海角大神

I鈥檝e never thought of the Monitor as a prize-driven news organization. Our founder, Mary Baker Eddy, said our object is 鈥渢o injure no man, but to bless all mankind.鈥� Those are our marching orders.

Yet awards matter. They show that we are bringing light to topics in need of it, and that we continue to be an important and influential voice. On Nov. 21, the National Press Foundation awarded its 聽for Distinguished Reporting of Congress to our Christa Case Bryant.聽

Our letter nominating her was clear. Christa鈥檚 nomination was founded on the Monitor鈥檚 views of journalistic fairness. It was a lesson she began to learn as the Monitor鈥檚 Middle East correspondent. 鈥淐risscrossing the Israeli-Palestinian divide ... she found a humanity that challenged caricatures,鈥� the letter stated.聽

Doing that in her own country was harder, especially when the Capitol was attacked in her first week as congressional correspondent. But 鈥渢o her, the Jan. 6 assault underscored a stark crisis for journalism: The vital importance of regaining the trust of all Americans without soft-pedaling misinformation,鈥� her nomination continued. 鈥淗it too hard, and you ignore concerns fueling such misinformation, leading to perceptions of myopic elitism. Don鈥檛 hit hard enough, and you鈥檝e failed in your duty to tell the truth.鈥� 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽

The result was journalism that the award judges called a 鈥済ut punch.鈥� One of Christa鈥檚 articles 鈥� about efforts to diversify聽congressional staff, showed the trust she gained with sources. 鈥淪he did the story that nobody else could do,鈥� one judge said.聽

鈥淐hrista鈥檚 approach,鈥� our nomination concluded, 鈥渃ontributes powerfully to a journalism that can build trust and engage 鈥� not further divide 鈥� readers.鈥� The award is a reminder of the appetite for this different approach, and the Monitor鈥檚 important role in helping to lead the way.