RFE/RL’s Belarus Service, 2011 winner
RFE/RL’s Belarus Service was honored for their breaking news and in-depth analysis of Belarus’ December 2010 disputed presidential election, which was followed by bloody street protests and a government crackdown on the media and political opposition. The service pursued a multi-platform approach, with integrated radio, television and web coverage. The day after the crackdown, Radio Svaboda’s website recorded a 5-fold increase in unique visitors, and the coverage was widely quoted, including by CNN, the New York Times, and BBC. Svaboda also created “Voices of Solidarity,” a project with dozens of U.S. and international leaders, such as former U.S. President George Bush, who read the names of the more than 700 people detained in the crackdown.