comment by Jerry Gordon
Brian Mosely, whom I interviewed for the New English Review in February in an article entitled, “Somalis, Shelbyville and Severe Culture Shock” had submitted a five part series on the Somali refugee problem confronting his Middle Tennessee community for a prestigious statewide AP award. Darn if he didn’t win it this week bringing honor to himself and his courageous news paper, the Shelbyville Times-Gazette, whose editor is a stand up guy, as is Brian. In place of the pusillanimous press ducking serious issues like this on both coasts and even large cities in-between, Mosely didn’t. We hope that he goes on to cop a national AP award, if not a Pulitzer prize, if only the New York Times that controls who gets the Pulitzers would relent. When I queried Mosely about his honor, he wrote back and said: “Thanks! Success is the best revenge against my detractors…”
by Rebecca Bynum, The Iconoclast, July 21, 2008
NER readers are familiar with the work of Brian Mosely who was interviewed by Jerry Gordon here.
Shelbyville Times Gazette (hat tip: Refugee Resettlement Watch):
NASHVILLE — Times-Gazette staff writer Brian Mosely received the state’s top award for investigative reporting by The Associated Press Saturday night, highlighting a total of 18 awards won by the paper in the state’s two major press competitions held this weekend.
Mosely was honored with the Malcolm Law Memorial Award for Investigative Reporting for his five-part series published in December of last year chronicling the influx of Somali refugees to Bedford County.
The Law award for investigative reporting was established by the Tennessee Associated Press Managing Editors in 1973 to honor Malcolm Law, associate editor of The Jackson Sun, who died in December 1972. The award is recognized as one of the most prestigious awards given for journalistic accomplishment in Tennessee.
The judge wrote “… a solid and thorough example of community journalism … (Mosely) looked at the issue of Somali immigration from several angles.”
