Shawn “JAY Z” Carter and Harvey Weinstein to Receive the L.A. Press Club’s Inaugural Truthteller Award
The Los Angeles Press Club is proud to announce that Shawn “JAY Z” Carter and Harvey Weinstein are the co-winners of its inaugural Truthteller Award for contributions to the Public Discourse and Cultural Enlightenment of our Society.
Mr. Carter and Mr. Weinstein, in addition to their respective bodies of work, receive the award for their Spike-TV documentary-series “Time: The Kalief Browder Story,” which aired earlier this year to critical praise. The show brought to light the story of Browder, who was falsely imprisoned for three years in Rikers Prison, mostly in solitary confinement, which led to his suicide.
Both Mr. Carter and Mr. Weinstein are using their prominence in the entertainment industry to dive deep into social issues including criminal justice reform. They are also working on a Trayvon Martin documentary series. Mr. Carter is spearheading an Emmett Till project.
“Kalief’s story shines a light on the atrocities of not just one young man, but an entire broken system,” TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein commented. “JAY Z has been the ambassador for this project, and so many others, that shine a light on a community that needs the world to see and never forget individuals like Kalief. The NY Legislature has recently signed the Bill ‘Raise the Age’ to keep individuals under 17 years old from being tried as adults, and to protect them once incarcerated. Steps like this could have changed Kalief’s outcome, and we are hopeful that change will continue to happen and save other lives.”
The Truthteller Award will be presented at the 59th SoCal Journalism Awards Gala on Sunday, June 25th at the Biltmore Millennium Hotel, downtown L.A. More than 500 journalists and media executives will attend this prestigious event.
In addition to honoring Shawn “JAY Z” Carter and Harvey Weinstein at the LAPC Gala Event, NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell will receive the Joseph M Quinn Award for Lifetime Achievement; CNN’s Jake Tapper will receive the President’s Award for Impact on Media; Australian photojournalist Daniel Berehulak will be honored with the Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism; and Dodger’s Jaime Jarrin will be bestowed with the Bill Rosendahl Public Service Award for Contributions to Civic Life.
Conan O’Brien and National Press Club President Jeff Ballou are among the presenters.
Proceeds from the Gala are the largest source of income for the L.A. Press Club, a 501(c) 3 that speaks for journalists across all media platforms.
All contributions are tax-deductible.
Click here to sponsor, advertise or buy tickets, or contact Executive Director Diana Ljungaeus at 310.210.1860 or email Diana-AT-LApressclub.org.
The LAPC is one of the oldest and most respected journalist organizations in the nation with a storied history of honoring the most celebrated reporters of the past century. In recent years the Los Angeles Press Club has continued to uphold its tradition of acknowledging excellence in spite of the fact that Journalism itself has struggled in the face of ever declining budgets.
