Lorenzo H. Zambrano, Chairman and CEO of CEMEX and Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez.

Monterrey, Mexico.- August 31, 2004.- The prizes for the winners and those nominated for the CEMEX+FNPI New Journalism Awards were presented this Tuesday, in the Museum of Contemporary Art of Monterrey (MARCO). The ceremony was presided by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, founder of the New Journalism Foundation and Lorenzo Zambrano, CEO and Chairman of the Board of CEMEX.

“The 1876 works submitted in the first three editions of the Awards reveals that the Award’s importance has been validated by the journalists of this continent”, stated the Foundation’s director Jaime Bello when presenting a summary of the Award’s trajectory.

“The big paradox is that even when the works reflect a convoluted and heart wrenching reality, there is joy in the acknowledgement that there are great journalists who completely understand themselves and know to whom they owe their allegiance. They are sensitive and indomitable bloodhounds that defend their own style and their language. I am referring to their principles, to the consequences that make them free and to the profession that cannot be sold”.

These were the wonderful words of the writer Mayra Montero addressing the audience to talk about her experience as part of the Awards jury.

The winners
Josefina Licitra is a 29 year old journalist from Argentina who won in the text category for her work “Pollita en fuga” which was published in the argentine edition of Rolling Stone. Mauricio Lima is a 28 year old from Brazil who won in the photography category for his series “Esperanza sin techo” which was published in a digital edition by AFP. They both received a commemorative statue created by the Mexican artist Jorge Elizondo as well as 25 thousand dollars donated by CEMEX.

Homage award winner Clóvis Rossi.

The winner of the Homage category was Clovis Rossi, a columnist from the Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo. Rossi is a 61 year old journalist who, in his 40 years of reporting, has never stopped working as a journalist and has become an example of journalistic conduct. He received a statue as well as 30 thousand dollars donated by CEMEX.

Present at the ceremony were the authors of the eight finalist works – four texts and four photographs -. There were also important members of the Foundation Committee in attendance, such as German Rey (Colombia), Horacio Verbitsky (Argentina), Javier Dario Restrepo (Colombia), Joaquin Estefania (Spain), Rosental Calmon Alves (Brazil) and Sergio Ramirez (Nicaragua).

For this third edition of the CEMEX+FNPI New Journalism Awards, journalists from each and every one of the countries in Latin America, including the Latin media from the United States and Canada, submitted their work. These included 637 works in the text category and 241 in the photography category.

Panoramic view of the event.

The ceremony was preceded by a round table: “The search for journalistic quality and the transformation of professional journalism”, organized by the Foundation and the Corporacion Andina de Fomento (CAF), with the support of CEMEX. Renowned journalists, editors and newspaper directors from America and Europe discussed the new challenges facing journalistic quality in the continent.