International Women’s Media Foundation Honoring Four Brave Women Journalists Who Confronted Danger to Cover World News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Four brave women journalists who have risked their lives covering the news will be honored by the International Women’s Media Foundation with Courage in Journalism Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award in Los Angeles on Oct. 24 and New York on Oct. 27.

IWMF’S Courage in Journalism Award winners face daunting challenges reporting on violence in their countries. Mexican drug cartels have murdered two editors and threatened to kill Zeta editor Adela Navarro Bello, Iranian officials have targeted and harassed Reuters bureau chief Parisa Hafezi and Thailand authorities have charged editor Chiranuch Premchaiporn with violating laws for allowing 10 strangers to post anti-royal comments on her website, Prachatai. Premchaiporn is standing trial now, facing up to 70 years in prison in a test of Internet freedom.

Legendary reporter Kate Adie, BBC’s first chief news correspondent, will be awarded the IWMF’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Adie has paved the way for future generations of women journalists by fearlessly covering breaking news from Bosnia to Sierra Leone for decades.

“These courageous women have endured terrible hardships, without questioning their own safety. They face danger and violence to report the day’s most important stories, despite being targeted by authorities,” said IWMF Board Co-Chair Barbara Cochran. “We are honored to tell the world their stories.”

IWMF Courage Co-chair Judy Woodruff of PBS NewsHour will oversee the New York luncheon as mistress of ceremonies at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Oct. 27. Honoring the winners will be ABC’s Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopoulos, Jordan Media Institute founder HRH Princess Rym Ali and Bloomberg News White House correspondent Julianna Goldman.

At the Los Angeles Courage in Journalism Awards dinner on Oct. 24 at The Beverly Hills Hotel, IWMF board member Cynthia McFadden of ABC News will be mistress of ceremonies. Joining her in honoring the winners will be Martha Raddatz, ABC News senior foreign affairs correspondent; Geoffrey Cowan, president of The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands; Angelica Fuentes Tellez, CEO of Grupo Omnilife, and Robert Scheer, former Los Angeles Times columnist and now Truthdig editor. “Mad Men” TV actress Cara Buono will be an honored guest.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will deliver a videotaped message at the LA and NY events congratulating the women journalists for their brave efforts reporting the news.

Co-chairing the events are Bloomberg News and Walmart Stores, Inc. For information about purchasing tickets check the IWMF’s website:
http://bit.ly/iwmfcourageawards2011