NEFAC Will Honor White House Correspondent at 11th Annual Awards Ceremony on April 21
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org
The New England First Amendment Coalition will present its 2021 Stephen Hamblett First Amendment Award to Yamiche Alcindor, the White House correspondent for PBS NewsHour.
Named after the late publisher of The Providence Journal, the Hamblett Award is given each year to an individual who has promoted, defended or advocated for the First Amendment throughout his or her career.
“Alcindor has been a steadfast advocate for the First Amendment,” said Justin Silverman, NEFAC’s executive director. “Despite attacks by former President Trump on the press, and against her personally, Alcindor’s coverage of the White House was fearless and unflinching. It stands as a model for all journalists working in hostile situations.”
NEFAC will honor Alcindor at its 11th annual New England First Amendment Awards ceremony from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 21. The program will be held online. Ticket and registration information can be found here. All proceeds will benefit civics and First Amendment education in New England.
The coalition will also present its Michael Donoghue Freedom of Information Award and Antonia Orfield Citizenship Award during the program. Nominations for both awards are due March 19.
Supporters of the 2021 New England First Amendment Awards include WBUR-Boston, Boston University, Hearst Connecticut Media Group, The Boston Globe, Northeastern University and Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP.
Alcindor began her role at PBS NewsHour in January 2018. She often tells stories about the intersection of race and politics as well as fatal police encounters.
Previously, she worked as a national political reporter for The New York Times where she covered the presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders as well as Congress. She also wrote about the impact of President Trump’s policies on working-class people and people of color.
Before joining The Times, she was a national breaking news reporter for USA Today and traveled across the country to cover stories including the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., the death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla. and the police-related protests in Ferguson, Mo. and Baltimore, Md.
Previous recipients of the Stephen Hamblett First Amendment Award are A. G. Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times (2020); Stephen Engelberg of ProPublica (2019); Jane Mayer of The New Yorker (2018); Margaret Sullivan of The Washington Post (2017); U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont (2016); retired federal judge Nancy Gertner (2015); James Risen of The New York Times (2014); Philip Balboni, co-founder of GlobalPost and founder of NECN (2013); Martin Baron, former executive editor of The Washington Post (2012); and Anthony Lewis, the late journalist and author (2011).
NEFAC was formed in 2006 to advance and protect the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment, including the principle of the public’s right to know. We’re a broad-based organization of people who believe in the power of an informed democratic society. Our members include lawyers, journalists, historians, academics and private citizens.
Our coalition is funded through contributions made by those who value the First Amendment and who strive to keep government accountable. Please make a donation here.
Major Supporters of NEFAC include Hearst Connecticut Media Group, Paul and Ann Sagan, The Boston Globe, WBUR, Boston University and the Robertson Foundation.