Guest speaker at the event will be Juan Gonzalez, columnist of the New York Daily News, and former president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). González won the George Polk Award for his investigative reporting and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic Academy of Media Arts and Sciences. González, declared one of the most influential Hispanics in the US by Hispanic Business Magazine, is author of several books, among them “Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America.”

The award for the best Spanish-language Print Journalism piece will be presented to Julie Lopez, of the New York daily El Diario/La Prensa.

Thomas McMillan, of the New Haven Independent, will be recognized for the best work in Digital Journalism, open to media in English or Spanish.

Julie Lopez won the award for a series published in El Diario under the title “Imperio Narco”, in which she offered an exhaustive and compelling investigation that connects the dots to reveal a decades-long drug smuggling operation linking Guatemala and New York, with tendrils reaching to Colombia and Mexico.

In “Cross-Border Cops Arrest Father Jim”, McMillan covers the arrest of a respected local priest who videotaped police activities inside a Latino grocery store, and the subsequent news events and allegations of harassment by police against Hispanic residents of East Haven.

Each of the winners will receive a cash award of $10,000 from the AL DIA Foundation, and the “Felix Varela” Medal.

The Felix Varela Awards, the largest cash award in this category, honors the legacy of Father Felix Varela, an American intellectual from the 19th Century who published in the City of Philadelphia one of the first Spanish-language newspapers in the history of the U.S.

Members of the jury panel are Zita Arocha, professor of multi-media Journalism at the University of Texas at El Paso; Emilio Sánchez, Bureau Chief of EFE News Service in Miami.; and Albor Ruiz, columnist of the New York Daily News.

Premios Varela serán presentados en el “National Press Club” en Washington D.C.

FILADELFIA, PA – Los premios Félix Varela a la excelencia en periodismo en asuntos latinos serás presentados por la Fundación Al Día en el Club Nacional de Periodismo, en Washington D.C. el próximo 16 de septiembre, a las 6:00 p.m., al inicio del Mes de la Herencia Hispana.

El invitado especial será el columnista del New York Daily News, y ex presidente de la Asociación Nacional de Periodistas Hispanos (NAHJ), Juan González. González fue galardonado con el premio George Polk por su reportaje de investigación y ganó un Premio de Trayectoria de Vida de la Academia Hispana de Arte de Medios de Comunicación y Ciencias (HAMAS). González fue nombrado uno de los hispanos más influyentes en Estados Unidos por la revista Hispanic Business. Además, es autor de varios libros, entre ellos: “Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America”.

El premio de periodismo impreso en español será otorgado a Julie López, del El Diario La Prensa de Nueva York.

Thomas McMillan, del New Haven Independent, recibirá el reconocimiento de Periodismo digital, abierto a medios en inglés o español.

Julie López ganó el premio por una serie de artículos publicados en El Diario bajo el título “Imperio Narco”, una investigación periodística exhaustiva que reveló una operación de tráfico de drogas que durante décadas enlazó a Guatemala y Nueva York, con ramificaciones que alcanzaban hasta Colombia y México.

En “Cross-Border Cops Arrest Father Jim”, McMillan cubrió minuciosamente el arresto de un respetado sacerdote de la localidad por tomar videos de una operación de la policía en una bodega latina, así como las subsecuentes acusaciones de hostigamiento policial contra residentes latinos de East New Haven.

Cada uno de los ganadores recibirá un premio en efectivo de $10,000 de la Fundación AL DÍA, así como la medalla “Félix Varela”.

El premio periodístico, el más alto en compensación monetaria en su categoría en la nación, honra el legado del padre Félix Varela, un intelectual de origen cubano del siglo XIX que publicó en la ciudad de Filadelfia uno de los primeros periódicos en español en la historia de Estados Unidos.

El jurado está integrado por la profesora de Periodismo Multimedia en la Universidad de Texas en El Paso, Zita Arocha; el jefe del servicio de noticias EFE en Miami, Emilio Sánchez; y el columnista de New York Daily News, Albor Ruíz.

Philadelphia, PA – After reviewing close to 100 pieces of journalism submitted this year from all across the country, jurors of the “Felix Varela” Awards chose two accomplished journalists as the winners of the 2010 National Award for Excellence in American Journalism on Latino issues.

Julie Lopez, writing for El Diario/La Prensa of NY, won the first prize in the category of Spanish-language Print Journalism, and Thomas McMillan, reporter at the New Haven Independent, was chosen as the best work in Digital Journalism, a new category in English (or Spanish) which allowed all media in America to participate.

Each of the winners will receive a cash award of $10,000 from the AL DIA Foundation, and the “Felix Varela” Medal in a ceremony to be held later this year in the National Press Club in Washington DC.

The AL DIA Foundation Awards honors also the legacy of Father Felix Varela, a North American intellectual from the 19th Century who published one of the first Spanish-language newspapers in the history of the U. S. in the City of Philadelphia.

The following is the official statement issued by the jury of the awards, gathered on May 7th, 2008.>

(Spanish Version below)

Introduction

This second year of the Felix Varela Awards marks the beginning of a special category in English and Spanish digital journalism alongside the traditional Spanish print journalism category. A reflection of the rapid growth of journalism on the web, the digital journalism entries bear out what we had suspected, that web journalism is a new species of journalism still under construction. The digital entries were compelling, varied, experimental, with much of the experimenting done by students in multimedia journalism schools across the country. The first place winner illustrates how technology and journalism can combine on the web to tell a more complete story. The several dozen Spanish print entries from across the nation reflected a wide variety of U.S. topics including immigration, gay rights, culture and language, the recession, politics, among others, as well as various journalism genres. Several entries that rose to the top were fine examples of investigative journalism on hard-hitting subjects like drugs and crime, and feature writing that captured the cultural nuances of an immigrant group in the U.S. All of them are fine stories, rarely reflected in mainstream English media. On to the winners.

Spanish Language Print Journalism

First Place

“Imperio Narco,” Julie Lopez, El Diario la Prensa, NY

An exhaustive and compelling investigation that connects the dots to reveal a decades-long drug smuggling operation linking Guatemala and New York, with tendrils reaching to Colombia and Mexico. Employing meticulous use of court documents, independent sources, and on-the-ground reporting in both countries, this three-part series examines the faces, the places and chronology of a vast criminal enterprise that moved thousands of pounds of drugs along a supply route that begins in South America and winds its way through Central America to the northeastern United States. Spectacular reporting.

Honorable Mention

“Más indigenas en cárceles de EEUU,” Claudia Nuñez, La Opinión, Los Angeles

“Triquis se Afincan en Valle de Salinas,” Eileen Traux, La Opinión, Los Angeles

English Language or Spanish Language Digital Journalism

First Place

“Cross-Border Cops Arrest Father Jim,” Thomas MacMillan, New Haven Independent, New Haven, CT

After covering the arrest of a respected local priest for video taping police activities inside a Latino grocery store, reporter MacMillan stayed on the story, covering subsequent news events and allegations of harassment by police against Latino residents of East Haven. His series of follow-up stories about the racial and ethnic tensions in East Haven are a fine example of traditional shoe leather reporting, consistent news coverage and the use of video, digital photos and court documents to provide context for the overall story. A strong marriage of multimedia and journalism.

Honorable Mention

“Brooklyn Family Keeps Latino-Jewish Traditions Alive,” Dana Rosenblatt, CNN

“Battle Zone,” Daniel Newhauser, Cronkie Zine, Arizona State University

Spanish-language version:

Introducción

Este segundo año de los Premios Félix Varela marca el inicio de una categoría especial de periodismo digital en inglés y en español que se suma a la categoría tradicional de periodismo impreso en español.

Los trabajos recibidos de periodismo digital, reflejo del rápido crecimiento del mismo en la web, corroboran lo que ya sospechábamos: el periodismo en la web es una especie nueva aún en construcción.

Los trabajos digitales son interesantes, variados, experimentales, con mucha de la experimentación realizada por estudiantes en escuelas de periodismo multimedia en distintas partes del país.

El ganador del primer lugar es un ejemplo de cómo la tecnología y el periodismo pueden combinarse en la web para contar una historia más completa.

Las varias docenas de trabajos de periodismo impreso en español vienen de diferentes lugares de la nación y reflejan una diversidad amplia de temas nacionales que incluyen inmigración, derechos de los gays, cultura e idioma, la recesión y política, entre otros, y abarcan géneros periodísticos diversos. Varios de los trabajos que emergieron como favoritos son ejemplos excelentes de periodismo investigativo acerca de temas fuertes como la droga y el crimen, así como reportajes que capturan los matices culturales de un grupo inmigrante en los Estados Unidos. Todos son magníficas historias de las que rara vez reflejan los medios principales en inglés. Y ahora, a los ganadores.

Periodismo impreso en español

Primer lugar

“Imperio narco,” Julie López, El Diario La Prensa, NY

Una investigación exhaustiva y fascinante que va conectando los puntos hasta revelar una operación de tráfico de drogas que durante décadas ha enlazado a Guatemala y Nueva York, con tentáculos que alcanzan hasta Colombia y México. Mediante el uso meticuloso de documentos judiciales, fuentes independientes, y reportaje sobre el terreno en ambos países, esta serie de tres partes examina los rostros, los lugares y la cronología de una vasta empresa criminal que movió miles de libras de drogas a lo largo de una ruta de abastecimiento que comienza en América del Sur y serpentea a través de América Central hasta alcanzar el noreste de los Estados Unidos. Un reportaje espectacular.

Menciones honoríficas

“Más indígenas en cárceles de EEUU,” Claudia Núñez, La Opinión, Los Ángeles

“Triquis se afincan en Valle de Salinas,” Eileen Truax, La Opinión, Los Ángeles.

Periodismo digital en inglés o en español

Primer lugar

“Cross-Border Cops Arrest Father Jim,” Thomas MacMillan, New Haven Independent, New Haven, CT

Después de cubrir el arresto de un respetado sacerdote de la localidad por tomar videos de la actuación de la policía en una bodega latina, el reportero MacMillan siguió tras la noticia, cubriendo eventos noticiosos subsecuentes y acusaciones de hostigamiento policial contra residentes latinos de East Haven. Los artículos en que da seguimiento a las tensiones raciales y étnicas en East Haven son un ejemplo excelente de reportaje tradicional sobre el terreno, una cobertura noticiosa consistente y uso de video, fotografía digital y documentos judiciales para proporcionar contexto a la historia total. Un robusto matrimonio de multimedia y periodismo.

Menciones honoríficas

“Brooklyn Family Keeps Latino-Jewish Traditions Alive,” Dana Rosenblatt, CNN

“Battle Zone,” Daniel Newhauser, Cronkie Zine, Arizona State University

Philadelphia, PA – “Felix Varela Awards” have decided to extend their deadline to January 31, 2010 for the submissions of materials for this year’s award.

The decision will allow many more writers across America to submit their work that will be reviewed by a panel of notable US writers.

In addition to the prestigious national prize for Spanish-language print journalism, this year’s competition includes a new category for Spanish and English-language digital journalists writing news stories or blogs about Latino issues for any news website.

The award program offers two $10,000 prizes and will be hosted this year by the AL DIA Foundation at the National Press Club in Washington DC.

“These awards are the Latino equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize,” said Zita Arocha, professor of multi-media Journalism at the University of Texas at El Paso and director of the multimedia, bilingual website for College journalists, borderzine.com.

“They honor and recognize the value of solid journalism about Latino issues that are radically transforming the landscape of our country.”

The AL DIA Foundation Awards honors also the legacy of Father Felix Varela, a North American intellectual from the 19th Century who published one of the first Spanish-language newspapers in the history of the U. S. in the City of Philadelphia.

SAN JUAN – The “Félix Varela Awards” for excellence in journalism on Latino issues have gone mainstream. In addition to the prestigious national prize for Spanish-language print journalism, this year’s competition includes a new category for Spanish and English-language digital journalists writing news stories or blogs about Latino issues for any news website.

The award program offers two $10,000 prizes and is hosted by the AL DIA Foundation at Temple University’s Department of Journalism in Philadelphia.

The announcement was made this week at the annual Convention of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, (NAHJ), meeting this week in San Juan, Puerto Rico, by Zita Arocha, former Executive Director of the organization and a juror for the “ Felix Varela Awards.”

“These awards are the Latino equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize,” said Zita Arocha, professor of multi-media Journalism at the University of Texas at El Paso and director of the multimedia, bilingual website for College journalists, borderzine.com. “They honor and recognize the value of solid journalism about Latino issues that are radically transforming the landscape of our country.”

Hernán Guaracao, publisher and founder of Al Dia News in Philadelphia, and Chairman of the AL DIA Foundation, said: “Journalism in America is not in crisis; it is in a vital transition. The many untold stories of America’s largest ethnic group must be part of this new era of great journalism in the 21st Century in the US.”

The AL DIA Foundation Awards honors the legacy of Father Felix Varela, a North American intellectual who published one of the first Spanish-language newspapers in the history of the U.S. in the City of Philadelphia.

More information on the two awards (Spanish-language Print and Spanish and English-language Digital Journalism) go to www.felixvarelaaward.com. Deadline for submissions is December 31, 2009.

ENGLISH VERSION (Spanish below)

“We are pleased to report that Spanish journalism in the US is thriving and growing in depth, breath and quality”.

The following is the official statement issued by the jury of the awards, gathered on August 30th, 2008.

We commend the overall quality of submissions for the Spanish print and the English language immigration story categories. Because of the overall strength of the submissions, we have awarded a First Prize winner and two honorable mentions in both categories.

We are pleased to report that Spanish journalism in the United States is thriving and growing in depth, breath and quality.

On to the winners:

Spanish Print category:

First Prize

Esclavos del siglo XXI, por Claudia Nuñez from La Opinion.

In this well-documented series on Mexican immigrants lured to northern California by phony promises of good paying jobs who end up as virtual slaves in service jobs, Ms. Nuñez captures the human drama of this story of our times. The series is exquisitely crafted, meticulously reported and captures the human dimension of the male and female immigrants caught in a pernicious web of human trafficking, which has become a crisis of global proportions.

Honorable Mention

Guerra en los bosques: Traficantes amenazan, por Eva Sanchis, El Diario/La Prensa

Luchó hasta el fin: Voluntarios desafían una montaña para encontrar a un inmigrante, por Hiram Soto, Enlace

Hispanic Immigrant Stories category

First Prize

The Mayan Way, by Matt OBrien, Daily Review
An expertly told tale of the immigration of indigenous rural Guatemalans to a suburban community in the San Francisco Bay area. This series, published in English and Spanish, explores the push and pull factors of the Guatemalans immigration the violence and poverty that drives them north, the promise that beckons, and the risks they encounter to survive in the alien culture of the United States. The series is enhanced by excellent images and moving first-person audio accounts by the immigrants.

Honorable Mention

Death in the Desert: Jesus long journey home, by Mariana Alvarado Avalos, Arizona Daily Star

The Best of all Bad Choices, by Angelica Herrera, The Chicago Reporter.

SPANISH VERSION

“El periodismo en español en los Estados Unidos prospera y crece en profundidad, amplitud de miras y calidad”
El siguiente fue el pronunciamiento oficial del jurado de los Premios “Felix Varela,” reunido el 30 de Agosto del 2008

Debemos elogiar la calidad de los artículos sometidos en las categorías de Prensa escrita en español, al igual que en la de historias de Inmigración en idioma inglés. Debido a la solidez general de los artículos sometidos, hemos otorgado un Primer Premio al ganador y dos Menciones Honoríficas en ambas categorías.

Nos complace reportar que el periodismo en español en los Estados Unidos prospera y crece en profundidad, amplitud de miras y calidad.

Los ganadores:

Categoría de Prensa Escrita en español:

Primer premio:

Esclavos del siglo XXI, por Claudia Núñez, La Opinión.

En esta serie bien documentada sobre inmigrantes mexicanos que viajan al norte de California atraídos por falsas promesas de empleos bien remunerados para acabar convertidos en virtuales esclavos en trabajos de servicio, la autora captura el drama humano de esta historia de nuestro tiempo. La serie, de exquisita factura y meticulosa investigación, captura la dimensión humana de los hombres y mujeres inmigrantes atrapados en una perniciosa red de tráfico humano que se ha convertido en una crisis de proporciones globales.

Mencion Honorifica:

Guerra en los bosques: Traficantes amenazan, por Eva Sanchis, El Diario/La Prensa

Luchó hasta el fin: Voluntarios desafían una montaña para encontrar a un inmigrante, por Hiram Soto, Enlace

Categoría de Inmigración, en inglés.

Primer Premio:

The Mayan Way, por Matt OBrien, Daily Review

Un relato sobre la inmigración de indígenas rurales guatemaltecos a una comunidad suburbana en el área de la bahía de San Francisco, contado con gran habilidad. Publicada en inglés y en español, esta serie explora los diversos factores que impulsan a los guatemaltecos a emigrar, así como los que los hacen permanecer en su tierra: la violencia y la pobreza que los lleva al norte, la promesa que los llama, y los riesgos que enfrentan para sobrevivir en la cultura extraña de los Estados Unidos. La serie se fortalece con excelentes imágenes y conmovedores relatos hablados por los inmigrantes en primera persona.

Mención Honorífica

Death in the Desert: Jesus long journey home, por Mariana Alvarado Avalos, Arizona Daily Star

The Best of all Bad Choices, por Angelica Herrera, The Chicago Reporter.

The award is named in honor of an American intellectual of Hispanic origin, who 184 years ago in Philadelphia published “El Habanero,” one of the first Spanish-language newspapers in the United States.

Guest speaker at the event will be Alberto Ibarguen, President and CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Two $10,000 National Awards for Excellence in Spanish-Language Journalism – the first Felix Varela Awards — will be presented by the AL DIA Foundation at 4:30 p.m. Tues., Sept. 30, in the Great Court at Temple University’s Mitten Hall, 1913 N. Broad St., Philadelphia.

The prizes will go to Claudia Nuñez of the Los Angeles daily La Opinión in the category of Spanish-language Journalism, and to Matt O’Brien of the Daily Review of Hayward, Ca., for English-language coverage in the Hispanic Immigration Stories category.

“Hispanic print journalism has been contributing to the national dialogue for the past 200 years, ever since Father Felix Varela y Morales founded the first known Spanish-language newspaper on the East Coast in Philadelphia,” stated Hernán Guaracao, Chairman of the AL DIA Foundation and Editor and Publisher of AL DIA Newspaper.

“It is about time we recognize this type of overlooked American journalism produced today by hundreds of Spanish-language publications across the nation,” he added.

Guest speaker at the event, which is co-hosted by Temple University’s School of Communications and Theater, will be Alberto Ibarguen, President and CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which invests in journalism excellence worldwide.

Father Felix Varela y Morales was born in Havana in 1788, and died in Saint Augustine, Fla., in 1853. In 1824, at 37 years of age, Father Varela, escaping political persecution in Spain, found refuge in Philadelphia where in Old City he published “El Habanero,” a newspaper in which he passionately wrote for the independence of Cuba.

Father Varela also was a prolific writer and the author of multiple essays on cooperation between the English and Spanish-speaking communities. He translated into Spanish several important English-language books, including Thomas Jefferson’s A Manual of Parliamentary Practice. In 1997, the U.S. Postal Service honored Varela by issuing a commemorative stamp.

Judging the quality of the work, which includes categories in Print and Digital Journalism, has been charged to a panel of distinguished journalists from the Americas

The award ceremony will be hosted for the first time on September 30th, 2008 in Philadelphia. The deadline for submissions is June 30, 2008

Philadelphia, PA–(HISPANIC PR WIRE – PR NEWSWIRE)–January 8, 2008–Due to the demand and increased interest in the newly unveiled Felix Varela Award for Excellence in Spanish-language Journalism, the category of “Hispanic Immigration Stories,” which will feature works published in any U.S. mainstream newspaper.

This category will be open to articles and stories written in English effectively covering or illuminating an aspect of the topic of immigration. This category will also be awarded a $10,000 cash prize like the other categories and be reviewed by the same distinguished panel of judges.

“The newsrooms in the United States are among the most respected and professional in the world, and the Felix Varela Awards strives to recognize the excellent work that they produce to keep their respective communities informed and engaged,” stated Hernán Guaracao, Chairman of the AL DIA Foundation.

“The addition of this category will open even wider the competition, but it will also show that the immigration issue has impacted the entire nation, both in English and in Spanish,” the AL DIA Foundation Chairman said. “Journalists from every newsroom across the nation who believes that they have written an insightful article on this topic, in either English or Spanish, is invited to submit their work for consideration.”

The award is named after Father Felix Varela y Morales, a Cuban Catholic priest who came to the United States in 1824, at 37 years of age, to escape political persecution in Spain. He found refuge in Philadelphia where he published in Old City “El Habanero”, one of the first Spanish-language newspapers in the nation, in which he passionately wrote for the independence of Cuba, well before the better-known Cuban writer and poet José Martí came to New York to pick up exactly the same flag and follow on the same intellectual pursuit.

To participate in the Felix Varela Award for Excellence in Spanish-language Journalism and have a chance to win $10,000, just follow the steps below:

Step 1: Go to http://www.felixvarelaaward.com
Step 2: Click on Submission Form
Step 3: Click on the Download Form link
Step 4: Print out the form and fill out all information requested along with a copy of the submission to be reviewed.
Step 5: Mail all entries via U.S. Postal Service with postmarks by June 30th, 2008 to:

Felix Varela Award
1500 John F Kennedy Blvd., Suite 525
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Attn: AL DIA Foundation

For more information about the award, or AL DIA Foundation, please call 215-569-4666 Ext 116, or go to the awards website: http://www.felixvarelaaward.com.

About the AL DIA Foundation:

The AL DIA Foundation is a nonprofit organization, of the Philadelphia newspaper of the same name, incorporated in the State of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Guaracao is the former president of the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP, Inc.), and a Fulbright Scholar with 25-year career in Journalism in the Americas. He has an undergraduate degree in Communications and Journalism from a prestigious University in Latin America, in addition to a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Iowa, in Iowa City.

He is currently the Publisher of AL DIA Newspapers Inc., one the leading Hispanic Publishing Houses in the nation, headquartered in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Current members of the Foundation Board, in addition to Mr. Guaracao, are Dr. Concetta Stewart, Ph.D, Dean of Communications of Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, and Mr. Rudy Beserra, Senior Vice-president of Coca-Cola, USA, in Atlanta, GA.

The “Felix Varela” National Awards for Excellence in Spanish-Language Journalism in the United States (Full Details) THE LARGEST CASH AWARD IN THE U.S. HISPANIC PRESS

• The National Felix Varela Annual Awards for Excellence in Spanish-language Journalism in the United States will carry one of the largest cash prizes for journalism in the nation.
• In its first year, the contest will choose winners in only three
• categories: Hispanic Print Journalism, Hispanic Digital Journalism, Hispanic Immigration Stories
• Each category winner will receive a $10,000 prize each.
• Although there exist other awards with cash prizes such as those awarded by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), and the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP), this prize is by far the largest of them all monetarily as well as in its scope.

THE JURY IN CHARGE OF SELECTION:

The jury will be made up of 3 prestigious practitioners of Journalism in the Americas:

• Albor Ruiz, Columnist of the New York Daily News, and member of the
• Hall of Fame of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ).
• Zita Arocha, Former Executive Director of NAHJ, and currently
• Associate Director of the Sam Donaldson Center for Communications Studies at the University of Texas, at El Paso.
• Jorge Castañeda, former Foreign Relations Secretary of the Mexican Government, and current syndicated columnist of El Pais in Spain, has been invited to be the third judge in this prestigious panel.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS:

In the first edition of the awards, the jury will accept entries of work published from January 1st, 2006, all the way to June 30th, 2008.

A formal ceremony, with guests from all across the Americas and Spain, to acknowledge the winners, will be hosted in a prestigious venue in the Washington-Philadelphia-New York corridor during Hispanic Heritage Month of 2008, which runs from September 15th to October the 15th.

The award honors an American intellectual of Hispanic origin who 183 years ago published in Philadelphia a Spanish-language newspaper, one of the first in the history of the nation

The award, the largest cash prize in Hispanic Journalism in the nation today, will open an opportunity for the young talent driving Hispanic print journalism in the nation today to be finally acknowledged, honored and properly rewarded

Philadelphia, PA–(HISPANIC PR WIRE)–October 19, 2007–The AL DIA Foundation, with headquarters in Philadelphia, PA, unveiled today in the nation’s first capital the “Felix Varela y Morales” Annual Awards for Excellence in Spanish-Language Journalism in the United States, in a press conference held today, Friday, October 19th, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. in the 3rd Floor Conference Room of Two Penn Center in Downtown Philadelphia.

The announcement in Philadelphia was preceded by two media events, one in Washington DC, and the other in New York, in a coordinated campaign by the AL DIA Foundation to publicly introduce the new awards in the Northeast corridor of the country.

In New York, the press conference took place at the School of Journalism of Columbia University, on October 15th. The National Press Club, in Washington DC, hosted the first press conference on the “FELIX VARELA” awards in the nation’s capital on October the 4th, the day after the national gala of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) and before the national gala of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ).

The Foundation named the award after Father Felix Varela y Morales, a resident of Philadelphia in the 19th Century, because of his intellect as a writer, entrepreneurship as a newspaper editor and publisher in Philadelphia and New York, and his commitment in the defense of poor immigrants, at his time pouring into New York City mostly from Ireland and Italy to escape poverty and hunger in their homeland.

“Living always as one of the poor, he devoted himself entirely to the service of God and of needy people. He became an Apostle for the Immigrants,” says one of his many biographies.

Father Varela was born in Havana in 1788, and died in Saint Augustine, FL, in 1853. In 1824, at 37 years of age, Father Varela, escaping political persecution in Spain, found refuge in Philadelphia where he published in Old City “El Habanero”, a newspaper in which he passionately wrote for the independence of Cuba, well before the better-known Cuban writer and poet José Martí came to New York to pick up exactly the same flag and follow on the same intellectual pursuit.

“Hispanic print has been contributing to the national dialogue since 1824, when Father Felix Varela y Morales founded the first known Spanish-language newspaper in the East Coast, in the City of Philadelphia,” stated Hernán Guaracao, Chairman of the AL DIA Foundation.

Since its inception, and over the past almost two centuries, Spanish-language publications have been part of a vital process to provide news and information to a substantial group of “Americans that have populated this land since Father Varela came to Philadelphia, and America, like all the ancestors of our fellow immigrants to America, who arrived by boat or ship, plane and, more recently, by foot,” Guaracao said.

“All of them were escaping persecution, and in search of freedom – the central dream and heart of the human being – in this generous land called the United Sates of America.”

He also stated that the recognition of this kind of intellectual work, and particularly what he called “this type of overlooked, and undervalued American journalism,” produced today by hundreds of Spanish-language publications across the nation with over 200 years of accumulated history, is crucially important for America to understand fully and correctly.

“This little known but proud journalism must be finally recognized for its excellence while underlining its essential role in bringing Americans together, building pride for what American Democracy, in general, and American Journalism, in particular, still represent in the free world today,” the AL DIA Foundation Chairman said.

For more Information about the award, or AL DIA Foundation, please call 215-569-4666 Ext 116.

About the AL DIA Foundation: The AL DIA Foundation is a nonprofit organization, of the Philadelphia newspaper of the same name, incorporated in the State of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Guaracao is the former president of the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP, Inc.), and a Fulbright Scholar with 25-year career in Journalism in the Americas. He has an undergraduate degree in Communications and Journalism from a prestigious University in Latin America, in addition to a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Iowa, in Iowa City. He is currently the Publisher of AL DIA Newspapers Inc., one the leading Hispanic Publishing Houses in the nation, headquartered in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Current members of the Foundation Board, in addition to Mr. Guaracao, are Dr. Concetta Stewart, Ph.D, Dean of Communications of Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, and Mr. Rudy Beserra, Senior Vice-president of Coca-Cola, USA, in Atlanta, GA.

The “Felix Varela” National Awards for Excellence in Spanish-Language Journalism in the United States

(Full Details)

THE LARGEST CASH AWARD IN THE U.S. HISPANIC PRESS

• The National Felix Varela Annual Awards for Excellence in Spanish-language Journalism in the United States will carry one of the largest cash prizes for journalism in the nation.
• In its first year, the contest will choose winners in only two categories: Hispanic Print Journalism and Hispanic Digital Journalism.
• Each category winner will receive a $10,000 prize each.
• Although there exist other awards with cash prizes such as those awarded by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), and the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP), this prize is by far the largest of them all monetarily as well as in its scope.

THE JURY IN CHARGE OF SELECTION:

The jury will be made up of 3 prestigious practitioners of Journalism in the Americas:

• Albor Ruiz, Columnist of the New York Daily News, and member of the Hall of Fame of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ).
• Zita Arocha, Former Executive Director of NAHJ, and currently Associate Director of the Sam Donaldson Center for Communications Studies at the University of Texas, at El Paso.
• Jorge Castañeda, former Foreign Relations Secretary of the Mexican Government, and current syndicated columnist of El Pais in Spain, has been invited to be the third judge in this prestigious panel.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS:

In the first edition of the awards, the jury will accept entries of work published from January 1st, 2006, all the way to June 30th, 2008.

A formal ceremony, with guests from all across the Americas and Spain, to acknowledge the winners, will be hosted in a prestigious venue in the Washington-Philadelphia-New York corridor during Hispanic Heritage Month of 2008, which runs from September 15th to October the 15th.

Full details will be made available online through an official web site of the “Felix Varela” Awards of the AL DIA Foundation, announced the Chairman of the nonprofit corporation, which also intends to disperse scholarships and fellowships each year to contribute to the advancement of American Journalism.

Those that are interested in learning more about the program immediately, please contact Hernán Guaracao at 215-569-4666 ext. 116.

The award honors an American intellectual of Hispanic origin who 183 years ago published in Philadelphia a Spanish-language newspaper, one of the first in the history of the nation

The award, the largest cash prize in Hispanic Journalism in the nation today, will open an opportunity for the young talent driving Hispanic print journalism in the nation today to be finally acknowledged, honored and properly rewarded

New York, NY–(HISPANIC PR WIRE)–October 15, 2007–The AL DIA Foundation, with headquarters in Philadelphia, PA, unveiled today in the nation’s capital the “Felix Varela y Morales” Annual Awards for Excellence in Spanish-Language Journalism in the United States, in a press conference held today Monday, at 10:30 a.m. in Room 601C of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.

The Foundation named the award after Father Felix Varela y Morales because of his intellect as a writer, entrepreneurship as a newspaper editor and publisher in Philadelphia and New York, and his commitment in the defense of poor immigrants, at his time pouring into New York City mostly from Ireland and Italy to escape poverty and hunger in their homeland.

“Living always as one of the poor, he devoted himself entirely to the service of God and of needy people. He became an Apostle for the Immigrants,” says one of his many biographies.

Father Varela was born in Havana in 1788, and died in Saint Augustine, FL, in 1853.

In 1824, at 37 years of age, Father Varela, escaping political persecution in Spain, found refuge in Philadelphia where he published in Old City “El Habanero”, a newspaper in which he passionately wrote for the independence of Cuba, well before the better-known Cuban writer and poet José Martí came to New York to pick up exactly the same flag and follow on the same intellectual pursuit.

“Hispanic print has been contributing to the national dialogue since 1824, when Father Felix Varela y Morales founded the first known Spanish-language newspaper in the East Coast, in the City of Philadelphia,” stated Hernán Guaracao, Chairman of the AL DIA Foundation.

Since its inception, and over the past almost two centuries, Spanish-language publications have been part of a vital process to provide news and information to a substantial group of “Americans that have populated this land since Father Varela came to Philadelphia, and America, like all the ancestors of fellow immigrants who arrived by boat, ship, plane, or simply by foot,” Guaracao said.

“All of them were escaping persecution, and in search of freedom – the central dream and heart of the human being – in this generous land called the United Sates of America.”

He also stated that the recognition of this kind of intellectual work, and particularly what he called “this type of overlooked, and undervalued American journalism,” produced today by hundreds of Spanish-language publications across the nation with over 200 years of accumulated history is crucially important.

“This little known but proud journalism must be finally recognized for its excellence and essential role in bringing Americans together, building pride for what American Democracy, in general, and American Journalism, in particular, still represent in the free world today,” the AL DIA Foundation Chairman said.

For more Information about the award, or AL DIA Foundation, please call 215-569-4666 Ext 116.
About the AL DIA Foundation:

The AL DIA Foundation is a nonprofit organization, of the Philadelphia newspaper of the same name, incorporated in the State of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Guaracao is the former president of the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP, Inc.), and a Fulbright Scholar with 25-year career in Journalism in the Americas. He has an undergraduate degree in Communications and Journalism from a prestigious University in Latin America, in addition to a Masters Degree in Journalism from the University of Iowa, in Iowa City.

He is currently the Publisher of AL DIA Newspapers Inc., one the leading Hispanic Publishing Houses in the nation, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Current members of the Foundation Board, in addition to Mr. Guaracao, are Dr. Concetta Stwart, Ph.D, Dean of Communications of Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, and Mr. Rudy Beserra, Senior Vice-president of Coca-Cola, USA, in Atlanta, GA.

What are the Felix Varela National Awards for Excellence in Spanish-Language Journalism in the United States

Details…

THE LARGEST CASH AWARD IN THE U.S. HISPANIC PRESS

• The National Felix Varela Annual Awards for Excellence in Spanish-language Journalism in the United States will carry one of the largest cash prizes for journalism in the nation.
• In its first year, the contest will choose winners in only two categories: Hispanic Print Journalism and Hispanic Digital Journalism.
• Each category winner will receive a $10,000 prize each.
• Only a few of the prizes given by the NAHJ that have cash prizes, each about $250. Ivan Roman, Executive Director of the NAHJ, said in a ceremony in DC that these prizes could be raised to $500, or up to $1,000, if the Hearst chain of newspapers decides to sponsor them to this level.

THE JURY IN CHARGE OF SELECTION:

The jury will be made up of 3 prestigious practitioners of Journalism in the Americas:

• Albor Ruiz, Columnist of the New York Daily News, and member of the Hall of Fame of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ).
• Zita Arocha, Former Executive Director of NAHJ, and currently Associate Director of the Sam Donaldson Center for Communications Studies at the University of Texas, at El Paso.
• Jorge Castañeda, former Foreign Relations Secretary of the Mexican Government, and current syndicated columnist of El Pais in Spain, has been invited to be the third judge in this prestigious panel.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Entries for this award will be accepted from October 30th, 2007, until June 30th, 2008.
A formal ceremony, with guests from all across the Americas and Spain, to acknowledge the winners, will be hosted in a prestigious venue in the Washington-Philadelphia-New York corridor during Hispanic Heritage Month of 2008, which runs from September 15th to October the 15th.

Full details will be made available online through an official web site of the “Felix Varela” Awards of the AL DIA Foundation, announced the Chairman of the nonprofit corporation, which also will disperse scholarships and fellowships to contribute to the advancement of American journalism.

Those that are interested in learning more about the program immediately, please contact Hernán Guaracao at 215-569-4666 ext. 116.

The award honors an American intellectual of Hispanic origin who 183 years ago published in Philadelphia a Spanish-language newspaper, one of the first in the history of the nation

The award, the largest cash prize in Hispanic Journalism in the nation today, will open an opportunity for the young talent driving Hispanic print journalism in the nation today to be finally acknowledged, honored and properly rewarded

Washington, DC–(HISPANIC PR WIRE)–October 4, 2007– The AL DIA Foundation, with headquarters in Philadelphia, PA, unveiled today in the nations capital the Felix Varela y Morales Annual Awards for Excellence in Spanish-Language Journalism in the United States, in a press conference held today Thursday, October 4th, 2007 at 12:00 p.m., in the Zenger Room of the National Press Club of Washington, DC.

The Foundation named the award after Father Felix Varela y Morales because of his intellect as a writer, entrepreneurship as a newspaper editor and publisher in Philadelphia and New York, and his commitment in the defense of poor immigrants, at his time pouring into New York City mostly from Ireland and Italy to escape poverty and hunger in their homeland.

Living always as one of the poor, he devoted himself entirely to the service of God and of needy people. He became an Apostle for the Immigrants, says one of his many biographies.

Father Varela was born in Havana in 1788, and died in Saint Augustine, FL, in 1853.

In 1824, at 37 years of age, Father Varela, escaping political persecution in Spain, found refuge in Philadelphia where he published in Old City El Habanero, a newspaper in which he passionately wrote for the independence of Cuba, well before the better-known Cuban writer and poet Jose Marti came to New York to pick up exactly the same flag and follow on the same intellectual pursuit.

Hispanic print has been contributing to the national dialogue since 1824, when Father Felix Varela y Morales founded the first known Spanish-language newspaper in the East Coast, in the City of Philadelphia, stated Hernan Guaracao, Chairman of the AL DIA Foundation.

Since its inception, and over the past almost two centuries, Spanish-language publications have been part of a vital process to provide news and information to a substantial group of Americans that have populated this land since Father Varela came to Philadelphia, and America, like all the ancestors of fellow immigrants who arrived by boat, ship, plane, or simply by foot, Guaracao said.

All of them were escaping persecution, and in search of freedom the central dream and heart of the human being in this generous land called the United Sates of America.

He also stated that the recognition of this kind of intellectual work, and particularly what he called this type of overlooked, and undervalued American journalism, produced today by hundreds of Spanish-language publications across the nation with over 200 years of accumulated history is crucially important.

This little known but proud journalism must be finally recognized for its excellence and essential role in bringing Americans together, building pride for what American Democracy, in general, and American Journalism, in particular, still represent in the free world today, the AL DIA Foundation Chairman said.

For more Information about the award, or AL DIA Foundation, please call 215-569-4666 Ext 116. About the AL DIA Foundation:

The AL DIA Foundation is a nonprofit organization, of the Philadelphia newspaper of the same name, incorporated in the State of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Guaracao is the former president of the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP, Inc.), and a Fulbright Scholar with 25-year career in Journalism in the Americas. He has an undergraduate degree in Communications and Journalism from a prestigious University in Latin America, in addition to a Masters Degree in Journalism from the University of Iowa, in Iowa City.

He is currently the Publisher of AL DIA Newspapers Inc., one the leading Hispanic Publishing Houses in the nation, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Current members of the Foundation Board, in addition to Mr. Guaracao, are Dr. Concetta Stwart, Ph.D, Dean of Communications of Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, and Mr. Rudy Beserra, Senior Vice-president of Coca-Cola, USA, in Atlanta, GA.

What are the Felix Varela National Awards for Excellence in Spanish-Language Journalism in the United States

Details

THE LARGEST CASH AWARD IN THE U.S. HISPANIC PRESS The National Felix Varela Annual Awards for Excellence in Spanish-language Journalism in the United States will carry one of the largest cash prizes for journalism in the nation.

In its first year, the contest will choose winners in only two categories: Hispanic Print Journalism and Hispanic Digital Journalism.

Each category winner will receive a $10,000 prize each. Only a few of the prizes given by the NAHJ that have cash prizes, each about $250. Ivan Roman, Executive Director of the NAHJ, said in a ceremony in DC that these prizes could be raised to $500, or up to $1,000, if the Hearst chain of newspapers decides to sponsor them to this level.

THE JURY IN CHARGE OF SELECTION:

The jury will be made up of 3 prestigious practitioners of Journalism in the Americas:

Albor Ruiz, Columnist of the New York Daily News, and member of the Hall of Fame of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ).

Zita Arocha, Former Executive Director of NAHJ, and currently Associate Director of the Sam Donaldson Center for Communications Studies at the University of Texas, at El Paso. Jorge Castaneda, former Foreign Relations Secretary of the Mexican Government, and current syndicated columnist of El Pais in Spain, has been invited to be the third judge in this prestigious panel.

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Entries for this award will be accepted from October 30th, 2007, until June 30th, 2008.

A formal ceremony, with guests from all across the Americas and Spain, to acknowledge the winners, will be hosted in a prestigious venue in the Washington-Philadelphia-New York corridor during Hispanic Heritage Month of 2008, which runs from September 15th to October the 15th.

Full details will be made available online through an official web site of the Felix Varela Awards of the AL DIA Foundation, announced the Chairman of the nonprofit corporation, which also will disperse scholarships and fellowships to contribute to the advancement of American journalism.

Those that are interested in learning more about the program immediately, please contact Hernán Guaracao at 215-569-4666 ext. 116.