CPJ receives OSCE prize for journalism and democracy (03/07/04)

CPJ receives OSCE prize for journalism and democracy

NEW YORK - At a ceremony held during its winter meeting in Vienna, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on February 19 honored the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) with its 2004 OSCE Prize for Journalism and Democracy.

Since 1996, the prize has been awarded annually by the assembly to journalists who, through their work, have promoted OSCE principles on human rights, democracy and the free flow of information.

In presenting the award, OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Bruce George called CPJ "one of the best-recognized media freedom watchdogs in the world." He said, "CPJ ensures that journalists who do face reprisals for their reporting are not forgotten and that their cases remain in the public eye."

Accepting the award, CPJ's Executive Director Ann Cooper said, "This year, by honoring the work of an international press freedom organization, this assembly has sent each of the journalists we defend a powerful message: that they are not alone in their dedication to a free press."

A $20,000 prize accompanies the award, which is funded by European publishing companies. Ms. Cooper announced that CPJ would use half of the prize money for a special fund for direct awards to journalists in distress and will donate the remaining half to the outreach program of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), a global organization dedicated to free expression.

The OSCE is the largest regional security organization in the world, with 55 participating states from Europe, Central Asia and North America. It is active in early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation. The assembly is the parliamentary dimension of the OSCE.

CPJ is a New York-based, independent, non-profit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information about press conditions around the globe, readers may log on to www.cpj.org.

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