CPJ is honored to present its 2023 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award, for extraordinary and sustained achievement in the cause of press freedom, to Alberto Ibargüen, president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The Committee to Protect Journalists will honor Alberto Ibargüen, president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, with the 2023 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award. The Gwen Ifill award is presented annually by CPJ’s board of directors in recognition of extraordinary and sustained commitment to press freedom.
Ibargüen recently announced that he will be stepping down as president of the Knight Foundation after 18 years at its helm. Under his leadership, the foundation invested over $2.3 billion in journalism, arts, economic development, and research.
“Alberto Ibargüen has been a visionary leader in journalism,” said Kathleen Carroll, chair of CPJ’s board. “His innovative approach to philanthropy has strengthened press freedom and promoted news literacy across the United States, and the CPJ board is honored to recognize his tireless commitment to defending independent media.”
Ibargüen is the former publisher of the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald. During his tenure, the Miami Herald won three Pulitzer Prizes and El Nuevo Herald won Spain’s Ortega y Gasset Prize for excellence in journalism. He served on the board of CPJ from 1993 to 2005.