On November 9 th 2004 , The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) honored Romanian journalist, Paul Cristian Radu with the 2004 Knight International Press Fellowship Award . The ceremony took place during the “Excellence in International Journalism Awards Dinner,” held at the Willard Intercontinental in Washington, D.C., which also marked ICFJ's 20th anniversary and its work over two decades promoting a vigorous and independent media worldwide.
Over 400 participants attended the ICFJ Awards Dinner , among them US Senators and Congressman, America's most famous journalists, with Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman being the guest speaker, and ABC News “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos hosting the evening. Romania was represented by H.E. Sorin Ducaru, Ambassador of Romania to the United States.
The 2004 Knight International Press Fellowship Awards were being given to Romanian journalist, Paul Cristian Radu, Algerian journalist Ali Djerri and to Paul Klebnikov, posthumously, for his work in Russia. The Award annually honors individuals who have done outstanding work and have raised the standards of media excellence in their countries.
Paul Radu is a co-founder of the Romanian Center for Investigative Journalism (CRJI) and special investigative reporter for the Bucharest-based newspaper Jurnalul National. CRJI is a non-governmental organization that seeks to enhance the quality and standards of investigative journalism in Romania and throughout Central Europe. Its website, www.crji.org, publishes investigative stories that can find no other outlet, usually for reasons involving the political or financial conflicts of interest in many of the region's publications. Among the website's works is a project, coordinated by Radu, on human trafficking in Central Europe. Journalists from eight countries were involved, uncovering rampant trafficking of women in the region. Radu has considerable experience training journalists. He has served as a trainer for the International Center for Journalists, including leading sessions on human trafficking for Balkan and Caucasus reporters.
The Award is given by the Knight International Press Fellowship Program , funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Administered by ICFJ, the program sends U.S. professionals overseas to share journalism, management, business and technical skills with colleagues around the globe. Since the program began in 1994, 181 Fellows have assisted independent media organizations in more than 70 countries.
The International Center for Journalists was established in 1984 to improve the quality of journalism worldwide through professional training, fellowships and exchanges. During the past 20 years, ICFJ has worked with more than 16,000 journalists from 176 countries. The Center is an independent nonprofit institution based in Washington, D.C.