Pulitzer Grantees Recognized at OPC Awards

Three Pulitzer Center grantees received awards at the Overseas Press Club of America's 80th Annual Awards on April 18, 2019.

Nariman El-Mofty received the Olivier Rebbot Award for best photographic news reporting from abroad for her project “Yemen: On The Edge.” Published by the Associated Press with support from the Pulitzer Center, this project investigated a range of issues related to Yemen's civil war, including the Houthis’ use of child soldiers, the lack of humanitarian aid in the country, and the experiences of prisoners of war. Upon receiving the award, El-Mofty spoke about how humanity still shines through the chaos of war. "Some of my images will be ingrained in my memory forever," she says. "Yet in the midst of all this you see kindness and generosity."

Shiho Fukada received the Feature Photography Award for best feature photography on an international theme for her Pulitzer Center-supported project, “For Many of Japan’s Elderly Women, Prison Is a Haven." Published in Bloomberg Businessweek, Fukada's reporting covered rising crime rates among elderly Japanese women who seek the community and stability offered by the prison system. "It's not that they don't have family," Fukada said upon receiving the award. "They have a husband, children, and grandchildren. But they said going to prison was the first time anybody has given them any significant attention for a long time."

Jeffrey E. Stern received the Joe and Laurie Dine Award for best international reporting in any medium dealing with human rights for his project, “From Arizona to Yemen: The Journey of an American Bomb.” Published in The New York Times Magazine with support from the Pulitzer Center, Stern's meticulous reporting traced the path of bombs made in the United States, their adoption by the Saudi armed forces, and how they change lives on the ground in Yemen after they are deployed. After receiving the award, Stern thanked the support systems of those that carry out reporting abroad. "When we go and have these adventures," Stern said, "we leave people behind—we have a support team back here."

Maggie Michael, Maad al-Zikry, and Nariman El-Mofty were runners-up for two awards for their Pulitzer Center-supported coverage of Yemen's civil war for the Associated Press, receiving citations for the Hal Boyle Award for best newspaper, news service or digital reporting from abroad and the Roy Rowan Award for best investigative reporting in any medium on an international story.

Amy Martin and the team at the Threshold podcast received a citation for the Lowell Thomas Award for best radio, audio, or podcast coverage of international affairs for their Pulitzer Center-supported second season focusing on climate change in the Arctic.

In addition to the acceptance speeches, please see the video below for the keynote remarks by Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron.

The Overseas Press Club is an international association of journalists based in New York City working to encourage the highest standards in journalism, to educate the next generation of foreign correspondents, and to promote international press freedom and the well-being of colleagues in the field. The OPC Awards recognize the finest international reporting in 21 categories.