Overseas Press Club

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Midtown clubhouse on West 45th Street in Midtown Manhattan OPC 40 w45 jeh.JPG
Midtown clubhouse on West 45th Street in Midtown Manhattan

The Overseas Press Club of America (OPC) was founded in 1939 in New York City by a group of foreign correspondents. [1] The wire service reporter Carol Weld was a founding member, as was the war correspondent Peggy Hull. The club seeks to maintain an international association of journalists working in the United States and abroad, to encourage the highest standards of professional integrity and skill in the reporting of news, to help educate a new generation of journalists, to contribute to the freedom and independence of journalists and the press throughout the world, and to work toward better communication and understanding among people. The organization has approximately 500 members who are media industry leaders.

Contents

Every April, the OPC holds a dinner to award excellence in journalism for the previous year. The awards are juried by industry peers. The organization also has a foundation that distributes scholarships to college students who want to begin a career as foreign correspondents. Many winners secure international assignments at some of the most prestigious news outlets in the world.

In April 2008, the OPC relaunched its website to include community features for members like forums, commenting, page sharing through email/print/download, and RSVP and bill pay functions.

Awards

As of 2017, there are 22 awards presented: [2]

Awards Presented by the Overseas Press Club of America [3] [4]
AwardGiven ForYear FirstLast Year
Lowell Thomas Award Best radio news or interpretation of international affairs1947
George Polk AwardBest reporting requiring exceptional courage and enterprise abroad19481973
Robert Capa Gold Medal Award Best published photographic reporting from abroad requiring exceptional courage and enterprise1955
Ed Cunningham Award Best magazine reporting from abroad1955
Mary Hemingway Award Best magazine reporting from abroad. Mary Welsh Hemingway was a journalist19551983
Cornelius Ryan Award Best non-fiction book on international affairs. Cornelius Ryan was a journalist and author.1957
Ed Stout Award Best reporting in any medium on Latin America19591974
Ben Grauer Award Best radio spot news from abroad19601994
Thomas Nast Award Best cartoons on international affairs1968
President's AwardDistinguished service in the field of journalism19682009
Madeline Dane Ross Award Best international reporting in the print medium showing a concern for the human condition1973
Bob Considine Award Best newspaper or news service interpretation of international affairs1975
Hal Boyle Award Best newspaper or news service reporting from abroad, after Hal Boyle 1977
Edward R. Murrow Award Best TV interpretation or documentary on international affairs1978
David Kaplan Award Best TV spot news reporting from abroad1980
Olivier Rebbot Award Best photographic reporting from abroad in magazines or books1980
Malcolm Forbes Award Best business reporting from abroad in newspapers or news services1983
Morton Frank Award Best business reporting from abroad in magazines1984
Eric & Amy Burger Award Best international reporting in the broadcast media dealing with human rights19842004
Carl Spielvogel Award Best international reporting in the broadcast media showing a concern for the human condition1991
Whitman Bassow Award Best reporting in any medium on international environmental issues1992
John Faber Award Best photographic reporting from abroad in newspapers or news services1994
Robert Spiers Benjamin Award Best reporting in any medium on Latin America. Robert Spiers Benjamin was a founding member of the club.1997
Joe & Laurie Dine Award Best international reporting in any medium dealing with human rights1998
Artyom Borovik Award Outstanding reporting by a Russian journalist who displays courage, insight, balanced yet aggressive reporting, and independence of thought20002007
Feature Photography Award Best feature photography published in any medium on an international theme2004
Online Journalism Best web coverage of international affairs20082009
General Excellence Online Best overall international coverage on a web site: how the site maximizes the multimedia capabilities of the web to cover key issues, how coverage goes beyond other platforms and brings the story to its readers2010
Best Online Coverage of Breaking News Best online coverage throughout a 72-hour period of a breaking news event2010
Best Use of Multimedia Best use of techniques such as interactive graphics, Flash and slideshows to report on international news or developments2010
Best Online Investigation of an International Issue or Event Best original or exclusive reporting for a news web site that provides new insights into an event or trend of international significance2010
Best Use of Video Excellence in original video on an international topic created specifically for a news web site2010
Best Online Commentary (including Blogs) Best international affairs commentary or blog2010

See also

Notes and references

  1. "OPC About The OPC". www.opcofamerica.org. Archived from the original on 2014-02-09. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  2. "OPC Awards". Overseas Press Club. March 6, 2017. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
  3. "Awards Recipients".
  4. "OPC Adds 6 New Online Categories to Awards Roster", Overseas Press Club of America, 7 December 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2010.


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