Trombly Honored for International Work

Tampa (Sept. 17, 2003) -- Outgoing SPJ president Robert Leger awarded the 2003 President's Award to Maria Trombly at the Society of Professional Journalists' national convention in Tampa this September.

Leger lauded Trombly for her work on the SPJ's International Journalism Committee, which she had chaired for the previous few months. Under her leadership, the committee promoted the SPJ's Reference Guide to the Geneva Conventions, which was also authored by Trombly.

The IJC also helped obtain the release of freelance American journalist William Nessen from Indonesian prison, brought attention to unfair U.S. visa practices, fought for media freedoms in countries such Cuba, the Congo, and Iraq and protested the expulsion of Al-Jazeera journalists from the New York Stock Exchange.

Trombly said she will remain as chair through 2003-2004 in order to see the visa campaign through to its conclusion. She was also receintly appointed president of the SPJ's New England Pro Chapter.