NAMME's 'Celebration Of Diversity' Honors Media Leaders

A newspaper publisher, a corporate recruiter, a newsroom executive, a senior correspondent, a columnist, and a digital guru are the winners of NAMME's Media Awards for 2006. The awards honor outstanding achievements by individuals who advocate diversity and inclusion in all facets of the media business.
These trailblazers will be honored at the 12th annual awards banquet on Thursday, April 27 at the Westin Hotel in Seattle, Wash. The "Celebration of Diversity" banquet is held in conjunction with the American Society of Newspaper Editors' annual convention.

Here are the winners, their awards, and remarks by the selection committee.

The Robert C. Maynard Legend

Reginald Stuart, Corporate Recruiter, Knight Ridder

Reggie is an indispensable part of Knight Ridder's efforts to live out its commitment to diversity. He chaired Knight Ridder's steering committee for UNITY 2004, was the recipient of AAJA's Leadership in Diversity Award, and served as past president of the Society of Professional Journalists while he was a reporter and editor at Knight Ridder.

Lifetime Achievement

Phil Currie, Senior Vice President of News, Newspaper Division, Gannett Co. Inc.

Throughout a distinguished 40-year career with Gannett--the last 27 years spent at the corporate-executive level--Currie has been a staunch, effective champion of diversity in newsroom leadership, staffing and news coverage.

Catalyst: Print

Monica Lozano, Publisher and CEO, La Opinión
Senior Vice President, ImpreMedia LLC

Under her leadership, La Opinión, the nation's largest Spanish-language daily, has expanded its editorial content and launched new products including La Vibra, a weekly entertainment magazine, and La Opinión Contigo, a home-delivered magazine reaching 255,000 Hispanic homes in Southern California. La Opinión Contigo is part of ImpreMedia's Domingo Network, the nations' largest Hispanic residential print network. The Domingo Network distributes 750,000 free publications each week in high-density Hispanic neighborhoods.

Catalyst: Broadcast

Juan Williams, Senior Correspondent, National Public Radio
Political Contributor, FOX News

The recipient of an Emmy Award for television-documentary writing, Williams has also won widespread critical acclaim for a series of documentaries, including Politics--The New Black Power , and A. Philip Randolph: For Jobs and Freedom. He is the author of the nonfiction bestseller, Eyes On the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965 and Thurgood Marshall--American Revolutionary.

Catalyst: New Media

Nihal Mehta, Founder and President, ipsh!

Short for "instant power single handed," ipsh! is a mobile marketing company founded by the 27-year-old Mehta, a widely quoted expert on marketing to young people. Mehta co-founded UrbanGroove Networks, Inc. in 1998 and helped the company grow into one of the largest networks of youth-oriented, independent city guides online before leaving in 2001 to create ipsh! Mehtal's mobile marketing campaigns have earned a nomination at this year's Ad:tech Award.

Lawrence Young Breakthrough

Dinah Eng, Columnist and Founder, AAJA's ELP Program

Dinah's visionary leadership has helped to shape the next generation of media industry leaders and inspire them to continue efforts to advance diversity and quality journalism. She was president of the Asian American Journalists Association from 1994 to 1996, and established AAJA's Executive Leadership Program, designed to increase the visibility of Asian American journalists.