From left: Jerry Georges, Gigi Georges, Andrew Kaufman, Cassie Crockett, Alex Hemmer, Laura Yao,
Bob Giles, Mary Georges, and Laura Bennett.
The fifth annual Christopher J. Georges Conference on College Journalism was held at the Nieman Foundation at Harvard on April 4-5, 2008. More than 80 students from a dozen colleges participated in the weekend, which offered talks by leading journalists, training sessions and networking opportunities.
The annual event is sponsored by the Christopher J. Georges Fund, which the Nieman Foundation administers, and is co-hosted by the foundation and The Harvard Crimson.
Chris Georges was an honors graduate of Harvard, an editor at the Crimson and a Wall Street Journal reporter who died at age 33 from complications related to lupus. Following his death in 1998, his family, friends and colleagues established the Georges Fund in his name to memorialize his commitment to in-depth reporting on issues of enduring social value and the human impact of public policy.
The Nieman Foundation appreciates the continued support of the Georges Fund in sponsoring the event.
Learn more about Chris Georges and the award in his name »
At the end of the conference, the first Christopher J. Georges Award for Excellence in Student Journalism was presented to Yale Herald reporter Alex Hemmer and his editor, Laura Yao, for their story “National immigration politics take a local toll.” The Georges Award recognizes reporting that represents in-depth reporting on issues of enduring social value and demonstrates the human impact of public policy.
In choosing the story as the winner of the award, judges noted:
The Yale Herald story reflects the spirit of Chris Georges, showing how public policies have far-reaching implications that affect people on many levels.
In examining the raid on immigrants in New Haven — following the passage of a new municipal law actually designed to protect them — Alex Hemmer showed not only how one family was torn apart, but also how community activists and campus advocates from Yale Law School sprang into action, and how the city as a whole had to come to grips with national immigration policy.
Alex’s report showed not only the profound human impact of regulations, but also what was being done to address the challenges faced by the detainees.
Read “National immigration politics take a local toll” online.