diverse perspective on news coverage inspired the journalism school to choose her as recipient of the Zenger Award.”

Still taken from a video shared with the School of Journalism

by Doucet in Israel in October 2023.

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Zenger Award History In the early 1730s, John Peter Zenger printed articles critical of the governor of New York in The New-York Weekly Journal, America's first independent political newspaper. Zenger didn't write the stories, but as printer, he was sued by the governor. While he sat in jail, saddled with an outrageously high bail, his wife, Anna Catherine, continued printing the newspaper.

John Peter Zenger

The 1734 bench warrant for Zenger's arrest charged him with "printing and publishing several seditious libels dispersed throughout his journals or newspapers, entitled The New-York Weekly Journal; as having in them many things tending to raise factions and tumults among the people of this Province, inflaming their minds with contempt of His Majesty's government, and greatly disturbing the peace thereof."

Philadelphia attorney Andrew Hamilton defended Zenger, arguing that the published statements could not be libelous if they were true. At the time, English law was designed to protect government from critical elements and held that truth was not a defense to libel. The jury disagreed, exonerating Zenger and establishing an ongoing central tenet to defamation law: that truth is an absolute defense. The decision redefined libel and slander law and laid the foundation for today's freedom of the press.

In 1954, the University of Arizona journalism program's first department head, Douglas D. Martin, developed a plan to create the Zenger Award and give it to a journalist who fought for freedom of the press and the people's right to know.

Seventy years later, the School of Journalism stands behind Martin's commitment, and we are still firm in the belief that a free press is vital if democracy is to thrive.

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Information for this article came from the Historical Society of the Courts of the State of New York.

Past Winners 2022 - Yamiche Alcindor 2021 - Committee to Protect _ Journalists 2019 - Christiane Amanpour 2018 - Carmen Aristegui 2017 - Dean Baquet 2016 - Dana Priest 2015 - Kathy Gannon 2014 - Paul Steiger 2013 - Jonathan Randal 2012 - Rocio Gallegos || Rodriguez and Sandra || Rodriguez Nieto 2009 - Tom Arviso Jr. 2007 - Jerry Mitchell 2005 - Bill Moyers 2003 - Vanessa Leggett 2001 - Lou Boccardi and The “ Associated Press 2000 - Paul K. McMasters 1998 - U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy 1997 - Mark Goodman 1996 - Nat Hentoff 1995 - Ben Bagdikian 1994 - Investigative Reporters & {{ Editors 1993 - Jane E. Kirtley 1992 - Helen Thomas 1991 - Peter Arnett 1990 - Terry A. Anderson 1989 - Robert C. Maynard 1988 - Jean H. Otto 1987 - Eugene L. Roberts Jr. 1986 - John R. Finnegan

1985 - Thomas Winship 1984 - Tom Wicker 1982 - Fred W. Friendly 1981 - Paul S. Cousley 1980 - Walter Cronkite 1979 - Jack C. Landau 1978 - Robert H. Estabrook 1977 - Robert W. Greene 1976 - Donald E. Bolles 1975 - Seymour M. Hersh 1974 - Thomas E. Gish 1973 - Katharine Graham 1972 - Dan Hicks Jr. 1971 - The New York Times 1970 - Erwin D. Canham 1969 - J. Edward Murray 1968 - Wes Gallagher 1967 - John S. Knight 1966 - Arthur Krock 1964 - John Netherland Heiskell 1963 - James B. Reston 1962 - John H. Colburn 1961 - Clark R. Mollenhoff 1960 - Virgil M. Newton 1959 - Herbert Brucker 1958 - John Moss 1957 - James R. Wiggins 1956 - James S. Pope 1955 - Basil L. Walters 1954 - E. Palmer Hoyt Note: Some years, the award was not given.

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A new look The University of Arizona School of Journalism is excited to share ArizonaSonoranNews.com with our community and supporters. Launched last spring, the website features and shares reporting by student journalists.

The new AZSN site is the latest evolution of the school’s student-produced community news service started in 1973.

AZSN provides local and national news organizations access to browse and republish news stories, photos, audio projects and other work produced by students in their journalism classes.

As ASZN grows, the school plans to add student leadership roles, incorporate broadcast packages and expand the reach of student reporting.

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To support those efforts, visitors can donate to Arizona Sonoran News to help with the cost of running the website.

The option to donate is included at the bottom of each story.

Arizona Sonoran News is currently taught by longtime adjunct instructor and Arizona Daily Star reporter Cathy Burch.

ArizonaSonoranNews.com was made possible by a generous donation from School of Journalism Associate Professor Susan E. Swanberg in honor of her late husband, Richard Wood.

See student work here!

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The School of Journalism

Faculty Josh Anderson Kendal Blust Monica Chadha

Zicheng Cheng Jeannine Relly Jessica Retis

Susan Swanberg Rick Wiley

Staff Vanessa DeCardenas Meredith Edwards Anna Marie Garcia

Jordan Chin Mitra Christian Kelly Copley

Jesse Tellez Maggie Trinkle

Adjunct Instructors Fred Brock Cathalena Burch Shannon Conner Jasmine Demers Alexander Gonzalez

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Joanna Jacobo Mandy Loader Patty Machelor Tyler McCusker Irene McKisson

Becky Pallack Ralph Robinson Caitlin Schmidt Robin Tricoles

Journalism Advisory Council The School of Journalism extends its appreciation to the members of the Journalism Advisory Council:

Joe Altman ('99) Jo Marie Barkley ('86) Cathie Batbie-Loucks David Bodney Jim Calle ('85, Vice Chair) Valerie Cavazos ('91) Michael Chihak ('71, Chair) Mariana Dale ('14) John D’Anna ('83) Scott Harelson ('84) Kimberly Kayler ('94) Chris Kline Pila Martinez ('96) David McCumber Dan Mitchell ('04) Nate Olivarez-Giles ('08) Nicole Santa Cruz ('09) Caitlin Schmidt ('14) David Silver Mark Woodhams 13

Thank you!

This evening would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors and all who attended.

Title Sponsor

Corporate Sponsors

Table Sponsors Arizona Luminaria College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Jim Calle Tucson Sentinel Tucson Spotlight

Stay connected with us on social media! @uazjschool

#Zenger2024

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