MPR News Receives the National Society of Professional Journalists' New America Award

Jun 8, 2011

(St. Paul, Minn.) - June 8, 2011 -Minnesota Public Radio News' report, "Civil War Kids" has won the national Society of Professional Journalists' New America award. The New America Award honors public service journalism that explores and exposes an issue of importance to immigrant or ethnic communities living in the United States.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.

"Civil War Kids" by reporter Laura Yuen focuses on the day-to-day challenges of Somali youth that now call Minnesota home, including violence in their communities and the psychological scars that the bloodshed in their homeland left behind.

"It's been a reality that many Somali youth face in Minnesota and across the United States," said Chris Worthington, managing director, MPR News. "This was a terrific piece of reporting. It's important that our audiences statewide learn the stories about various communities of Minnesotans and the challenges they face."

This is the seventh year the award has been presented. The recipients will be honored at a banquet Sept. 24 in New Orleans during the joint SPJ-RTDNA Excellence in Journalism 2011 conference.