Award for Excellence in Journalism at Arizona State University (ASU).
“We have so much power for good, and also for bad when we don’t act,” Amanpour said at the award event. “To speak truth to power is an incredible thing.”
ASU President Michael Crow presented Amanpour with the 28th annual award, given each year by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication to recognize a distinguished journalist who embodies the values of the school’s namesake—excellence, integrity, accuracy, fairness and objectivity.
The anchor of ABC’s “This Week with Christiane Aman-pour” joins the ranks of past award recipients including news anchors Diane Sawyer, Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw; newspaper publishers Katharine Graham, Al Neuharth and Otis Chandler; television executives William Paley, Frank Stanton and Ted Turner; and newspaper journalists Ben Bradlee, Helen Thomas and Bob Woodward.
“Christiane Amanpour’s extraordinary courage, talent and passion make her one of the most esteemed journalists of our time,” said Christopher Callahan, dean of the Cronkite School. “Her groundbreaking accomplishments provide inspiration to young journalists here at the Cronkite School and around the world. We’re delighted to honor her with the Cronkite Award.”
Prior to the luncheon, Amanpour spoke to students about her experiences as a foreign correspondent covering conflicts and crises in places such as Bosnia, Somalia, Egypt and Libya.
“I feel like I’m a warrior for international news in the US,” she said.
She told the students that there is no such thing as overnight success and that journalists must earn their credibility.
“It’s hard work,” she said. “Stand up, grab the microphone and don’t be afraid to ask the questions.”
