The Center for Communication honors Soledad O’Brien with its Frank Stanton Award for Excellence in Communication. The award will be given out Dec. 9 in a virtual event.
O’Brien anchors and produces the Hearst Television program Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien. She is the founder and CEO of Soledad O’Brien Productions, which is dedicated to stories that look at the issues of race, class, wealth, opportunity and poverty. She has won three Emmys, the George Peabody award, an Alfred I. DuPont prize and the Gracie.
O’Brien reports for HBO Real Sports and has anchored and has reported for NBC, MSNBC and CNN.
“From her fearlessness as an award-winning journalist, to her impressive leadership of her own production company, and, so importantly, her dedication to mentorship and philanthropy, Soledad truly embodies our mission,” said Center for Communication chairman David J. Barrett. “We are honored that she joins us in our efforts to build a more inclusive and equitable media at this critical moment.”
The Center for Communication educates and inspires students seeking careers in media. The award is named for former CBS president Dr. Frank Stanton, who founded the Center in 1980. Past recipients include Katharine Graham, Ted Turner, Bill Paley, Debra Lee, Richard Parsons, John Landgraf, David Nevins, Cesar Conde and Rita Ferro.
“As we celebrate our 40th anniversary year, we are thrilled to honor Soledad and have her lead this vital dialogue,” said J. Max Robins, the Center’s president and executive director. “Our mission is more important than ever, as we help our students face unprecedented challenges and collaborate with our industry partners to build an inclusive and equitable media industry.”
O’Brien will moderate a town hall discussion on diversity and inclusion in media as part of the virtual event.
“This honor inspires me to press ahead even stronger with my lifelong commitment to telling the story of people who are often left out of the conversation,” said O’Brien. “Journalists are charged with defending facts, providing context, keeping people honest and making politicians accountable. This recognition affirms my belief that kind of reporting is valued.”
