Voice of America journalists won first and second place awards in five categories in this year’s Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association contest. CAPBA announced the awards at its annual ceremony in Ocean City, Md., on June 3.
VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb and videographer Mike Burke won first place in the Outstanding News Series category for their reports on Alaska’s Full 180 in the Arctic, documenting how Eielson Air Force Base morphed from a garrison on the Pentagon’s chopping block to the home of more than 50 new F-35 combat aircraft. Babb also won first place in the Best Producer category for The Inside Story episode, “Alaska: America’s Strategic Frontier.” In this episode, Babb strapped into a fighter jet, climbed down in a missile silo and questioned top officials to explain military changes across the Last Frontier state.
Both of Babb’s segments were selected as finalists in the Best of Show category, marking the first time that VOA had multiple entries nominated for the top prize.
“This is the type of work that every journalist lies in bed at night dreaming of creating,” commented the contest judges about the exclusive television package. “The difference is Ms. Babb actually did it.”
In addition, VOA Midwest correspondent Kane Farabaugh won first place in the Outstanding Serious Feature category for his report on a U.S. Army officer who reunited with his Afghan interpreter after 20 years, following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Farabaugh also placed second in the Best Multimedia Journalist category.
Senior correspondent Carolyn Presutti, anchor Steve Miller and videographer Adam Greenbaum also won first place for Best Enterprise reporting for “NYC Jammin'.”
The annual CAPBA journalism contest is open to journalists in Washington D.C., Maryland and Delaware who work for AP members. Voice of America maintains licensing agreements with AP and other providers for content used in VOA’s programming intended for a global audience.
