IWMF Mourns the Passing of Courage Award Winners Anne Garrels and Magdalena Ruiz Guiñazú

The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) is saddened to learn of the passing of Courage in Journalism Award winner Anne Garrels (2003) and Lifetime Achievement Award winner Magdalena Ruiz Guiñazú (2003). Both journalists were trailblazers for women in broadcast news media and their pioneering spirits will be deeply missed.

Garrels, an international correspondent for NPR, was a relentless force in conflict coverage. Reporting everywhere from Tiennamen Square to the Soviet Union, Garrels became known for sharing the human realities of historic moments. For a time, Garrels was the only U.S. network reporter to continue broadcasting from Baghdad during the U.S.’s “shock and awe” bombing, earning her the 2003 IWMF Courage in Journalism Award.

Honored the same year, Argentinian journalist Ruiz Guiñazú was the IWMF’s first international Lifetime Achievement Award winner. For more than 20 years, she hosted “Magdalena Tempranisimo,” a leading show on Buenos Aires station Radio Mitre. Despite government harassment, Ruiz Guiñazu held power to account and defended human rights throughout her career.

We are grateful for the indelible marks Garrels and Ruiz Guiñazú made on international journalism. Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones.