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AU, Backpack Journalism at Emmy Ceremony



NEW YORK, 21 September 2009 — Though we didn’t win an Emmy, it was a good night for those of us with ties to American University.

The award ceremony was hosted in part by David Gregory, an AU alum and host of NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Also present was Alexandra Garcia, a former student of mine at American University. Alex (above with me) was nominated for her work at the WashingtonPost.com, where she got an internship while still at AU and where she landed a job.

I was nominated for “Afghanistan: The Forgotten War,” a piece I did for NOW on PBS about Alpha Company of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Afghanistan’s Helmand River Province along the embattled border with Pakistan. For me, the nomination validates the “backpack journalism” model that I have practiced and endorsed since 1995.

We didn’t come away with a statue this year … but there’s always next year.

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