Caroline Beasley of Beasley Media Group and Fred Ryan of Washington Post To Be Honored

FOR RELEASE: September 4, 2019

Contact: Richard T. Kaplar
The Media Institute
703-243-5700

Arlington, Va., September 4, 2019 – Two individuals widely known for their respective work in media policy and on-air journalism will present awards at The Media Institute’s “Free Speech America” Gala on Oct. 7.

Senator Gordon Smith, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, will present the American Horizon Award to Caroline Beasley, chief executive officer of Beasley Media Group, Inc.

Pamela Brown, senior White House correspondent for CNN, will present the Freedom of Speech Award to Frederick J. Ryan, Jr., publisher and CEO of The Washington Post.

Senator Smith joined NAB in 2009. He had served as a United States senator from Oregon for two terms. Prior to that he was a member and then president of the Oregon State Senate. At NAB, Senator Smith has become known as a staunch advocate for free, local broadcasting.

Pamela Brown serves as CNN’s senior White House correspondent, covering the president and his administration for all of the network’s programs and platforms. The former CNN Justice and Supreme Court correspondent also serves as a fill-in anchor for CNN Newsroom.

Caroline Beasley became CEO of Beasley Media Group, Inc., in January 2017 after holding several senior positions within the company, which owns 65 radio stations. Fred Ryan, who joined The Washington Post in 2014, had been co-founder, president, and CEO of Politico and president and COO of Allbritton Communications.

The “Free Speech America” Gala will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 7. FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks will deliver keynote remarks. The master of ceremonies will be communications attorney and former FCC chairman Richard E. Wiley.

The American Horizon Award recognizes an individual for visionary leadership in the communications industry. The Freedom of Speech Award recognizes an individual who has worked to advance free speech and the First Amendment.

Information about table sponsorships and other sponsorship opportunities can be found on The Media Institute’s website, www.mediainstitute.org.

The Media Institute is a nonprofit foundation specializing in communications policy and the First Amendment.  For more information, visit the Institute online at www.mediainstitute.org.

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