IMPACT AND OUTREACH
Fauci, Woodruff, Robinson and Heyman honored
The four distinguished honorees shared their thoughts on combating disinformation, achieving social justice, inspiring future communicators and more The discussions at the fifth annual Arthur W. Page Center Awards were as inspirational as they were timely. This year’s class of honorees shared stories, principles, advice and reflection during the virtual event on Feb. 24. Honorees were Dr. Anthony Fauci, NIAID director; Judy Woodruff, anchor and managing editor of PBS Newshour; Eugene Robinson, Washington Post columnist and editor; and Bill Heyman, CEO of Heyman Associates. The awards ceremony was much different than prior years. Instead of a dinner in New York City, it was virtual. However, hosting the event online allowed the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication to welcome a global audience. It beamed the honorees, among the country’s most respected and trusted communicators, to hundreds of students, young professionals, faculty, executives and the public. Viewers from more than 100 companies and 75 colleges and universities tuned in. Page Center advisory board chairman Bill Nielsen and Marie Hardin, dean of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State, hosted the event live from WPSU studios. The honorees and presenters all streamed in via Zoom.
2021 AWARDS
The purpose of communication by a scientist is not to show how smart you are. It is to have people understand what you’re talking about. – Dr. Anthony Fauci, 2021 Page Center Awards honoree
I think that CEOs do a great job at running businesses, but they did not know how to handle these things [the past year’s events]. So, it was really important for communicators to be able to let them know how. – Bill Heyman, 2021 Page Center Awards honoree
I still believe, and I still want to believe, that truth wins in the end. – Eugene Robinson, 2021 Page Center Awards honoree
I know [future journalists] are out there. They are being educated right now at the Bellisario College. – Judy Woodruff, 2021 Page Center Awards honoree
Each honoree received a Larry Foster Award for Integrity in Public Communication, which recognizes professionals who exemplify the importance of truthful communication with the public. What makes this award particularly unique is that it represents a number of fields — journalism, public relations, the public sector, and health — under shared principles of integrity and truth-telling. This was the fifth installment of the annual event. More information about the Page Center and previous winners may be found at https://www.bellisario.psu.edu/page-center/ online. 60
2020-21 ANNUAL REPORT
