Speaking Truth to Power: Ridenhour Prizes Recognize Brave Journalists Who Produced Great Work Against All Odds.

By Anna Simonton

April 25, 2013  |  For ten years, The Nation Institute and the Fertel Foundation have awarded The Ridenhour Prizes annually, honoring individuals who have shown courage in speaking truth to power. Named for Ron Ridenhour, a Vietnam veteran who exposed the atrocities of the Mei Lai massacre and subsequently became an investigative journalist, past awards have gone to such luminaries as Daniel Ellsberg, Gloria Steinem, Howard Zinn, Jimmy Carter, Bill Moyers, and John Lewis. Most awards though, have gone to whistleblowers, activists, writers, and filmmakers who are not household names, but should be.

 

On Wednesday this year's award-winners were honored in a ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington DC. Here's a rundown of the events:

 

The Ridenhour Prize for Truth-Telling went to Jose Antonio Vargas, a journalist, filmmaker and founder of the immigration awareness organization Define American. Unable to accept the award in person, Vargas sent a pre-recorded video in which he described his journey as an undocumented immigrant.