June 19, 2003

RTNDA Names Winners of RTNDA/UNITY Awards: News Organizations That Celebrate Diversity

WASHINGTON --  RTNDA has announced the winners of the fourth annual RTNDA/UNITY Awards. Six news organizations are being honored for their ongoing commitment to covering the cultural diversity of the communities they serve.

The following news organizations will receive their awards at the RTNDA Awards Dinner on October 13 at the Grand Hyatt New York:

Television * ABC News 20/20 Downtown, for "Linguistic Profiling" (network) * KPIX-TV, San Francisco, for "Muslims in America" (large market) * KTBS-TV, Shreveport, LA, for a compilation of work (small market) Radio * Latino USA, Austin, TX, for a compilation of work (network) * WNYC Radio Rookies, for "Flushing and St. George" (large market) * KUSD-FM/South Dakota Public Radio, for "Native Perspectives: Stories From Indian Country" (small market)

Congratulations from UNITY president "UNITY congratulates the winners of this year's RTNDA/UNITY Awards, and the effort, the thought and care that went into producing a great body of work. "The stories and the entries should serve as examples of the kind of quality journalism we hope gets practiced more and more, and we enrourage the entire industry to look for opportunities to tell the stories of our people." ~ Ernest Sotomayor, UNITY President

The RTNDA/UNITY Award was developed by RTNDA and UNITY: Journalists of Color, as part of their commitment to achieve diversity in the newsroom through developing news content and editorial staffs that reflect the changing face of America. The entries were judged by members of the RTNDA board of directors and representatives from UNITY: Journalists of Color, the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. Visit http://www.rtnda.org/diversity/index.shtml for more on RTNDA's diversity efforts.RTNDA is the world's largest professional organization devoted exclusively to electronic journalism. RTNDA represents local and network news professionals in broadcasting, cable and other electronic media in more than 30 countries.

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About UNITY: Journalists of Color
UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc. is a strategic alliance advocating news coverage about people of color, and aggressively challenging its organizations at all levels to reflect the nation’s diversity. UNITY, representing more than 10,000 journalists of color, is comprised of four national associations: Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and the Native American Journalists Association.

In addition to planning the largest regular gathering of journalists in the nation, UNITY develops programs and institutional relationships that promote its mission. For more information on UNITY, visit www.unityjournalists.org, email info@unityjournalists.org or call (703) 854-3585.