Jon Alpert wins 2009 I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence

The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard will present the 2009 I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence to Jon Alpert.

An investigative reporter, producer, and documentary filmmaker whose career has spanned more than 35 years, Alpert has reported on diverse topics ranging from homelessness and health care to postwar Vietnam and criminals in New Jersey. He has been the first — and at times only — journalist to cover a number of important international stories, and he has served as an eyewitness to many historic events, from the hostage crisis in Iran to the killing fields of Cambodia. Alpert also has gained exclusive access to some of the world’s most elusive leaders, including Fidel Castro and Saddam Hussein.

Established last year, the I.F. Stone Medal rewards journalistic independence and honors the life of investigative journalist I.F. Stone. The award is administered by the Nieman Foundation and its Nieman Watchdog Project and is presented annually to a journalist whose work captures the spirit of independence, integrity, and courage that characterized I.F. Stone’s Weekly, published 1953-1971.

Alpert will receive the I.F. Stone Medal in a ceremony at American University in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 1, and will talk about his career as an independent reporter. His comments will be followed by a panel discussion on his work and the broad theme of journalistic independence.