Risking Death to Report the Truth
By Kanya D'Almeida
NEW YORK, Oct 19, 2010 (IPS) - Alma Guillermoprieto was one of only two journalists to investigate rumours of the notorious massacre in El Mozote, El Salvador in December 1981. Because the slaughter of 1,000 unarmed civilians was perpetrated by the U.S.-backed Salvadorian Army, the Ronald Reagan administration attempted to discredit her work.
But Guillermoprieto refused to back down, and finally the U.S. government was forced to confirm her story.
On Tuesday, Guillermoprieto – along with three other extraordinary women – was honoured for her work at the 2010 Courage in Journalism Awards at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York.
Organised by the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF), the awards pay homage to intrepid women across the world who continue to penetrate press barriers in order to report from the frontlines of their countries and communities.
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