WASHINGTON — The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) today honored Radio Free Asia’s Burmese service with its 2008 David Burke Distinguished Journalism Award for its coverage of the 2007 Burmese “saffron revolution.”
“We are tremendously pleased, and proud of our entire Burmese service,” RFA President Libby Liu said in a statement. “Again and again, our staff went far above and beyond the ordinary duties to bring breaking news to the people of Burma. This is an extraordinary honor.”
RFA’s Burmese service was notably recognized for its outstanding teamwork in breaking numerous stories, many of them cited widely in commercial media around the world, and bringing listeners updates as the situation unfolded inside Burma.
Named for former BBG Chairman David Burke, the award recognizes courage, integrity, and originality in reporting by journalists within the BBG broadcast organizations.
Other winners were Adrian Criscaut and John Miller of Voice of America (VOA), the Baghdad bureau of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and Mohamed Mokhtari of Alhurra.