Columbia University is inviting nominations
for the Maria Moors Cabot Prizes, the oldest international
awards in journalism. Since their inception in 1938, the
Maria Moors Cabot Prizes have recognized distinguished public
service in journalism that has enhanced sympathetic understanding
among the peoples of the Western Hemisphere.
Founded by the late Godfrey Lowell Cabot
of Boston as a memorial to his wife, the Cabot Prizes are
awarded each fall to three or four journalists in the Western
Hemisphere who, through their sustained and distinguished
body of work, have contributed to Inter-American understanding.
Occasionally the award goes to an organization that has
made a similar contribution.
Who is eligible?
- Any journalist and/or news executive who
works for any news organization based in the Western Hemisphere
or any press association, news service or syndicate that
serves such an organization;
- Other individuals, including freelance
journalists with a long record of reporting on the region;
- All media, including Internet publications.
Entries will be judged by a Cabot Prize Board comprising
journalists and educators concerned with hemisphere affairs,
headed by the dean of the Graduate School of Journalism.
The prizes are awarded by the Trustees of Columbia University
on the recommendation of the dean. Winners are announced
in July and are honored at a ceremony held in New York each
year in the fall. The awards consist of a Cabot medal and
a $5,000 honorarium.
As of the year 2004, 241 prizes and 54 special citations
have been conferred on journalists from the Caribbean, Latin
America, Canada, the United States and other nations. In
2004, the winners were Gerardo Reyes, investigative reporter,
El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Fla.); Daniel Santoro, investigative
reporter, Clarín (Argentina); Elena Poniatowska,
author and columnist, La Jornada (Mexico); and Joel Millman,
The Wall Street Journal U.S.-Mexico border bureau chief.
A Special Citation was awarded to Alberto Ibargüen,
publisher of The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald.
What makes a Cabot winner....
The Cabot Prize Board and the dean look
for exceptional reporting and evidence of commitment to
important stories over the course of a long and distinguished
career. They are particularly interested in hearing about
journalists and news organizations that have made a sustained
contribution to inter-American understanding through their
coverage of the Americas. The Board and the dean are also
interested in honoring those journalists who have taken
an active role in upholding freedom of the press in the
Americas. Although awards have been made to publishers and
other managerial personnel, the Board is especially interested
in individual journalists.
Checklist
(Please provide TWO copies of each of the
following items.)
- A copy of the nominee's biography listing education, journalistic
experience and public service, with dates;
- A statement describing how the nominee
has contributed towards international understanding in the
Western Hemisphere;
- At least five but no more than ten (without
prior authorization) newspaper or magazine articles that
are representative of the nominee's work;
- Copies of books, if applicable;
- VHS tapes for television entries or CDs
for radio entries.
If you know of a journalist or media organization
that deserves to be recognized, please send the completed
nomination form and pertinent material. Forms are also available
online at http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/events/cabot/. Nominations
must be signed by the person submitting the nomination.
Letters from third parties that explain why the nominee
is especially deserving of the prize are also welcome. Please
avoid elaborate portfolios, however, as the nominee may
be considered again in some future year. Supporting material
will not be returned.
The deadline for submissions is February 15. Nomination
forms and pertinent material should be mailed to:
Maria Moors Cabot Prizes
Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University
2950 Broadway MC 3800
New York, NY 10027-7004
Fax: (212) 854-3800
