“Julian Assange, the imprisoned and maligned publisher of WikiLeaks, has been awarded the 2020 Gary Webb Freedom of the Press Award by the board of the Consortium for Independent Journalism, publishers of Consortium News. … For practicing the highest order of journalism–revealing crimes of the state–Assange faces 175 years in a U.S. prison–a life sentence for the 48-year old Australian.
Assange, whose life has been endangered in harsh prison conditions, has become an international symbol of the threat to press freedom. He is the first journalist to be charged under the Espionage Act for possession and dissemination of state secrets.
Robert Parry, the late founder and editor of Consortium News, was a staunch defender of Assange’s rights. In 2010, he wrote: “Though American journalists may understandably want to find some protective cover by pretending that Julian Assange is not like us, the reality is – whether we like it or not – we are all Julian Assange.”
The award is named after journalist Gary Webb whose life was cut short after the mainstream press vilified him for accurate reports about a CIA operation that flooded urban areas of the U.S. with cocaine from Nicaragua.”
“In the past, the people we’ve named Person of the Year have been newsmakers in Greece. Assange’s case marks an exception, which we’ll try to explain. But for us to explain, we need to talk a bit about the founder of ThePressProject, Costas Efimeros, and the role that Assange played in making us what we are today. …”
https://thepressproject.gr/person-of-the-year-julian-assange/
The only award given solely by whistle-blowers.
Julian's father accepting the award on behalf of his son from Eileen Chubb at the Assange Rally outside Belmarsh Prison, 28th September 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5ef856QHdQ
The DANNY is a practice of combining excellent journalism with social advocacy and activism. Journalists, Whistleblowers and Defenders of the Right to Information. He has been honoured for his work in exposing the truth, and for his courage in risking his career and personal freedom.
“This award is for those that have been forced into becoming refugees because of their political actions on behalf of us all, and their work for our right to know.” - Sarah Harrison
Awarded for his outstanding efforts in investigative journalism.
http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/12/13/julian-assange-readers-choice-for-times-person-of-the-year-2010/