Leadership Award

Maria Hinojosa, NPR's Latino USA and NOW on PBS
Maria Hinojosa embodies the qualities that NAHJ's Leadership Award seeks to recognize and encourage. Throughout an engaging career that has spanned radio, television and print, Hinojosa has covered a wide range of issues and concerns affecting Latinos. Her voice is well known by a national audience that listens to the weekly segments of Latino USA, where she is managing editor and host, or view the PBS newsmagazine NOW, where she is senior correspondent. Previously, she worked for CNN and CBS. Hinojosa is also the author of two books: "Raising Raul: Adventures Raising Myself and My Son" and "Crews: Gang Members Talk to Maria Hinojosa," and a contributor to two others. As we face difficult times it is comforting to have Maria Hinojosa survive and thrive. We hope her award will inspire the old media and the new media to recognize the added value of Latino journalists.

Emerging Journalist Award

Fernando Diaz, The Chicago Reporter
With just four years of professional news experience, Fernando Diaz's accomplishments in the field are truly impressive. He mastered the basics of journalism quickly by working as a night cops reporter before earning a job as a bilingual investigative reporter for The Chicago Reporter , a bimonthly social justice magazine. One of Diaz's stories showed his ability to dig and analyze portions of the Illinois state budget to uncover some negative impacts on immigrants. Diaz has also shown his ability to "converge" his work to other media platforms. He has taken a lead in developing his magazine's Internet coverage and adapting his stories for Spanish language television. Diaz's work exemplifies his commitment to the Latino community and a willingness to find new ways for his stories to make an impact.

Frank Del Olmo Print Journalist of the Year Award

Diana Washington Valdez, El Paso Times
Diana Washington Valdez has done extensive work as a journalist, putting herself at personal risk to give voice to the truly voiceless. That's journalism as practiced and encouraged by Frank del Olmo. Her distinguished work includes the book "The Killing Fields: Harvest of Women." More than a few stories have been written about the chain of murders and disappearances of the women of Ciudad Juarez, but Valdez's work shows consistency, persistence and a direct way of writing that brings this issue home.

Broadcast Journalist of the Year Award

Jim Avila, ABC News
Jim Avila has shown a body of high-quality work distinguished by a special talent for creating rapport with people of all walks of life. In addition to doing compelling features and covering his beat well, he also has continued to report in dangerous situations to ensure that news gets out to the world. Add to all that Avila's down-to-earth personality and his commitment to mentoring and working with the next generation of journalists and you have a well-rounded person who exemplifies the best of journalism.

Photographer of the Year Award

Ray Chavez, Oakland Tribune
Besides shooting wonderful photos such as the series "The Mayan Way" that documented the lives of Guatemalans and immigrants, Ray Chavez has shown leadership in and out of the newsroom. He has become a bridge between the ever-growing Latino community and the newspaper. He has embraced the digital culture and worked hard to present packages with teams of reporters and editors. And he has taken great pride in mentoring student photographers and journalists as part of the newspaper's partnership with San Francisco State and San Jose State universities, as well as Freedom Forum and Maynard Institute interns. Beyond all his skills, editors said, "Ray is just a great guy."

NAHJ 2008 JOURNALISM AWARDS

The NAHJ Journalism Awards honor Latino journalists for excellence in their specialized fields of work or any journalist for their outstanding coverage of the Latino community.

PRINT – Breaking News

Leticia Espinosa, HOY Chicago -- “Elvira Arellano saldrá del santuario”
The reporter followed this immigration story that captured the country's attention, as well as attention in Mexico, for a year. The relationship with the subject allowed reporter Leticia Espinosa to gain an exclusive breaking news story that Elvira Arellano would leave the sanctuary of the church she'd been living in for a year. Though she risked being arrested by federal agents and deported, Arellano explained her plans to leave Aldaberto United Methodist Church and travel with her 8-year-old son, Saul, to Washington. The Hoy story was followed by Spanish and English media nationwide, and Arellano later continued her crusade for immigration reform from Mexico.

PDF Files of winning entry:

John Diaz, San Francisco Chronicle
In his columns, John Diaz, editorial page editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, brings close to home three controversial issues of our time: the government’s abuse of civil liberties, with a personal experience; the absurdities of the immigration debate, due to the lack of comprehensive immigration reform; and the anguish over the difficulties in the journalism profession at the beginning of the 21st century.

Word Files of winning entry:

Rachel Dissell, Reporter and Gus Chan, Photographer The Plain Dealer -– “Johanna: Facing Forward”
This story of a gunshot-to-the-face survivor is excellent writing that grabs you from the first line. The narrative moves the immigrant story forward by incorporating how her Guatemalan and Puerto Rican parents’ culture affected this teenager’s life. But then the story goes beyond that and shines a light on dating violence, teen life, surgical advances and the universal theme of a survivor with a strong spirit – who happens to be Latina.

PDF Files of winning entry:

The entire series from The Plain Dealer:

PRINT – Investigative News

Mc Nelly Torres, South Florida Sun-Sentinel -– “Is your nail salon safe?”
This is a good example of modern-day investigative journalism that results in a more educated -- and hopefully safer -- public. The reporter used computer database skills to substantiate the problem of widespread unsanitary conditions in South Florida nail salons. Then she went beyond the numbers and showed how shoddy training and minimal education requirements have led to poor sanitary practices among salon workers, many of whom are immigrants, and to people getting infections and other illnesses. The piece also examined the lack of regulatory oversight because of the state’s limited staff and resources. It also excelled at follow up. The original story prompted action in the legislature with a bill requiring more education and training for salon workers, all of which the reporter followed diligently. The Governor vetoed the bill but the reporter had done her job of bringing the situation to light.

PDF Files of winning entry:

The entire series from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

TELEVISION – Documentary

Amy Bucher, Producer; Maria Hinojosa, Senior Correspondent; Lesley Norman, Senior Producer; John Siceloff, Executive Producer, NOW on PBS -- “Child Brides, Stolen Lives”
In many countries, forced marriage causes lasting damage to very young girls. Hosted by Maria Hinojosa, this documentary shows child brides around the globe, including India and Africa, who struggle with poverty, health problems and abuse. The powerful show also documents the girls' hope in their own words and glimpses of the potential for change. A very moving and inspiring piece.

TELEVISION – Breaking News, Large Market

Jim Avila, ABC News -- “The Faceless Victims of the California Fires”
When wildfires burned thousands of acres in San Diego County in October 2007, some of the most vulnerable people were undocumented farmworkers in the path of the fire. It became a fine line they had to walk between staying safe from smoke and flames, while keeping their field jobs and also steering clear of border patrol agents while in search of food and safety.

TELEVISION – Breaking News, Small Market

Romeo Cantu and Brandon A. Garcia, KGBT-TV, Harlingen, TX -- “Evacuation route tested”
The reporters tested the evacuation route for Cameron County residents as Hurricane Dean approached and made some surprising discoveries. The story was put together in just a couple of hours and prompted some quick action by officials with the Cameron County Emergency Management, especially after they were flooded by several calls from viewers who saw the report. Judges said the piece has good information, great rhythm and highlights the flaws in the city's evacuation route, bringing it to the attention of the authorities, without sensationalizing the story.

TELEVISION – Feature, Large Market

Sarah Batista, WBTV/CBS 3, Charlotte, NC -- “Beyond the Border”
This series of reports by Batista of WBTV/CBS 3 in Charlotte, NC does a great job of bringing the larger immigration issue home to local viewers. The reporter followed a group of local leaders to Mexico to find out what is driving illegal immigration. The viewer also meets a group of doll makers who have opted to work so that their husbands will not migrate, and the reporter explores the effects of illegal immigration on the family and Mexican children in school.

View "Beyond the Border":

TELEVISION – Feature, Small Market

Patricia Santos, KQTV, St. Joseph, MO -- “Danza de los Viejitos” The reporter took what seems like a simple story and turned it into a story that her viewers could learn from. She opens a cultural door into a world which is often severed at the U.S. Mexico border.

View "Danza de los Viejitos":

TELEVISION – Investigative News

Dunia Elvir - Reportera; Veronica Molina - Productora; Abraham Villela - Camarografo; Roberto Rivadeneira - Editor; Leticia Herrera - Productora Ejecutiva, Telemundo -- “Peligro en los Hospitales”
Sibraim Marín tenía solo 30 días de nacido cuando murió. Sus padres habían tratado de tener un bebé durante 10 años y por fin lograron su sueño cuando Sibraim vino al mundo. Pero ese sueño se desvaneció cuando el bebé adquirió una infección a través de un laringoscopio que no fue limpiado apropiadamente por empleados del hospital. Noticiero Telemundo descubrió que Sibraim es un ejemplo de las casi 100,000 personas que mueren anualmente a causa de infecciones adquiridas en hospitales. En esta investigación de 8 meses se demuestra como miles de personas mueren por la falta de cuidado de doctores y empleados de hospitales y como, con una simple acción que no cuesta nada, muchas de estas personas se podrían haber salvado.

"Danger in Hospitals" This story follows a couple, whose newborn they had waited on for 10 years, died after 10 days in the hospital as a result of an infection he acquired when the laryngoscope that medical staff used on him was not properly disinfected.

RADIO – Reporting

Tena Rubio, Executive Producer/Host, National Radio Project -- "New Orleans Now: Immigrants, Labor Rights and the Human Cost of Rebuilding an American City, Part 1"
Since the floodwaters receded after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has been submerged in a sea of reconstruction issues, and a displaced population still has no way to return. Yet, a new population has taken root: an immigrant labor force. Some of them were already in this country, some were invited by the U.S. government, and some have risked all, crossing borders, for the promise of work. But for many, that promise of work has become a fight for survival. In this story, listeners hear from the immigrants and migrants themselves and those on the ground trying to help them. Judges said this is a substantive, beautifully textured, well-produced series putting a human face on the many stories of social injustice connected with a post-Katrina New Orleans that has seen a flood of immigrant labor dramatically alter the demographics of the region.

Ray Chavez, Oakland Tribune -- “Mayan Daily Life”
The photo shows Josefa Calavay, 17, left, and her sister Olga Martina, 9, as they work on the looms while their mother Francisca makes tortillas at their one bedroom home in San Antonio Palopo, Municipality of Solola, Guatemala on Thursday Aug. 2, 2007. Francisca's son Pedro left the looms and the Mayan community to live and work in the United States. Judges said it is a nice slice of life photo, with great use of light and composition. It brings two different scenes into the picture which makes it more complex and emphasizes the poverty in which they live.

PHOTO – Story

Lara Solt, Dallas Morning News -- “Among the Wounded: Cpl. Eric Morante”
On April 20, 2007, Marine Cpl. Eric Morante and seven members of his squad were grievously wounded when a suicide bomber detonated 3,000 pounds of explosives under their outpost, a highway bridge checkpoint 50 miles west of Baghdad. Cpl. Morante is one of more than 30,000 Americans injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But he is more than a statistic. He is a son and a brother and a fighter. His brave journey from critical care through rehabilitation was filled with ups and downs as he worked with quiet courage to walk again, and to re-establish his identity and his sense of mission, which until the blast was entirely intertwined with the Marine Corps. This series of photos poignantly and unobtrusively takes us along his journey.

Videography – Feature

Mario Barraza, KTVW Univision 33, Phoenix, AZ -- “Infancia sin Patria”
This moving story from KTVW in Phoenix uses strong images and dynamic shots to chronicle the lives of children who have been deported after they tried to cross the Mexican and USA border, and their sometimes unknown fate.

Watch "Infancia Sin Patria, Part 1:"

ONLINE

Omaya Sosa Pascual, Ruben Urrutia, Angel Luis Garcia and Hector Vega Silva, El Nuevo Dia, San Juan, PR -– “24 Horas en Centro Médico”
24 Horas en el Centro Medico took a story that happens everyday and told it through a dynamic and engaging presentation. It exemplified the best of what the Web has to offer. Video, photos, text and flash were weaved together and each element brought something to this strong package. It gave viewers a portrait of what goes on during 24 hours in Puerto Rico's largest trauma center and what the repercussions of those quick decisions are. The design of the piece was exemplary, too, with focus on video.

The stories from the International Reporting Project website: