24 Apr
2018
24 Apr
'18
10:55 a.m.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 24, 2018
Contact: Rohit Mahajan 202 530 4976 <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org>
mahajanr(a)rfa.org
Radio Free Asia's Rebel Pepper e-Book Wins Prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award
WASHINGTON - Radio Free Asia <https://www.rfa.org/english/> (RFA) was
announced as a winner of a Sigma Delta Chi award for "
<https://www.rfa.org/english/bookshelf> Drawing Fire: The Political Cartoons
of Rebel Pepper" by the Society of Professional Journalists
<https://www.spj.org/> (SPJ) in the international competition's new
category of best e-book. RFA's e-book collects the work of resident
political cartoonist and Chinese dissident Wang Liming, who goes by the pen
name of "Rebel Pepper." The collection was released
<https://www.rfa.org/about/releases/politicalcartoonist-ebook-12132017115827
.html> last December and includes a selection of Wang's drawings tackling
issues from North Korean nuclear provocations to Cambodian political
machinations to the Rohingya humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, among others.
"Rebel Pepper's political cartoons show the power of humor and satire as
tools of free expression," said Bay Fang, RFA's Executive Editor, who edited
the e-book. "This collection is especially resonant with RFA's audiences in
countries under authoritarian rule that restrict free speech and free press.
"Radio Free Asia is honored to accept this prestigious award for our e-book
that shows the amazing breadth of Rebel's work."
In his native China, Wang's success in giving expression to the thoughts of
his thousands of followers on both taboo subjects and everyday experiences
drew the wrath of the Chinese Communist Party. In 2014, Wang was forced to
leave his homeland, finding haven first in Japan before settling in
Washington, D.C. Throughout his journey he continued to hone his craft,
challenging Chinese state-controlled narratives and expanding his graphic
editorials for RFA. "Drawing Fire" includes 50 of Wang's cartoons, in which
he shapes nuanced geopolitical complexities into sharp and relatable pieces
of visual art. Wang's cartoons have appeared in the Japanese edition of
Newsweek, Index of Censorship, and China Digital Times, among other
publications. He began working for RFA in June 2017.
Other notable winners
<https://twitter.com/spj_tweets/status/988475924466237440> of this year's
Sigma Delta Chi Awards include reporters, columnists, and designers with the
Associated Press, ProPublica, NPR, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times,
Center for Investigative Reporting, Politico, and the Intercept, among
others.
# # #
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.
Rohit Mahajan | Radio Free Asia | Director of Public Affairs and Digital
Strategy
<mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org | O: 202.530.4976 | M:
202.489.8021
