(WASHINGTON, D.C. – Feb. 19, 2023) – The White House News Photographers Association® announced that Ben Martin of ITN Channel 4 News has been named “Photographer of the Year” and Stuart Cohen of PBS Newshour has been awarded the 2023 WHNPA “Video Editor of the Year” in the annual ‘Eyes of History® contest.
Upon learning of his win, Martin said, “I am overwhelmed to be honored with this award. I am very lucky to work with a first-class team and for a news show that offers me the opportunity to tell these amazing stories. Thank you so much to them and to the WHNPA for this incredible privilege.”
The judges for the video photography and editing contest were: Scott Plante, CTV-Canada, Bill Gorman, retired The Associated Press: Phil Kawasoe, retired Canadian Broadcasting Corp.; Dorry Gundy, Voice of America: Greg Hotsenpilller, CBS News: and Marly Parker, CTV Canada.
Broadcast photography judge Gorman said “What an absolute joy seeing the incredible work of the entrants.” Kawasoe added, ”Looking at the submissions you really appreciate the diverse challenges these photographers face. To work in Washington is viewed as a choice assignment and getting to see all the skills on display has been impressive.” Plante concluded, “Today’s world exposes us to a non-stop barrage of Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok videos. It’s important for all of us involved with the broadcast industry to acknowledge the work that rises above it all,” said Plante.
WHNPA President Whitney Shefte said, “Congratulations to Ben, yet again, and to Stuart, for their outstanding work and well-deserved honors. Ben is beginning to earn the title of G.O.A.T. with all of his back-to-back wins.”
Video Editor of the Year Cohen said, “This was a massive surprise. I’ve been working toward this for a long time and it’s amazing to be recognized like this by my peers. It’s really a testament to the quality of journalism we do at the PBS Newshour and the opportunities I’m given to work on such extraordinary stories, from breaking news about wars and winter weather to a fantastic arts team that produces stories about everything from obscure indie musicians to world famous actors and visual artists.”
Gundy said “Many categories had the judges stumped in whittling down the best entries – there were so many excellent ones. It speaks to the breadth of talent in the WHNPA.” Hotsenpiller continued, saying, “Stuart’s breadth and diverse body of entries, plus the range of editing styles gave him the edge in a very competitive field of editors.”
The top winners of the still, video, digital and student contests will be honored at the annual ‘Eyes of History®’ gala later this year in Washington. The black-tie event celebrates all the winning visual journalists. The WHNPA is celebrating its 102nd anniversary in 2023.
The White House News Photographers Association is a 102-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the efforts of Washington’s professional visual journalists. The WHNPA aims to provide professional and educational outreach to its members and the community through scholarships, programming, an annual competition and a celebration of the industry at the annual ‘Eyes of History®’ gala.
For more information, please contact Whitney Shefte at president@whnpa.org or executive director Heidi Elswick at heidi@whnpa.org (301-606-8251). For further information about ‘The Eyes of History®’ and to view the winning images and videos, visit the WHNPA website at www.whnpa.org.
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