Florida International University and the Knight Foundation have honored Manny Garcia, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, for his decades of work in investigative journalism.
Garcia was chosen last year as the first Knight Foundation Executive Director of the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media at FIU. The recognition came during a ceremony in Miami.
During the event, the Ansin Foundation, the Channel 7 Foundation and the Channel 18 Foundation announced a $1 million donation. The money is intended to support and expand journalism education at the university.
The Ansin Foundation was founded in 1957 by the late Ed Ansin, co-founder of Sunbeam Television and owner of WSVN and ABC Miami. The Channel 7 Foundation and the Channel 18 Foundation were established by Ed Ansin's sons, Andrew and James.
Garcia said the gift will help the school keep mentoring the next generation of journalists. "This gift, it's a legacy gift because what it's doing is helping to support the next generations of journalists who are going to go out there and carry the torch forward. It's an amazing evening, an amazing opportunity," he said.
Brian Schriner, Dean of the College of Communication, Architecture and the Arts, said the funds will benefit the program. He thanked the Ansin Foundation for its generosity and for having confidence in FIU's students and faculty, which he said is where the money is going.
According to Schriner, the impact on students will be immediate. He said the funds will provide scholarships so students can take part in the school's Washington bureau, and will also help enhance local news coverage and strengthen the faculty.
FIU's Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media offers undergraduate and graduate courses in journalism, broadcasting, and digital and interactive media.
