Journalistic rigour and truth, at the International Press Club awards ceremony

Truth, rigour, commitment, freedom. These were some of the words heard and defended during the presentation of the 2023 International Journalism Awards given annually by the International Press Club and the Associations of Foreign Press Correspondents, Ibero-American Press, African Press and Arab Journalists and Writers.

The Spanish women's football team, Pablo Motos, Laura de Chiclana, Fernando Rodríguez Lafuente, Rodrigo Isasi, José de la Morena Fernández, Barney Jopson, María Senovilla, Javier Cremades, the Spanish Association of Festivals and Historical Recreations, the Sorolla Museum and Foundation, the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy, and the Dance and Art Studio of Brazil were the winners of this edition.

Before receiving their respective awards, the president of the International Press Club, Javier Fernández Arribas, director of the magazine Atalayar, took the floor. He stressed that, although it was a day of celebration, it was also a day of remembrance for all the journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession, for which he asked for a minute's silence. 

Fernández Arribas recalled that attacks on freedom of expression are not new, but they can be denounced and that "without journalism there is no democracy", as citizens are freer when they have access to real and plural information. He also reiterated the commitment "to independence and truth", hence the presentation of these awards to the best professionals and institutions. 

The President of the Club concluded his speech by affirming that, in these times of difficulties, crisis and "fake news", we must respond with "quality, commitment and freedom". A statement that was followed by the public by the former director of the newspaper El País Juan Luis Cebrián.

After thanking the collaboration of the Madrid City Council, Banco Santander, IE University, European University, Quely, Clos Galena, Carrasco Ibéricos and Atalayar, the journalist Victoria Arnáu, host of the event, called the different winners.

The award ceremony began with the prize for the Best Professional Career, which went to the journalist and cultural manager Fernando Rodríguez Lafuente, currently director of La Revista de Occidente. The award was presented to him by Javier Martín Domínguez, former president of the Club. Rodríguez Lafuente, after expressing his gratitude, stressed that we are living in a time, not of revolution or change, but of a social and economic mutation... that also affects the media, of tremendous depth, and said that people like the former minister Cesar Antonio Molina, present at the event, who have dedicated themselves to culture from journalism, are necessary "because culture and the dissemination of culture through journalism can save us from this world".

Laura de Chiclana, who has been covering the war in Ukraine for a year and will now leave for Israel, received the Best Spanish Correspondent Award from Mediaset's director of content, Manuel Villanueva. The young journalist stressed that receiving this award at the age of 29 is a recognition of young people who are committed to journalism. She also spoke of how hard it is to be a freelance journalist and did not forget her cameraman, Mariano Moratini, nor all those who have helped and supported her, nor all the women she has met in Ukraine. "It is important to bring the voice of the voiceless," said the journalist, who said that journalism "is more than a job, it is my life" and that "the important thing is to always bring the truth". 

The award for Best Foreign Correspondent in Spain went to Barney Jopson, correspondent for the British daily Financial Times. In his 20-year career he has also been a correspondent for this newspaper in Washington, New York, Nairobi and Tokyo.  After receiving the award from Juan Cacicedo, Director of Communications of the Círculo de Empresarios and Treasurer of the Club, he expressed his gratitude for this award, which he "hopes is the beginning", and told how his dream was to be a correspondent in Spain. 

In collaboration with the European University of Madrid, José María Peredo, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Communication, presented war correspondent and photographer María Senovilla with the Journalism at the Limit Award. Senovilla stressed that journalists not only have to deal with good information, but also with the disinformation and polarity that is occurring in all aspects of journalism, hence, she added, the importance of the awards, which recognise "journalism made with credibility" and the need to recover rigorous journalism. 

Javier Cremades, lawyer and president of the World Jurist Association (WJA), an international association of jurists promoted in 1957 by Winston Churchill and founded by Charles Rhyne, received the Award for the Greatest International Impact. Cremades stressed that we are a generation that has received a legacy and that we must leave it to the next generation, referring to the rule of law, subject to a constitution where the human being is at the centre. He also referred to freedom of expression "without which there is no political pluralism or democracy", but "it has to be truthful and true". 

The award was presented to him by the former president of Latvia, Egils Levits, who also defended the freedom of journalists and praised the work carried out by Cremades' law firm in defence of these rights. He was accompanied by Colombian businessman Javier Jaramillo who insisted on the need to respect the rule of law and guarantee freedom of expression.

The Association of Arab Journalists and Writers in Spain awarded its Prize to the journalist Rodrigo Isasi, from the newspaper The Objective, who stressed the importance of the Arab-Islamic world not only for its past but also for its present, and the need for specialised journalists who use words accurately, since the reality of each country is very different. He advocated putting an end to the idea that all Arabs are Muslims, because there is an amalgam of religions that coexist in peace, or to linking Islam with terrorism. "Journalists must take care of our profession and the way we report on the Arab-Islamic world," he said after receiving the award from the president of the Association, Shereen Dagani, who also spoke of human rights and the importance of confirming sources. 

The African Press Association presented its Voices of Africa Award to José de la Morena Fernández, director of Negocios TV and "Uno de los Nuestros" on Capital Radio and Intereconomía. The award was presented to him by Abuy Nfubea, president of the Association. De la Morena, who is dedicated to economic journalism, said he felt "a bit of an impostor when he saw the award winners", and assured that his company tries to give all points of view and not his opinion. He also recalled how different African countries are to end with a "don't forget Africa". 

The Communication Award of the Association of Ibero-American Journalists, whose objective is to promote "research, dissemination and protection of cuisines and gastronomic activities" went to the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy, presided over by Rafael Ansón, who received the award from the hands of the president Sully Fuentes. Ansón stated that the best gastronomic offer in the world is in these countries, and that this is known thanks to the media. Gastronomy, he stressed, contributes to people's health and well-being.

The second prize of this Association, for Ibero-American Cooperation, went to Cristiane Azem, of the Brazilian Dance and Art Studio based in Madrid, who recalled some verses by Machado and spoke of Todorov to emphasise the importance of being passionate, of understanding the other.

The last prizes were presented by Bertrand de la Grange, president of the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents, which was founded in 1923 and continued to operate in the 1930s despite the difficulties Spain was experiencing.  

The Museum and the Sorolla Museum Foundation were the winners of the Culture Award for "their efforts to publicise the painter of light a century after his death". The director of the Museum, Enrique Varela, highlighted the honour that this award meant for them coinciding with the centenary and recalled the effort of all the workers in making it known and promoting it, as well as the different activities organised and alluded to the support of the citizens and the collaboration with the media so that what they do reaches these citizens. 

The Spanish Association of Festivals and Historical Recreations received the Tourism and Identity Award, chaired by Antonio Madrid, who collected his award from Enrique Sancho of the ACPE board. This association was born with the aim of joining forces and undertaking projects of common interest. "I will give the award to all the villages in Spain that make us relive their history," said Antonio Madrid, who praised the alternative of historical and cultural tourism.

The Sport and Achievement Award went to the Spanish Women's Football Team, "for their great triumph in Australia". It was presented by Mónica Uriel, correspondent of the Italian news agency ANSA, and received by Ana María Álvarez Mesas, director of the Women's Football Department of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, who expressed her gratitude for this recognition and praised the fortunate title: "Sport and overcoming". "We are very proud to have given this championship to Spain, the result of the work, courage and overcoming of a working group and women footballers," said Álvarez Mesas before "giving heartfelt thanks for putting sporting success above all else".

The last of the awards, for Innovative Journalist, went to Pablo Motos, presenter of El Hormiguero on Antena 3, "for his ability to transfer his calm tone, with humour, to politics", according to Bertrand de la Grange. The award was presented by the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida.  

Pablo Motos said that being given an award is one of the nicest ways of saying that you are loved. He reiterated the concern for the truth that other award winners had expressed during the ceremony and assured that, from El Hormiguero, with rigour and truth, he will try to live up to it. 

The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, was in charge of closing this edition of the International Journalism Awards 2023, congratulating the winners one by one. The mayor defended truthful information, reminded those who make journalism their raison d'être, the journalists who risk their lives, and thanked the correspondents for their work, without forgetting that 29th minute of Olga Carmona which meant Spain's victory in Australia.