CONTACT: Julia Yager, PRI, 612.330.9231, jyager@pri.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MINNEAPOLIS, January 24, 2018 — Public Radio International (PRI) contributor, Valeria Fernández, has won the inaugural American Mosaic Journalism Prize from the Heising-Simons Foundation for stories on underrepresented and misrepresented groups, including her coverage of immigration for outlets such PRI’s The World® and Global Nation.
Fernández has been reporting on Arizona’s immigrant community and the many angles of the immigration debate for over 15 years. Fernández is a regular contributor to PRI’s The World and Global Nation, which covers the real-world stories of immigrants in the U.S. Her long-form Global Nation reporting on asylum-seekers raising their children in immigration “jails” and one family’s relocation to Mexico as a result of deportation were among the work that won Fernández the American Mosaic Journalism Prize.
“We are very proud to work with Valeria to tell these important stories about immigration,” said Angilee Shah, Senior Editor, Global Nation. “She's among the most determined reporters I know, and I have learned so much from being her editor. These kinds of stories can only be told by reporters who are committed to building relationships and cultivating knowledge for years. Valeria is that kind of reporter.”
The American Mosaic Journalism prize, from the Heising-Simons Foundation, is awarded to two freelance journalists of print, digital, audio, and/or television, based on a collection of work published in or aired on mass media over the past year. A new and large journalism prize based on confidential nominations from leaders in the field, the American Mosaic Journalism Prize recognizes journalism’s critical ability to foster greater understanding and empathy. Fernández, and additional winner, Jaeah Lee, will each receive an unrestricted cash prize of $100,000 for excellence in long-form, narrative, or deep reporting on stories about underrepresented and/or misrepresented groups in the present American landscape.
About PRI: PRI is building a more informed, empathetic, and connected world by creating multi-platform content that empowers people to enrich their lives and the world. PRI’s award-winning content reaches more than 20 million people each month, through over 900 public radio stations in the U.S. and PRI.org, and millions more through podcasts and online. An affiliated company of WGBH, PRI produces PRI’s The World®, The Takeaway (a co-production with WNYC), and Studio 360® from PRI and Slate. It produces in-depth reporting on topics including gender equity (Across Women’s Lives), international security (Seeking Security), and American identity and immigrant life (GlobalNation). It represents producers of great audio, including Live Wire and CBC programs in the United States. Major philanthropic supporters include The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Ford Foundation, The Henry Luce Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Annenberg Foundation.
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