The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) awarded its Edward R. Murrow Award to not one but two outstanding recipients this year. NPR International Correspondent (Dakar) Ofeibea Quist-Arcton was recognized for her reporting across Africa including coverage of the Ebola epidemic and Boko Haram. And, for the first time, CPB presented the Murrow award to a multimedia NPR journalist, Photographer and Video Editor David Gilkey, for his coverage of international breaking news, military conflicts and natural disasters. The two were honored at the 2015 Edward R. Murrow Award Lunch earlier this month during the Public Media Development and Marketing Conference in Washington D.C.
“This year’s Murrow Award celebrates the courage and commitment of two public media journalists who travel to conflict zones reporting the stories behind the headlines,” said Pat Harrison, president and CEO, CPB. “David Gilkey and Ofeibea Quist-Arcton are symbolic of the professionalism and dedication represented by public media journalists throughout our country and the world, bringing high-quality, trusted news and information to the American people.”
Ofeibea Quist-Arcton is NPR’s international correspondent in Africa who is well-known to audiences as a trusted voice of insightful news from across the continent. A veteran reporter for 30 years, she was the BBC's West Africa correspondent and was a roving reporter for PRI’s The World before joining NPR. Quist-Arcton has been at the vanguard of NPR’s expanded international coverage, including reporting on the Ebola crisis in West Africa. Her reporting on women, most notably her dogged coverage of Boko Haram and their exploitation of young girls has provided unmatched insights and unique coverage for public broadcasting audiences domestically and worldwide.
David Gilkey is an award-winning NPR photographer and video editor. For many years, he has reported from conflict zones in Afghanistan and the Middle East, on national disasters in Japan, Haiti and the Philippines, and on human tragedies including the Ebola crisis in West Africa. He is a leader in visual reporting who has earned 36 distinctions from the White House Photographers Association (WHPA) including Still Photographer of the Year in 2011. His reporting on difficulties faced by returning veterans is well-recognized including with a 2007 national Emmy Award for a video series “Band of Brothers” about Michigan Marines in Iraq.
It should be noted that Gilkey and Quist-Arcton were also part of the NPR team also recognized earlier this year with a Peabody Award for their coverage of the Ebola crisis.
At the award presentation Gilkey was modest and very self effacing. He said that standing front of more than 1,200 public radio professionals may be scarier than some of his assignments in war torn areas, such as Afghanistan. Quist-Arcton on the other hand doesn't seem to have a shy bone in her body. Famous for her sign offs, "For NPR News this Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, Dakaaaaar," she enveloped the crowd in that wonderfully resonant voice and vibrant personality. After the presentation of their awards respectively, Hari Sreenivasan from PBS NewsHour hosted a round table discussion with the two. It was a lively and touching discussion which reminded attendees why what public media does is so meaningful in our world.
Each year since 1977, the CPB has recognized outstanding contributions to public radio by presenting the Edward R. Murrow Award. This award honors individuals whose work has fostered the growth, quality, and positive image of public radio. During three decades in broadcasting as reporter, producer, executive, and government official, Edward R. Murrow was an outspoken advocate for responsible, courageous, and imaginative use of the electronic media.
Learn more about the Edward R. Murrow Award here including previous winners Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, Nina Totenberg, Ira Glass, and others.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,400 locally-owned and -operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television and related online services.
