The Connecticut Foundation for Open Government is excited to announce that Maria Ressa, a crusading Filipina-American journalist, will be honored with CFOG’s Walter Cronkite Award in recognition of her courageous reporting and unyielding defense of democracy and free expression.,
At an April 14 ceremony at the Mark Twain House and Museum, 351 Farmington Ave. in Hartford, Ressa will become the eighth person to receive the prestigious award. As the co-founder of Rappler, a respected online news site in the Philippines, she was subject to constant harassment and arrest by the former government of President Rodrigo Duterte. For her fearless reporting, she was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for her “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”
The Walter Cronkite Award is named in honor of its first recipient, and other past awardees include journalist Bob Woodward, First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams, and, most recently, Judy Woodruff of the PBS NewsHour. This year’s ceremony is especially noteworthy, as it corresponds with the 50th anniversary of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act.
The award gala will begin at 6:30 p.m. on April 14 and will include remarks by Ms. Ressa and a sit-down dinner. Tickets to this historic event are available for $150.
A limited number of patron ticket packages are also available and include access to an exclusive pre-dinner cocktail hour with Ms. Ressa, as well as acknowledgement at the event. The patron package includes two tickets and is offered at $500.
Tickets can also be purchased by sending a check to CFOG, 35 Bunker Hill Road, Glastonbury, CT 06033. Please specify the type and number of tickets you are purchasing, and include an email address or phone number.
CFOG is also offering a limited number of sponsorships for organizations that align themselves with the foundation’s commitment to government transparency and accountability and join us in paying tribute to one of the world’s most respected voices in the news media. Contact cronkite.cfog@gmail.com for more information.