From reading all these journalistic works, it is evident that despite all the economic, technical, educational, and public awareness challenges, Chilean journalism is alive, it doesn't back down, and it continues to investigate and publish stories that have an impact, that make the country's powers nervous, and that help form conscious and informed citizens. Increasingly, this is the measure of a full democracy.
For over twenty years, the Alberto Hurtado University Excellence in Journalism Award has selected distinguished journalists, editors, professors, and communication thinkers to choose – as pre-jurors and final jurors – those journalistic works that go above and beyond: those that uncover causes, consequences, and trends, that reveal what is happening and that show the seeds of what is to come. This book is a prime example of this: the texts contained herein, winners and finalists in the Written Journalism categories of Investigation, Reportage, Chronicle, and Interview, bring the hidden to light and apply the flashlight and magnifying glass so that we can clearly see what is being hidden from us, or what we could not or did not want to see.
For 20 years, the University Alberto Hurtado's Excellence in Journalism Award has selected outstanding journalists, editors, professors, and communication theorists to serve as pre-jury and final jury members, choosing journalistic works that go above and beyond: those that uncover causes, consequences, trends, what is happening, and what shows the seeds of what is to come. This book is a prime example of this: the texts contained herein, winners and finalists in the Written Journalism categories of Investigation, Reportage, Chronicle, and Interview, bring the hidden to light and use a flashlight and magnifying glass so we can clearly see what they want to hide from us or what we couldn't or didn't want to see.
This book is a reflection of these tumultuous and fascinating times. New characters emerged, profiled, interviewed, denounced, and celebrated within these pages: the fed-up middle class, social movements (women, indigenous people, retirees without pensions, the sick without hospitals, unemployed workers, homeless families, immigrants without a future). Healthcare and education workers, looked down upon by financial billionaires, have now become the essential ones.
The journalism that shines in these pages not only bravely tells and explains the truth. It helps us form new generations of a public eager to know, understand, and participate with full knowledge.
What will a future historian be able to find in this book about journalism from this year, which began in the midst of an outburst, continued with an unexpected pandemic, and ended with a hopeful referendum to change the constitution and dream of a new country?
Many events—so many painful, unjust, and reprehensible ones—happened in 2020. But, with limitations and difficulties unimaginable a few months prior, the fellowship of word professionals was able to produce excellent journalism.
In this compilation, featuring some of the best Chilean journalism published in 2018, the main themes and figures of the year are represented. These are topics that set the agenda and fueled debates, challenged official truths, brought down public officials, or at least brought them into question; topics that moved, touched, or outraged us, as the case may be. This book represents the memory of print media that no longer exist, as well as the presence of some digital media and sections of media that have emerged recently. This book is a tribute, a testimony, a denunciation, an homage, and a memory, and perhaps for all these reasons, we remain committed to publishing it in print.
Since 2003, the School of Journalism at Universidad Alberto Hurtado, through the Premio Periodismo de Excelencia (Excellence in Journalism Award), has recognized the best articles published in national print media during the year. With the input and debate of an independent and diverse jury, composed of journalists and academics with distinguished careers, the award seeks to recognize and encourage professional practice with the highest ethical, investigative, and writing standards. The works included in this book showcase the events that impacted 2017, such as Daniela Vega, SuperTanker, Rafael Garay, Big Data, Piñera's zombie companies, Alessia, notaries, among many other events that depict a year convulsed by news stories.
Finalists 2017
Nicolás Alonso * Álvaro Bisama * Matías Brown * Estela Cabezas * Rodrigo Fluxá * Alberto Fuguet * Arturo Galarce * Juan Andrés Guzmán * Daniel Hopenhayn * Sergio Jara * Mirko Macari * Alejandra Matus * Constanza Michelson * Benjamín Miranda * Pilar Navarrete * Tamy Palma * Claudio Pizarro * Daniel Pizarro * Natalia Ramos * Sebastián Rivas * Jorge Rojas * Jonás Romero * Juan Pablo Sallaberry * Matías Sánchez * Francisca Skoknic * Vicente Undurraga * Noelia Zunino
Since 2003, the School of Journalism at Universidad Alberto Hurtado, through the Premio Periodismo de Excelencia (Excellence in Journalism Award), has recognized the best texts published in national print media during a given year. With the input and debate of an independent and diverse jury, composed of journalists and academics with distinguished careers, the aim is to acknowledge and encourage professional practice that upholds the highest ethical, investigative, and writing standards. The works included in this book reflect the events that impacted 2016, such as the cases of Érika Olivera, María Kodama, the detained woman who gave birth in shackles, Piñera's businesses in Peru, Manuel Contreras's son, the AFP (Pension Fund Administrators), the Panama Papers, among many other events that highlight a year tumultuous with news stories.
In its seventh iteration, the Journalism Excellence Award features great stories and unique perspectives on everything that happened in 2009. After all these years of rereading the best of the Chilean written press and selecting journalistic pieces in various genres, we can say with considerable certainty that interesting journalism does exist in Chile, with its own flair and commitment to its readers.
Andrea Vial, Director of the School of Journalism
“These works prove the extraordinary quality of written journalism practiced in Chile today. There is freshness in the topics, diversity in the genres, novelty in the facts, and a quality of writing that often borders on literary inspiration.
Héctor Aguilar Camín, president of the PPE jury 2009
Since 2003, the Alberto Hurtado University School of Journalism, through the Award for Excellence in Journalism, has recognized the best texts published over the course of a year in the national print media. Through the opinion and debate of an independent and pluralistic jury, made up of prominent journalists and academics, the aim is to recognize and encourage professional practice adhering to the highest ethical, investigative, and writing standards. The works included in this book chronicle the events that shook 2015, such as the Caval and Soquimich scandals, Milogate, corporate price-fixing conspiracies, and the deaths of Mamo Contreras, Douglas Tompkins, and Eduardo Bonvallet, among many other events that reflect a year troubled by major news stories.
