FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 28, 2010
Contact: John Estrella 202 530 4900 estrellaj(a)rfa.org
<mailto:estrellaj@rfa.org>
Rohit Mahajan 202 530 4976 mahajanr(a)rfa.org
<mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org>
Radio Free Asia Wins Major Environmental Reporting Prize
Mekong River series takes top honors
Washington, DC - The Society of Environmental Journalists today awarded
Radio Free Asia (RFA) First Prize for Outstanding Online Reporting on
the Environment for its 2010 multimedia series "The Last Untamed River."
The prize, in recognition of RFA's investigative reporting trek down the
Mekong River, will be awarded in Missoula, Montana, on Oct.13 at the
SEJ's 20th annual conference, the nonprofit organization said.
"This award is a tremendous honor," RFA President Libby Liu said. "We
know from our listeners that the health of the Mekong River is of
paramount importance to their quality of life, and in some cases, to
their very existence."
The Mekong River-the least developed of the world's major
rivers-sustains more than 60 million people from the Tibetan plateau to
the South China Sea.
RFA's series, with original reporting in English adapted into seven
Asian languages, comprises 22 high-quality videos, along with blogs,
graphics, slideshows, and other social media releases.
It addresses climate change and melting glaciers, urbanization and
industrialization, the decline of forests and fisheries, and finally the
development of China's dams and control over water flow, as seen by
ordinary citizens-from nomadic herders and fishermen-as well as regional
experts and analysts. RFA's videographers traveled for nearly 3,000
miles along the Mekong River from Tibet to Vietnam and the South China
Sea.
RFA's Mekong River series is online in English at
www.rfa.org/english/multimedia/MekongProject.
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Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and
publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian
languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news
media. RFA's broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of
opinion and expression, including the freedom to "seek, receive, and
impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers." RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board
of Governors.
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