Univision wins Walter Cronkite Award

Univision News announced that it has been honored by The Norman Lear Center with an Achievement in National Investigative Journalism Walter Cronkite Award for its exploration of the dramatic exodus of Central American children to the U.S. in a special titled “Entre el Abandono y el Rechazo” (Between Abandonment and Rejection) led by Univision News anchor, María Elena Salinas. Judges praised the “balanced and revealing” reporting from the point of view not of politicians, but of families in their countries of origin, which brought viewers face-to-face with women and children directly affected. “This kind of story is often left out of the immigration debate,” the judges said, noting that both reporter and camera crew put themselves in harm’s way in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala to get the story.
 
Univision News’ María Elena Salinas, Mirna Couto, Martin Guzmán and Scott Monaghan, covered more than 5,700 miles over eight days to produce “Entre el Abandono y el Rechazo” (Between Abandonment and Rejection), as they traveled through the countries that drive migrants away. Salinas interviewed key players in the humanitarian crisis, including presidents, immigration authorities, human rights advocates and crime specialists. She also visited some of the poorest and most dangerous areas in those countries to witness the deplorable conditions that drive so many locals to abandon their home in search of a better life. She also spoke to a wide variety of people on the ground, from human smugglers and gang members to border police charged with handling the massive exodus toward the North.
 
The Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism is a biennial award administered by The Norman Lear Center and is named for the distinguished journalist and CBS news anchor, Walter Cronkite. The award encourages and showcases journalistic excellence in political coverage, particularly innovative, issue-focused coverage that informs viewers about their electoral choices. The Norman Lear Center is a nonpartisan research and public policy center that studies the social, political, economic and cultural impact of entertainment on the world.