No matter how we characterize ourselves and our work—whether as journalists, content marketers, or book authors—one thing should be obvious: language is our stock-in-trade, and absent the occasional case of writer’s block, we should never be at a loss for words. But what do you say to a young man who months earlier lost his mother to a killer’s bomb?
Daphne Caruana Galizia was an investigative journalist who for 30 years worked tirelessly to expose corruption in Malta, a tiny island nation in the Mediterranean where she lived with her family. She infuriated the people she investigated, faced threats and harassment for decades, and was a defendant in nearly 50 lawsuits based on her reporting at the time of her death. On the afternoon of October 16, 2017, Ms. Caruana Galizia walked to her automobile parked outside the family’s home near Bidnija, a rural village in northern Malta. Court action in one of the lawsuits was blocking access to her bank account and she hoped to have that decision reversed.
Moments later, a powerful bomb hidden under the driver’s seat of Ms. Caruana Galizia’s vehicle exploded. Her son Matthew, an investigative journalist himself, ran from the family home and was the first person to reach the scene of the explosion. The automobile, destroyed by the powerful blast, was burning. Ms. Caruana Galizia had been assassinated as a consequence of her work as a journalist.
In the aftermath of the killing, a Paris-based nonprofit named Forbidden Stories initiated the “Daphne Project,” an international collaboration among 45 journalists from 18 news organizations to continue Ms. Caruana Galizia’s investigative work. Three men have been arrested and charged with Ms. Caruana Galizia’s murder, but the full story of the assassination may never be told.
Ms. Caruana Galizia was honored with the Conscience in Media Award at the American Society of Journalists and Authors annual New York conference in May. The prestigious award recognizes the exceptional courage of journalists who pursue their work against all odds and often at great personal risk. It has been presented only 12 times since 1975. Matthew Caruana Galizia flew in from London to accept the award from Sally Wendkos Olds. Sally is Chair of the ASJA’s First Amendment Committee and suggested Ms. Caruana Galizia for the award.
I had the opportunity to spend time with Matthew after the awards ceremony and I came away impressed with the fortitude and courage he and his family showed when confronting an unfathomable loss. I’ve never felt more pride for ASJA or for our profession than I did that awards night. We can honor Daphne’s sacrifice best by remembering the last words she wrote, reported by the Guardian and more appropriate today than ever: “There are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate.”
Another highlight in an evening filled with them was the presentation of ASJA’s Extraordinary Service Award. The winner, Salley Shannon, has a record of service to ASJA and to the journalism community that truly is, well, extraordinary. A leader in the finest sense of the word, Salley served three years as ASJA president, chaired a New York conference, and for years roamed the halls of power in Washington as chair of ASJA’s Advocacy Committee.
Minda Zetlin, another past president of ASJA, described Salley best: “A graceful, beautiful, sweetly spoken warrior. We’ve all benefited immeasurably from her work.”
Salley also serves as Chair of the Awards Committee, most recently with co-chair Janine Latus, who also happens to be ASJA’s new Vice President. Salley and Janine organized every aspect of the months-long awards process, from soliciting entries and judges, to notifying the winners, to verifying that names of winners and categories matched on the award plaques. Keeping Salley’s award a secret from her was a daunting task with many moving parts: multiple scripts for awards night, careful editing of emails, whispered conversations during the conference, and a conspiracy to spirit her family to New York for the presentation.
It worked! Congratulations, Salley. I’m proud to have you as a friend and a colleague.
The conference also marked the end of a busy year for WEAF, the Writers Emergency Assistance Fund. Administered through the ASJA Charitable Trust, a 501(c)(3) public charity, WEAF provides financial assistance to writers who find themselves in need due to an emergency or professional crisis. Grants up to $4,000, with no requirement for repayment, are available to both ASJA members and nonmembers. From July 2017 through May 2018, the WEAF Committee received 24 applications for grants. Fourteen of those requests were approved and a total of $31,445 was distributed. Since 1982, WEAF has made more than 160 grants totaling an amazing $400,000.
WEAF is funded through tax-deductible donations, legacy gifts, endowments, and other planned giving. Donations can be made online under the “For Writers” pull-down tab. Your support for this important program is sincerely appreciated.
The annual conference is one of ASJA’s most visible activities and it succeeds each year through the efforts of a small army of dedicated volunteers and staff. Thanks to Education Foundation Program Chair Minda Zetlin and conference chairs Carolyn Crist, Nancy Dunham, and Dorri Olds; Estelle Erasmus for organizing ASJA’s 70th Anniversary gala; Wendy Helfenbaum and her cadre of volunteers who keep Client Connections running each year; Brooke Stoddard and Neil O’Hara for heading the 70th Anniversary fundraising campaign; the Board of Directors; Executive Director Holly Koenig, General Manager Gemma Rainer, meeting planner Patrick Dougherty, James Brannigan, James Cafiero, and the rest of the Kellen staff; and to everyone else who had a hand in the conference. You all put in more volunteer hours than anyone will ever know, and for that, thank you!
Finally, a special nod of appreciation to Sherry Beck Paprocki. Sherry will be a hard act to follow as President of ASJA, but I’m looking forward to the assignment.