Personal Award: Christiane Amanpour for International Reporting on Cable News Network and “CBS News: 60 Minutes”

This past year has seen an abundance of criticism of television news, much of it deserved. By now, we’ve witnessed many of the excesses and heard most of the reasons: competition, fragmented audiences, the blurring line between entertainment and information, and on and on. Against this backdrop of hype, exaggeration, tabloidization and increasing irrelevancy, the international news reporting by Christiane Amanpour stands out. Reporting from the scene of virtually ever source of global conflict for Cable News Network and CBS News: 60 Minutes, Ms. Amanpour reveals the fearlessness and tenacity that are her trademarks. Moreover, as the Peabody Board noted in her 1993 citation, in this age of celebrity stand-ups and competition for air time among the “famous faces,” Christiane Amanpour is never the story. In fact, the Peabody Board noted how infrequently she appeared on the screen in her reports in 1998. Rather, the eloquence of her narration combined with her vast knowledge of the ongoing events and a clear compassion for, and deep interest in, her subjects. Perhaps most important, she reminds us of all that is good and great in television journalism. In addition, with this award the Peabody Board commends the decision of Cable News Network and CBS News: 60 Minutes to share her services and thus bring her achievements to a wider audience.