The White House News Photographers Association® announced that they will present Charles MacDonald with the association’s Lifetime Achievement award at the 2018 ‘Eyes of History®’ annual awards gala Saturday, June 16, 2018, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC.
Charles MacDonald is an award-winning editor, producer and videographer. A graduate of Canadore College’s Television Broadcasting course, MacDonald has built a richly deserved reputation. Building upon the practical experience culled from a 13-year career with CTV National News, he made the transition from the news field to that of documentary film. MacDonald has served as a Supervising Editor/Videographer with the National Geographic Channel, working out of their Washington headquarters and has traveled around the globe. From covering the aftermath of the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2002 to camping in the Australian Outback on camel, to dog sledding in the Canadian Arctic, professional opportunities keep presenting themselves to him. He has traveled to every continent except for Antarctica. After leaving National Geographic Channel, MacDonald founded his own company, CMacFido Productions.
Whitney Shefte, WHNPA president, commented about the award, “When Charlie MacDonald was recommended for the Lifetime Achievement award, it made perfect sense. In addition to his unparalleled career as a video editor, Charlie has dedicated countless hours to the WHNPA as a former board member and a steadfast video contest committee member. And he’s the nicest guy around to boot. I can think of no one more deserving of this award.”
When surprised by his colleagues during the 2018 ‘Eyes of History®’ judging, MacDonald said, “I am shocked and humbled at being chosen for this prestigious award. I still have so much to do.” MacDonald has served on the WHNPA executive board, video contest committee and was responsible for bringing the WHNPA out of the linear tape world and into the digital world.
“I’m proud of my work at CTV and NatGeo and proud that I was able to bring my family here from Canada and was able to acquire U.S. citizenship. This is not an easy task for Canadians. I’ve been fortunate to be given the ability to travel the world and tell that story. How lucky is that! I’m excited I was able to go out on my own and continue to do what I do. I still find it hard to believe they actually pay me to do what I do,” MacDonald said, upon reflection.
The top winners of the still, video, multimedia and student contests will be honored at the annual ‘Eyes of History®’ gala on June 16, 2018, at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington. The black-tie event celebrates all the winning visual journalists and the President of the United States. Nearly 1,000 guests, including government dignitaries and industry celebrities, attend.
The White House News Photographers Association is a 97-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the efforts of Washington’s professional photojournalists. 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@54.85.141.172 or executive director Heidi Elswick at heidi@54.85.141.172 (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.
