CPJ International Press Freedom Awards 2011

21st Annual Ceremony and Dinner
To benefit the Committee to Protect Journalists

Four intrepid reporters and editors from Bahrain, Belarus, Mexico, and Pakistan were honored Tuesday, November 22, at the Committee to Protect Journalists' 21st Annual International Press Freedom Awards benefit dinner, an annual recognition of courageous journalism.

The event, held at New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel, raised nearly $1.4 million for CPJ's work denouncing anti-press violations, providing assistance to targeted journalists, and advocating for press freedom worldwide. Award winners Mansoor al-Jamri (Al-Wasat, Bahrain), Natalya Radina (Charter 97, Belarus), Javier Valdez Cárdenas (Riodoce, Mexico), and Umar Cheema (The News, Pakistan) were honored in front of approximately 900 guests. CPJ also paid tribute to television newsman Dan Rather by awarding him the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award for his lifelong work to advance press freedom.

At the benefit, CPJ premiered its 2011 overview video detailing our efforts to defend press freedom around the world and online.

Read the full press release

2011 International Press Freedom Awardees. bios and videos:

Mansoor al-Jamri, Bahrain





Natalya Radina, Belarus





Javier Valdez Cárdenas, Mexico





Umar Cheema, Pakistan





Burton Benjamin Memorial Awardee

Dan Rather, United States





2009 International Press Freedom Awardee:

Eynulla Fatullayev, Azerbaijan

Fatullayev received his 2009 award after having been released from prison earlier this year.