Recognizing those who have promoted Free Expression in areas of speech, the press, religious liberty, and arts and entertainment. Recipients included apple ceo tim cook, u. S. Representative and civil rights leader john lewis, abc for the spares dash before the first reporter Martha Raddatz and Playboy Enterprises founder hugh hefner. This is just over one hour. Good evening, fellow champions of the First Amendment, and welcome to the newseum Second AnnualFree Expression awards dinner. We are honored to have you join us tonight to celebrate six men and women whose lives and work has been the embodiment of Free Expression. Now, standard speaker protocol calls for me to make a joke at this point. To relax the room, bring us together, and let me move on to more serious subjects. David bradley, a wonderful supporter whos here tonight is a genius at this. The problem is, i dont know any jokes about the First Amendment, less aye all George Carlin on you. [laughing] and where to keep this dinner pg. So i did what a modern person would do. I googled. Me, i asked alexa. Me, i asked siri. About jokes about the First Amendment, not much luck there. Not due to the technology of course. There are many stories about someone making a joke of the First Amendment, and countless stories about whether the First Amendment does or does not cover jokes about mothersinlaw or various ethnic and racial minorities. The answer by the way is yes, yes and yes. I found some possible material from lenny, but i figure he had that angle covered already. Seriously, i cant remember a time in my life when the freedoms of the First Amendment were more at the forefront of the National Conversation or more threatened. Later this week the newseum will release its first Quarterly Report on the state of the First Amendment. We have created a panel of 15 esteemed constitutional scholars from across the political spectrum to grade how are we doing on each of the five freedoms. The composite grade they give us right now is c . Freedom of the press is doing the worst with ac, while freedom of assembly and petition, the forgotten freedom, arguing they are at b. We clearly need help as a society as there are some significant doubts about how we are faring with the fundamental freedoms. Thats why tonight is so special. The six amazing individuals we are honoring tonight have been in the forefront of the battle to defend Free Expression and the rights of the First Amendment. They have reported from war zones, challenge the federal government in court, battled censorship, confided the fbi over americans right to privacy, and any case of a lifetime a lie achievement winner, risked his very life marching for civil rights for all americans. [applause] before we get to the winners, i would like to thank the trustees of the newseum, the new zealand institute, and the Freedom Forum for their unwavering dedication to the newseum. The trustees commitment is longstanding. In fact, in one of those scheduling miracles that could never be planned, today is the 20th anniversary of the opening of the first newseum and rosalind. [applause] it was opened by then Vice President al gore. I would also like to thank our sponsors for their support of the Free Expression awards dinner. This evening would not be possible without your wonderful support. I would also like to think some of the people in the room, and commended them for their work. Actually, i would like to thank all 400 of you, but that wont possible. Kathy mayor Williams CatherineMerrill Williams has always been a great support counsel. [applause] alberta, president of the Knight Foundation and former board chair is here tonight. Theres alberto. [applause] his own leadership and the Knight Foundation support has been absolutely essential for the newseum. I would also like to welcome our friends from the Charles Koch Institute and the aclu. Not Many Organizations can say that. [laughing] and marty baron is in the house. [applause] the Freedom Forum will honor marty with the excellent in the media award in june in this room. Congratulations, marty. [applause] the Mission Statement is those 45 words engraved in a 75foot marble tablet in the front of our building. We welcome more than 800,000 people a year who visited us and to learn about the courageous sacrifices made throughout history to uphold our fundamental rights. Our permanent exhibits including the berlin wall, the 9 11 memorial, and the Pulitzer Prize gallery have become part of washingtons cultural landscape. Our newest temporary exhibit, louder than words, rock, power and politics, produced in partnership with the Cleveland Rock n roll hall of fame explores how popular musicians have pushed the boundaries of Free Expression over the last halfcentury. On friday, because her energetic staff just need Something Else to do, we will have a program on louder than words with bj yellow of nwa and louis e ce, asked later if you dont understand what im saying come to explore how rap in particular has affected Free Expression from compton to d. C. In the last year with held more than 50 Public Programs to explore critical First Amendment issues. Just this past week and members of the Asian American band aslant were here to discuss the Landmark Supreme Court case against the u. S. Patent and Trademark Office over their bands name. A quick update, in case you are not follow it, the band is suing the office over its failure to allow the name to be trademarked because it may disparage people. We will wait to see how the case is decided, but the case has already given the band a great name for its third album, the band who must not be named. [laughing] harry potter reference for the millennials, under control. The new zine institutes religious Freedom Center has brought together scores of religious and Civic Leaders to help them navigate the intersection of religious and public life so they can train communities across america, how to live together despite these differences. We have developed the first sweep of in class and digital courses to teach clergy and lay and Civic Leaders about religious freedom. Finally, our newseum Education Program reaches more than 7 million students, in this country, and 159 countries across the world, and provides them with digital Course Material about the evolution of freedom and medium literacy. For instance, we heard this fall home teachers that they want to teach about the election, how to teach about the election and have no idea what to say. You may have experienced that also from time to time. So we quickly release our digital collection, election 2016 doff which provided teacher with digital artifacts from our collection as well as course plans on how to teach about a contentious electoral contest. We are also doing a great to have students manage and overcome this anomaly of fake news that they like all americans encounter every single day. Including our 2017 Summer InstituteMedia Literacy and fake news. Last wednesday we held a symposium on the president and the press, the First Amendment and the first 100 days. Generally, generously sponsored by the Knight Foundation that probably get the members of the administration, including sean spicer, kellyanne conway, and journalists from cnn, breitbart, msnbc, begin you will not hear that pairing everywhere, the new york times, and many other platforms to discuss relations between the media and the administration and how perhaps we might do better. David fahrenthold of the post straight from winning the pulitzer on monday was our leadoff speaker, and bob schieffer, one of the wise men of washington journalism, gave a wonderful conclusion. We were covered by more than a dozen networks and hundreds of thousands of people viewed our symposium online. Our handle hashtag child and the press was leading topic on twitter trump and the press purely crushing hashtag as you can tell one of the things i am most proud of about the newseum is our nonpartisan approach to the contentious issues of the day. In a polarized city, and hyper partisan town, it is hard to be vehemently nonpartisan. Many organizations frankly face the temptation to drift left or right as the bases and funding move further from the center. However, we believe that the only way to advocate rights for all americans is to show favorite favor to none, and work for all. [applause] we believe the moment is now for the critical work we do here at the newseum. Thanks to your support we will continue to work to preserve and protect these essential freedoms today, and for future generations. To begin tonight Award Ceremony id like to welcome abc news president jane to the stage to present the first award of the evening. Thanthank you so much, and welce to the newseum. [applause] thank you, jeffrey. Good evening, everyone. Martha raddaz. So it seems only fitting, so here we are. Ill tell you a long story, and exhausting story about martha. So today martha got off a plane, 14 hours on the plane from seoul. Get the lipstick on, did here. This is what she saw in the last four days. Thursday she was in washington reporting on the growing intelligence of north korea, planning to conduct a Nuclear Weapons test. She got on the plane that day, she landed in south korea. She persuaded the generals on the ground to give her exclusive access to the open air base. Just miles as you know, most a special edition this week, then she interviewed and National Security advisor, h. R. Mcmaster. Maybe budget is there as well. Just par for the course for martha. She does this all the time pictures you think she hasnt had a day off since the election, for which she feels somewhat responsibility bad about that. [laughing] she has to invent a new word, they had invent a new word for her approach because her courage and her toughness, her unflinching dedication for reporting from the front lines, that phrase is badassary. Thats martha. [applause] shes moderated four debates. Im sure youve seen the she did it with such rigor on all four occasions, the phrase Martha Raddaz for president trended on twitter during every single one of those debates. One of the things i most admire about martha, and the recent pesci gets the access that she does and she has the trust that she does in the military community is her passion, her passion for our troops and her commitment to what happens to them when they come home from war. She stays in touch with those who have been grievously wounded. She comes with the family who lost loved ones in battle. Her bestselling book the long road home, which details the terrible twoday firefight in sadder city during which the first Cover Division soldiers were killed. And she still in touch with every Single Person she spoken to in the book. That book is a very poignant example of a commitment to remind us all about sacrifices our troops make everyday to protect the country. Now, our american democracy depends on reporters are willing to do the truth even though most dangerous circumstances come depends on people who ask the toughest questions, who will not rest until you understand what happened and why it happened. Depends on people like martha whose unwavering in her commitment to bring these stories to life. So lets take a quick look at martha in action. One of the things i love about u. S. Journalist is you go everywhere and youre getting ready to go where i can . Im kidding me to go back into the war zone into iraq. We are east of mosul. American soldiers moved in here just about three days ago. Here we go. Just over to the right is russia. You do your job to press for answers. There are two issues that are entirely missing from your campaign website. Can we stick to guncontrol . Answer the question. Do you still believe please explain whether or not the muslim ban still stands. I love my job because i learn something every day, and i share it. Its important for us to be a voice for the american public. What we do is try to find things out for you. [applause] so, martha, thank you for your fearless commitment for a free press. We are honored to recognize your superlative work. Please join in celebrating Free Press Award recipient, Martha Raddaz. [applause] thank you so much. Thanks. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. I dont think ive ever gotten a standing ovation. I could get used to that. Thank you so much. I love being in this beautiful building. Thanks to the newseum and the Music Institute for this award. I am truly honored. I know i am preaching to the choir here tonight. A free press is a unique cornerstone of any democracy, and i stand here tonight on behalf of so many brave colleagues and friends here in washington, and around the world. I owe a big thanks to abc news for its support. Especially our president james, our Vice President , i washed and your cheap jonathan greenberger, and above all my tireless Global Affairs team, especially cindy smith, luis martinez, and my debate team and a special thanks to connor. And thanks to my husband, tom, who is the shining example of a journalist who makes a difference. [applause] its no secret that would live in a moment when the free press is threatened across the world with strongmen celebrate cracking down on journalist, when terror groups be had reporters rather than let them exposed the truth. When we are viewed as the Opposition Party by some, and when our competition is not just another network or newspaper but partisan voices and conspiracy theorists online or on the air. While we are very lucky in this country to have a robust tradition of free press, nothing is guaranteed. What we bow today can become a threat to more. Its part of our job to remind people why they should value a free press. A free press is also not enough. Its part of the contract, a bond with our fellow citizens, and it comes with responsibilities. It has to be free but it must also be fair, fair to those whose stories are ignored, fair to even those who are not fair to us. Citizens must take responsibility as well. Despite the challenges and fax, because of the its a great time to be a journalist because its such an important time. And some have risen to the occasion. I must abc and elsewhere but we have to remain vigilant and fiercely independent. Dont take the bait and dont curry favor. Dont waste time on the shallow or trivial. Focus on the issues, ask the uncomfortable questions, mine for the truth, study the detail. In a word, elucidate, despite the threats in the face of power on behalf of the people. Because thats what he free press does. Its whats required of journalist o. It is what it democracy needs, humbly, its what i hope i helped you in my career and will continue to do. Thank you so much for this honor. [applause] please welcome to the state our next presenter for the evening, doctor robert franklin, professor of moral leadership at Emory University here. [applause] christinKristina Arriaga de z is a dot of cuban refugees left everything behind to flee the repressive regime of fidel castro in 1961. She has never forgotten the lesson her parents taught her. If we have freedom, we have everything. She has made it her life work to defend americas first freedom, religious freedom as executive director of becket law, a Nonprofit Law Firm that has been nicknamed gods aclu. For its work on all face from anglicans to zoroastrians, truly a tizzy. Arriaga is a fierce and fearless defender refugees and Political Prisoners here in 1992, as director o of the foundation, human rights group, she helped a cuban defector secure an airplane for a do or die rescue of his wife and two children in cuba. The rest he succeeded, and under arriagas leadership, beckett success in the courtroom has also soared. In 2014 her firm won a Landmark Supreme Court ruling exempting craft store change hobby lobby and of the companies from providing Birth Control to their employees in violation of their religious beliefs. In 2015, arriaga led back into another Supreme Court victory protecting the rights of a muslim inmate in arkansas