Best reporting in any medium on Latin America
AWARD YEAR: 2007
AWARD NAME: The Robert Spiers Benjamin Award 2007
RECIPIENT: The Miami Herald Staff
AFFILIATION: The Miami Herald
HONORED WORK: “Coverage of the Venezuelan Referendum”
Keenly aware that last December’s referendum to extend the powers of President Hugo Chavez would have repercussions far beyond Venezuela, The Miami Herald staff produced an eight-part series that helped readers appreciate the political and social context of the vote and to anticipate and absorb the stunning victory of the “No” vote. This series is an admirable blend of breaking news coverage, imaginative feature stories, and penetrating analysis of the complex reality of a society caught in the vortex of its leader’s headlong pursuit of “21st Century socialism.” A stirring (and balanced) portrait of the two leftist student leaders of pro-and anti-Chavez camps is particularly noteworthy, as are the insider reports on dissension within the ranks of the Venezuelan military and the mixed feelings toward Chavez among the poor. Marshalling its formidable journalistic resources devoted to Latin America, the Herald (and its sister publication El Nuevo Herald) covered the election from every angle, burnishing their established reputation for thorough and compelling coverage of the region.
Citations for Excellence:
Los Angeles Times Staff
“The Drug Trail”
Jose De Cordoba
The Wall Street Journal
“Guerillas in the Mist”