CNN's Christiane Amanpour to Present Keynote Speech at International Center for Journalists' Annual Awards Dinner

CNN's Christiane Amanpour to Present Keynote Speech at International Center for Journalists' Annual Awards Dinner

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner John Burns will receive Excellence in Journalism Award

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour will give the keynote address at the International Center for Journalists' Awards Dinner on November 12 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Veteran foreign correspondent John Burns, the London Bureau Chief for The New York Times, will receive the ICFJ Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism at the event.

For more than 25 years, Amanpour has covered breaking international news, including conflicts in the Balkans, Africa and the Middle East, and secured exclusive interviews with world leaders. For this work, she has won a string of prestigious awards, including nine Emmys.

At the event, Burns will receive an award for journalism excellence in honor of ICFJ's three founders, Tom Winship, Jim Ewing and George Krimsky, who were dedicated to advancing quality journalism worldwide. A reporter for The New York Times since 1975, Burns has covered nearly every global hot spot, from the Balkans to Iraq and Afghanistan. He won a Pulitzer for International Reporting in 1993 for his coverage of Sarajevo and another in 1997 for reports on the Taliban.

"When you envision the ideal for top-notch international reporting, Christiane Amanpour and John Burns instantly come to mind," said ICFJ Chairman James Hoge. "Over many years, we have relied on them for smart, on-the-spot coverage and analysis during times of crisis-and we're honored that both will address our dinner."

ABC's Washington Bureau Chief George Stephanopoulos will serve as the master of ceremonies. Alberto Ibarguen, president and CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, will also present the 2008 Knight International Journalism Awards to top international journalists. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the awards. Nominations for these awards are open to the public until April 4 (www.knight.icfj.org/nominate).

"The dinner enables us to honor outstanding journalists who dare to report the news despite huge hardships," said ICFJ President Joyce Barnathan. "We hope this serves as encouragement to others who are committed to groundbreaking journalism."

The International Center for Journalists, a non-profit, professional organization, promotes quality journalism worldwide in the belief that independent, vigorous media are crucial in improving the human condition. Aiming to raise the standards of journalism, ICFJ offers hands-on training workshops, seminars, fellowships and international exchanges to journalists and media managers around the globe. For more information, visit www.icfj.org.

Source: The International Center for Journalists

CONTACT: Dawn Arteaga, Communications Director, +1-202-349-7624,
darteaga@icfj.org

Web site: http://www.icfj.org/
http://www.knight.icfj.org/nominate

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Profile: International Entertainment