Univision’s Jorge Ramos to receive Fred Dressler Leadership Award at Mirror Awards ceremony June 9
Jorge Ramos, anchor with Univision Noticias, will be honored with the Fred Dressler Leadership Award at the 15th annual Mirror Awards ceremony June 9. The awards, sponsored by Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, honor excellence in media industry reporting.
Ramos’ daughter Paola Ramos, a correspondent with Vice, will present the award during the virtual event, which will be available for viewing beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Register now>>
Perhaps the most trusted figure in Spanish language television news, Jorge Ramos is known for his relentless pursuit of the truth and his commitment to being a “voice of the voiceless,” particularly America’s immigrant population.
“Jorge Ramos’ work over the course of his career epitomizes the impact journalism can have on our world,” says Newhouse dean Mark J. Lodato. “At a time when the news media is under scrutiny, it is important to recognize the impact of the profession. He is unafraid to hold the powerful accountable and shine a light on the pressing issues of our time.”
“Jorge Ramos’ journalism is an example and inspiration for all of us,” says Daniel Coronell, president of Univision News. “His unwavering drive to seek the truth every day has influenced the lives of millions of people who, thanks in part to his journalistic work, are able to learn and defend their rights, while finding a place for themselves in this great country.”
Born in Mexico, Ramos has spent nearly 40 years in the U.S., during which time he has won 10 Emmy Awards for excellence in journalism, including the first award ever presented to honor leaders in Spanish language television. The Wall Street Journal called him “Hispanic TV’s No. 1 correspondent,” and he appeared on the cover of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” issue of Time magazine in 2015. Said Forbes: “Ramos carries near biblical authority, at least in the eyes of his nearly 2 million nightly viewers.”
Ramos was named anchor of “Noticiero Univision” in 1986 at age 28, becoming one of the youngest national news anchors in the history of American television. His nightly newscast is seen in the U.S. and 13 Latin American countries. In addition, nearly a million people tune in to his Sunday morning political show, “Al Punto,” Univision’s weekly public affairs program. He is also the anchor of “Real America with Jorge Ramos.”
He has interviewed some of the most influential leaders in the world, including Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, Newt Gingrich, John McCain, Al Gore, George H.W. Bush, John Kerry, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chávez, Felipe Calderon and dozens of Latin American presidents. He has covered five wars (El Salvador, the Persian Gulf, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq) and has been a witness to some of the most important news stories of the last three decades, including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the disintegration of the former Soviet Union, 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
His weekly column, distributed by The New York Times Syndicate, appears in more than 40 newspapers in the U.S. and Latin America.
Ramos is the author of 14 books and has been instrumental in promoting literacy among Latinos. In 2002, he created the first book club in the history of Hispanic television, “Despierta Leyendo” (Wake Up Reading).
In his most recent book, “17 minutes; Interview with the Dictator,” Ramos narrates how he was able to unmask Nicolás Maduro while on camera, along with everything that happened before and after the meeting.
The Dressler Award is given to individuals or organizations that have made distinct, consistent and unique contributions to the public’s understanding of the media.
About the Mirror Awards
The Mirror Awards are the most important awards for recognizing excellence in media industry reporting. Established by the Newhouse School in 2006, the awards honor the reporters, editors and teams of writers who hold a mirror to their own industry for the public’s benefit.
The 2021 Mirror Awards ceremony will be held online Wednesday, June 9, at 7 p.m. ET. Lodato will preside over the ceremony, and Newhouse alumna Michelle Marsh ’05 will serve as master of ceremonies. In addition to the Dressler Award, the inaugural Lorraine Branham IDEA Award will be presented to Brown Girls Doc Mafia, and juried journalism awards will be presented in six categories. Finalists were announced last month.
For more information, email mirrorawards@syr.edu.