Kirsty Mckenzie
THE King has presented the International Journalism Awards in Madrid, telling the winners: “Journalism is always necessary, and in these times of health, economic and social crisis, especially necessary.”
The annual awards, now in their 37th year, took place at the Casa de América.
“It is time to exercise journalistic leadership of authenticity and quality, and these attributes are precisely those exhibited by these awards, attributes conceived as a right to information for citizens, where the media are the voice of the people, and honesty its guiding principle,” King Philip VI said.
“The six editions that I have presided overallow me to affirm that the King of Spain International Journalism Awards and the Don Quixote Award represent an example of credibility,” he added. “They are a great exponent of journalism exercised with the utmost rigour.”
The awards, according to Casa Real, “recognise the informative work of journalism professionals in the Spanish and Portuguese languages of the States that make up the Ibero-American Community of Nations” as well as nations with which Spain maintains ties of a historical or cultural nature.
His Majesty said: “Where there are good journalists there is rigor, truthfulness, research and critical analysis.”
The ceremony included the presentation of the 16th edition of the “Don Quixote” Journalism Award to Mar García Abad, co-founder of the Yorokobu magazine.
The Press Award to Luis Fernando Soria Sejas from El Deber, the Semana magazine and Record TV, were among those honoured at the awards.
