Our pal Jason Stverak of the Franklin Center announces The Breitbart Awards:
Andrew Breitbart pioneered a new media revolution that transformed journalism and the political landscape, and though he may have left this earth, his work has only just begun. At the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, we have teamed up with the Heritage Foundation to pay tribute to the monumental achievements of Andrew’s work, and the recognition of those who continue his legacy by carrying the torch for freedom and truth.”
Andrew Breitbart understood people. He believed that hiding the facts from the public damaged society. Too many in the journalism profession paternalistically believe they are the guardians of information and decide what the public can “handle” and what they “should know.” Andrew believed a well-informed citizenry that knew the facts will ultimately make the right decisions.
Breitbart trusted the judgment of the people, therefore so must the awards that bear his name. The Breitbart Awards nominees are determined by the public. Franklin Center and Heritage Foundation are asking the news consumers to submit nominations for three separate categories.
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Full-time Reporter: In a media environment that tells reporters to go along to get along, a few still consider it a sacred trust to keep the people informed. A few still recognize the awesome responsibility in belonging to the only profession to be enshrined in the Bill of Rights. We’ll present one Breitbart Award to a full-time news reporter to honor courage and honesty in telling the real stories that matter to people’s lives.
Blogger: When the legacy media fails to do its job, we are fortunate to have an army waiting on the Internet to hold the institutions of power accountable. We’ll honor a blogger for intrepid reporting that goes over the heads of the legacy media to communicate directly to the people.
Citizen: The fight for freedom requires a constant stream of new recruits willing to make time in their lives to serve as watchdogs in their local communities. We’ll honor an information activist committed to digging up the truth.
Agree or disagree with Andrew’s personal politics, his significance in the journalism profession cannot be denied. Because of visionaries such as him, the future of investigating and reporting the news is upon us. Today, everyday citizens are keeping elections honest, elected officials accountable and filling the void that economic realities have created in newsrooms across America. Every citizen with a camera on their phone, access to the internet and a desire for the truth can be a reporter — a notion that scares journalism academics and members of the traditional press.
As a people, Americans have always come to the aid of one another. Providing information is just the latest in our efforts to honor they neighbor. At Franklin Center and Heritage Foundation, we just want to offer a “shout out” to their great work. Please join us and nominate your most trusted journalist today.






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