Garry Trudeau, The Huffington Post’s Laura Bassett, ESSENCE Magazine Among Planned Parenthood’s 2012 Maggie Award Winners for Media Excellence

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Planned Parenthood Federation of America

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The awards luncheon was part of Planned Parenthood’s annual Organizing and Policy Summit, which brings together hundreds of Planned Parenthood staff and volunteers from across the country.

“This year, we’ve seen the continuation of serious legislative attacks on reproductive health care in states all across the country,” said PPFA president Cecile Richards.  “We honor these journalists today for highlighting the devastating impact of these attacks and enhancing the public’s understanding of reproductive rights and health care issues.”

Starting this year, the Planned Parenthood Maggie Awards include two new categories for community/personal blog and social media, recognizing social media frontrunners who are raising awareness, connecting supporters, and even driving traditional media coverage.

This year’s Maggie Award winners covered a range of topics, including the Catholic bishops’ political influence on legislation; the socioeconomic, cultural, and scientific factors contributing to the HIV/AIDS epidemic among African Americans; the consequences of the Texas legislature’s decision to gut the Texas family planning budget and dismantle the successful Women’s Health Program; the culture of sex and sexuality facing African-American youth; and the importance of parents talking to their kids about sex.

The 2012 Maggie Award Winners are

• Commentary:  Garry Trudeau, Doonesbury series March 12 – 17, 2012
• Daily/Weekly Print Reporting:  Jordan Smith, The Austin Chronicle, “The Destruction of Texas Healthcare”
• General Interest Magazine Reporting:  Sarah Blustain, Mother Jones, “In the Name of the Mother”
• Women’s Magazine:  Jeannine Amber, ESSENCE, “Our Teens’ Secret Sex Lives”
• Online Reporting:  Laura Bassett, Huffington Post, for her coverage of the recent attacks on women’s health, including the Catholic bishops’ influence on legislation and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation defunding controversy
• TV/News Reporting:  Diversity Films, Inc., Why Us?  Left Behind and Dying
• Social Media:  Deanna Zandt, Tumblr, “Planned Parenthood Saved Me”
• Community/Personal Blog:  Denene Millner, MyBrownBaby.com, “Let’s Talk About Sex” series

The awards luncheon was hosted by Joan Walsh, editor at large for Salon.com.  Walsh regularly appears as a political analyst on MSNBC and CNN, and is the author of the forthcoming book What's the Matter With White People?  Why We Long For A Golden Age That Never Was.

“I'm honored to be honoring these journalists,” said Walsh.  “They're telling important stories about reproductive health care issues, digging into politics as well as the personal, and giving millions of Americans better understanding of the way these issues play out in our lives.”

You can read more about the Planned Parenthood Maggie Awards on Planned Parenthood’s website and check back in early 2013 for nomination forms for the 2013 awards.

Published

July 11, 2012

Source

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Contact

Planned Parenthood Federation of America media office: 212-261-4433

Published

July 11, 2012