FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Abbi Martzall, SPJ Awards Coordinator, 317-920-4791, awards@spj.org
Taylor Carlier, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-920-4785, tcarlier@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to name a team of journalists from The Weather Channel, Telemundo, The Investigative Fund and Efran Films, represented by John Carlos Frey, Marisa Venegas, Solly Granatstein, Esther Kaplan, Neil Katz, Shawn Efran and Gregory Gilderman as the recipient of its New America Award.

The award honors work that explores and exposes issues of importance to immigrant or ethnic communities living in the U.S.

The winning documentary, “The Real Death Valley: Dying to Cross” is a rare collaboration to record the experience of today’s migrants and to investigate hundreds of migrant deaths in one area conspicuously distant from the U.S.-Mexico border.

“The reporters and production teams demonstrated the best combination of enterprise, compassion and journalistic skill on this horrific tale,” said Sonny Albarado, SPJ Past President and one of the three award judges. “In a year when news organizations found myriad ways to tell essentially the same story about a tidal wave of undocumented immigrants, The Weather Channel, Telemundo, The Investigative Fund and Efran Films highlighted an ongoing tragedy and held a federal agency accountable for its lack of action. Excellent work by all involved.”

The full documentary is available to watch online.

The New America Award has been in existence for 11 years. This year’s recipients will be honored Sept. 20 at the SPJ President’s Installation Banquet during the 2015 Excellence in Journalism conference in Orlando, Fla.

Complete details on the New America Award, including past recipients, are available at spj.org.

Thank you to this year's judges:
• Mary Hudetz - Native American Journalists Association
• Amy Tardif - Radio Television Digital News Association
• Dedrick A. Russell - National Association of Black Journalists
• Rebecca Tallent - SPJ Diversity Committee
• Michelle Lee - Asian American Journalists Association
• Georgiana Vines - SPJ Diversity Committee
• Michelle Rindels - National Association of Hispanic Journalists
• Sonny Albarado - SPJ/Sigma Delta Chi Foundation
• Linda Jue - SPJ
• Joe Vasquez - National Association of Hispanic Journalists

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information about SPJ, please visit spj.org.

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