News Releases

Knight Foundation’s Alberto Ibargüen to Accept First Amendment Award; MSNBC’s Chris Matthews to Emcee Awards Dinner

Contact:  Stacey Staniak, 202-467-5214

For Immediate Release:  February 12, 2009

Knight Foundation’s Alberto Ibargüen to Accept First Amendment Award; MSNBC’S Chris Matthews to Emcee Awards Dinner

WASHINGTON—The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will receive the First Amendment Award next month for its ongoing support of Sunshine Week and open government initiatives.  The Radio and Television News Directors Foundation presents the First Amendment Awards to individuals and organizations for upholding the principles of the First Amendment and press freedom.

The award will be presented to Knight Foundation President and CEO Alberto Ibargüen at the RTNDF First Amendment Awards Dinner on March 12 in Washington. Ibargüen was named president of Knight Foundation in 2005. He is the former publisher of The Miami Herald, which won three Pulitzer Prizes during his tenure, and El Nuevo Herald. He is also chairman of the board of the Newseum in Washington. For his work to protect journalists in Latin America as part of the Inter American Press Association, Ibargüen received a Maria Moors Cabot citation from Columbia University and George Washington University awarded him a Doctor of Letters.

The Knight Foundation has supported RTNDF’s participation in Sunshine Week since 2005. Sunshine Week is a national campaign to raise awareness of open government and freedom of information. Campaign participants are radio, television, online and print journalists and others committed to a protecting the public's right to know.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation invests in journalism excellence worldwide and in the vitality of U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Since 1950, the foundation has granted more than $400 million to advance quality journalism and freedom of expression. Knight Foundation focuses on projects with the potential to create transformational change. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.

RTNDF also announced that Chris Matthews will emcee the First Amendment Awards Dinner. Matthews is host of “Hardball” on MSNBC and “The Chris Matthews Show” which is syndicated nationwide. Matthews has covered U.S. presidential campaigns since 1988. He spent more than 10 years as Washington bureau chief of the San Francisco Examiner. Matthews worked as a speechwriter for Jimmy Carter and as a top aide to House Speaker Thomas “Tip” O’Neill. He is the author of five books, including “Life's a Campaign: What Politics Has Taught Me About Friendship, Rivalry, Reputation, and Success.”

RTNDF previously announced that it will honor Google Inc. with Eric Schmidt, chairman and CEO accepting: Cokie Roberts, ABC News and National Public Radio; and Susan Grant, CNN News Services.

The First Amendment Awards Dinner will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 1150 22nd Street NW, Washington. To purchase sponsorships, tables or tickets, contact Allyson McKithen at amckithen@washington-link.com. Media wishing to cover the event should contact Stacey Staniak at 202.467.5214 or staceys@rtnda.org. Information about the First Amendment Awards is available by clicking here.

The dinner supports RTNDF’s critical work in providing professional development programs, scholarship support and research in areas of crucial concern to electronic news professionals and their audience. The foundation’s work is supported by contributions from foundations, corporations, members of the Radio-Television News Directors Association and other individuals.

                                                                     ###