The 5th Annual Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication Awards was hosted virtually Wednesday night by Penn State, where the winners received awards for responsible and ethical communication with the public.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr Anthony Fauci, Heyman Associates CEO Bill Heymen, Washington Post Columnist and Editor Eugene Robinson, and PBS Presenter and Editor Newshour Judy Woodruff were the recipients of the event.

Each received the Larry Foster Award for Integrity in Public Communication.

Larry Foster, the founder of the Arthur W. Page Center, was a Penn State alumnus of 1948 and was the longtime public relations chief of Johnson & Johnson.

The event was hosted by Bill Nielsen, Chairman of the Page Center Advisory Board, and Marie Hardin, Dean of Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State.

“[The award] bears the name of the centre’s founder and the award recognizes those who share Larry’s commitment to honest and factual communication, ”said Nielsen.

After each winner received their award, a short question-and-answer session followed each.

Fauci has been recognized for his “commitment to the truth” while playing his role as the country’s top infectious disease expert during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Over the past year – during the pandemic – he’s gained more media time – gaining deep public respect, admiration and trust deeper than anyone since maybe Walter Cronkite,” Nielsen said.

Fauci accepted the award with a “deep sense of gratitude” and spoke about communicating with the public based on truth and evidence.

“The public need to hear the truth as it is, rather than as they want it to be,” Fauci said. “Never, ever be intimidated or coerced into agreeing with something you don’t believe is true.”

Heyman has been praised for appreciating relationships and integrity in hiring and recruiting and praised for “doing the right thing whether people know it or not.” He thanked his mother for instilling his values ​​in him.

“[Her] the advice was to value relationships and cultivate friendships and recognize the importance of character, ”Heyman said.

Pulitzer Prize winner Eugene Robinson has been described as someone who makes sure he understands every side of every story and leads his career as a journalist with integrity.

Robinson said not to compromise the principles and ethics of journalism.

“The worst thing you can do is tell the reader something that isn’t true,” Robinson said. “The truth wins in the end.”

Judy Woodruff, who has built up a long career in journalism and moderated political debates for the two main parties, has been hailed as a “champion of women in the media” and a trusted voice in the news.

She said public figures must be held accountable and “shed light on the truth”.

“We now live in a time where facts are just thrown out the window and people are embracing theories, ideas and claims that have nothing to do with the truth,” said Woodruff.

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