AP Manila bureau chief lensman wins award for excellence

NEW YORK — The Associated Press has named its Manila bureau chief photographer Alberto "Bullit" Marquez as one of nine winners from around the world of its 2005 Gramling Awards for excellence.

Marquez received the Gramling Spirit Awards and $3,000 cash for setting the standard in the Philippines for working across all media platforms to make the AP shine during crises.

Other recipients of the Gramling Spirit Awards are San Jose, California, technology writer Matthew Fordahl for routinely going above and beyond to make his mark as an innovator and problem-solver on technological projects and issues; and Islamabad, Pakistan, office manager Zaman Kazmi for using his skills as accountant, computer technician, engineer, electrician and salesman to keep the bureau functioning during turbulent times so the news always gets out.

The honorees include journalists who specialize in handling fast-developing stories and cover international conflicts as editors, reporters and photographers; technical specialists who organize major events, write innovative software programs that enable the AP to create new services and solve problems; and an office manager in Pakistan who keeps the bureau running in times of crisis.

"This year’s Gramling winners are exceptional, world-class role models for AP and for journalism," said AP president and CEO Tom Curley. "Their individual and collective contributions are stunning."

The Oliver S. Gramling Awards, now in their 12th year, are given annually to staff members whose work and initiative contribute significantly to the news report and to overall AP operations.

The awards are named for Oliver Gramling, an AP newsman and executive who in 1941 developed AP’s first radio wire. Gramling bequeathed his estate to AP when he died in 1992, directing that it be used for AP staff members nominated for excellence by their colleagues. A committee of AP bureau and department managers selected the winners.

This year’s Gramling Journalism Awards winners, who also received $10,000 cash, are Washington, DC-based Special Correspondent David Espo for a body of work as a "deadline master" who takes command of fast-moving stories at critical moments in history, including Sept. 11 and the two wars in Iraq; Robert Reid, AP’s correspondent at large, who has been at the forefront of editing and reporting on some of the biggest international conflict stories, from the Balkans to Afghanistan to Iraq.

The recipients of the Gramling Achievement Awards, who were also given $10,000 cash, are Chicago-based Services & Technology program manager Stan Miller for automating essential functions that otherwise would take thousands of hours to do by hand and writing programs enabling the AP to create new services; and Kansas City-based director of special events Bud Weydert of Services & Technology for his perennial successful planning for major events such as the Olympics and political conventions. — AP