WASHINGTON, August 30, 2021 / PRNewswire / – The National Press Club today announced the winners of the 2021 John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award, an honor that recognizes an international journalist and a national journalist who courageously lobbied to reveal the truth in difficult circumstances.
The Aubuchon 2021 winners are Haze Fan, a Chinese citizen, who was detained at Beijing while working for Bloomberg, and Danny fenster, editor of Frontier Myanmar, who was imprisoned in Burma because May 24.
Fan was covering global trade as a press assistant when she was arrested in December 2020 by the Beijing National Security Bureau on unfounded allegations of involvement in criminal activity endangering national security. His case, which is still under investigation, comes as dozens of foreign journalists have been forced to flee amid heightened hostilities between China and the international media.
Fenster, meanwhile, was taken into police custody at Yangon the international airport on his way home to Detroit, Michigan see family. He was charged with incitement in connection with a former employer, Myanmar Now, whose license was revoked by a Burma the government’s intention to silence the media. Fenster had resigned from Myanmar Now 10 months before his arrest. He remained in Insein prison until his trial. In a video hearing, he told his lawyer he was infected with the coronavirus while in detention and was denied medication.
“We admire the resilience of these two award winners, who have both been unfairly detained,” said the president of the National Press Club. Lisa Nicole Matthews. “They illustrate the importance of reporting hard truths and perseverance even under dangerous conditions. We will continue to advocate for their freedom and for their work as members of the press.”
The John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award is named in honor of a former club president who has been a strong advocate for press freedom.
The National Press Club will present the 2021 Aubuchon Awards as well as the Neil and Susan Sheehan Award for Investigative Journalism at its annual Fourth Estate Award gala honoring NBC News’ Lester holt to 20 october in Washington DC
The Gala Dinner is a fundraiser for the Club’s nonprofit affiliate, the National Press Club Journalism Institute, which advocates for press freedom around the world, equips journalists with the skills and standards to educate the public in a way that inspires civic engagement; and offers scholarships to aspiring journalists. Tickets and more information for the event can be found here.
Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world’s premier professional organization of journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing almost all major news organizations and is a leading voice for press freedom in United States and all over the world.
CONTACT: Kaitlyn cotter for the National Press Club, 202-662-7511, [email protected].
SOURCE National Press Club
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