NEW YORK - From the President's televangelist advisor, immigration, to Muslims in America - this year's 2018 Wilbur Award winners aren't afraid to dive into the well of divisive issues to find inclusion, unity and understanding throughout vast communities of diverse belief systems.
The Religion Communicators Council announced 22 Wilbur Award winners March 5. The awards honor excellence by individuals in secular media - print and online journalism, book publishing, broadcasting, and motion pictures - for communicating religious issues, values and themes during 2017.
Wilbur Award
Wilbur Award winners receive a handcrafted stained-glass trophy and national recognition for their work.
Welcoming the Stranger, the single program winner in the podcast and radio category by Interfaith Voices, explores multiple religious perspectives on the spiritual imperative to welcome the stranger in the midst of what might be the largest refugee crisis since World War II; Who Would Jesus Deport?, an article from the Texas Observer that examines two ministers' interpretation on the Bible's take on immigration; a Washington Post Magazine piece about Paula White, the controversial and influential televangelist who preaches the prosperity gospel and is linked to the Presidential family; and a Rowan and Littlefield book, Being Hindu: Understanding a Peaceful Path in a Violent World, are to receive individually crafted stained-glass Wilbur trophies at an awards ceremony in Atlanta next month.
The 2018 awards will be presented April 7 at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel during the council's 89th annual national convention. M. Alexis Scott, a long-time newspaper journalist, executive, community leader and current political commentator on the Georgia Gang broadcast on FOX 5 Atlanta, will be the host at the ceremony.
Other Wilbur winners include CBS News, BuzzFeed, Deseret News, Bright Magazine, KSHB-TV, and several creative independent contributors. See list below.
The Religion Communicators Council has presented Wilbur Awards annually since 1949. Secular communicators enter work in seven categories. Juries of media professionals, coordinated by council members across the country, evaluate submissions on content, creativity, impact and excellence in communicating religious values.
The award is named for the late Marvin C. Wilbur, a pioneer in religious public relations, longtime council leader and former Presbyterian Church executive.
See full list of winners on the Religion Communicators Council website.