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Updated:
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Posted: April 29, 2008 |
Contact:
NABJ Communications
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Essence Washington Correspondent Cynthia Gordy Named Emerging Journalist of the Year by National Association of Black Journalists
 WASHINGTON, D.C. April 29, 2009 --The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) named ESSENCE Washington correspondent Cynthia Gordy as its 2009 Emerging Journalist of the Year at its spring Board Meeting in Tampa. Gordy will join other top honorees at the organization’s Salute to Excellence Gala on August 8, in Tampa.
“It is rare that a journalist can graduate college and within five years time be in the White House covering the President of the United States,” said NABJ President Barbara Ciara. “Cynthia leapfrogged ahead of a cadre of seasoned journalists through her great aptitude and versatility; we are proud to have Cynthia in our ranks and look forward to seeing her name online and in print for years to come.”
Cynthia Gordy, 27, was named ESSENCE Washington correspondent in January of 2009 after extensive coverage of Barack Obama’s campaign for presidency. Her online and print features for the magazine demonstrate a heightened sensitivity for the news most important to black women.
In just four years on the ESSENCE team, Gordy rose from University of Pittsburgh intern to news editor before helping to lead the magazine’s first in-depth effort to cover a presidential administration.
“Cynthia at a young age is already a trailblazer,” said NABJ Vice President for Print Ernie Suggs. “Through her work she has shown the ability to be a hard edge political reporter with a writer’s flair. She is right now one of the most important journalists working in Washington.”
In her position, Gordy is responsible for developing and maintaining key relationships with the Obama administration, as well as the First Lady’s staff and cabinet level officers and covering issues of importance to the African-American community. Gordy writes features and reports breaking news for both ESSENCE magazine and Essence.com, including a monthly column in the magazine and a daily “Obama Watch” section online.
“The scope and importance of her new position is testament to her ability and potential as a reporter,” said Ciara. “We all look to young leaders like Cynthia to pave the way for a new, more diverse voice of the future.”
Gordy has already won a number of national awards including NABJ’s Salute to Excellence Award in the 2008 Magazine-Specialty category for “Troubled Waters,” a co-written piece on environmental justice. The New York Association of Black Journalists also honored Gordy for spot news reporting.
CNN's T.J. Holmes will host the 2009 NABJ Salute to Excellence Awards Gala on August 8, 2009 as part of the NABJ Annual Convention and Career Fair in Tampa, Fla. The NABJ Convention is the largest gathering of minority journalists in the country.
Salute to Excellence recognizes journalism that best covered the black experience or addressed issues affecting the worldwide black community during 2008. For more information go to: www.nabj.org.
An advocacy group established in 1975 in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization of journalists of color in the nation, with more than 4,100 members, and provides educational, career development and support to black journalists worldwide.
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