NEW YORK – November 2, 2016 – The Overseas Press Club of America is pleased to announce a new award named after legendary ABC News Anchor Peter Jennings. The award is for the best TV, video or documentary about international affairs one hour or longer.
“The Peter Jennings Award is given to exceptional long-form international affairs reporting in the tradition of the ABC anchorman/correspondent who strongly believed the American people deserve the best serious news presentations possible about issues of global importance,” said Allan Dodds Frank, the former OPC President and ABC News correspondent who is the driving force behind the creation of this award.
Kaycee Freed Jennings, Peter’s widow said: “Peter cared deeply about great reporting and particularly about bringing great reporting about the rest of the world back home. Peter would be proud and honored that this award is being given in his name.”
The OPC’s Edward R. Murrow Award for best TV, video or documentary interpretation of international affairs will be limited to pieces that are less than one hour. The David Kaplan Award is unchanged and will go to the best TV or video spot news from abroad.
The Jennings family has made a long term commitment to supporting the Jennings award which, like other OPC awards, will be accompanied by a $1,000 check.
The OPC will begin accepting entries for all of its 22 awards on November 30. The general deadline is January 30, while the deadline for the Cornelius Ryan book award is January 9. Work must be published or broadcast in the U.S. or be accessible to an American audience for the first time during 2016. As with all OPC entries, the reporting should be primarily outside the US. To apply go to www.opcofamerica.org after November 30.
Additional changes to the awards competition have been approved by the OPC Board. The award for best multimedia news presentation has been eliminated. In its place is the award for best online reporting on international affairs. The award will honor the best story or series of stories using creative and dynamic online storytelling techniques. The jury will take into account the quality of the reporting but give special consideration to features unique to the online experience.
In photography, the Olivier Rebbot Award for best photographic reporting from abroad in magazines or books has been merged with the former John Faber Award for best photographic reporting from abroad in newspapers or news services. The new Olivier Rebbot Award is for best photographic reporting from abroad in any medium.
# #
The Overseas Press Club of America is an international association of journalists based in New York City that works to celebrate the best international journalism, to educate the next generation of foreign correspondents and to promote international press freedom and the well-being of colleagues in the field. It was founded in 1939.
Contact: Patricia Kranz, executive director, at patricia@opcofamerica.org or call the OPC office at 212 626-9220.