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Rome (AsiaNews) – The Grand Hotel Billia in Saint-Vincent (Aosta Valley) will host the first part of the 42nd Edition of the Saint-Vincent Awards for Journalism. AsiaNews is among the winners as the “best online newspaper.” Italian President Giorgio Napoletano will present winners with the prizes next Tuesday at the Quirinal Palace in Rome.

The ‘Saint-Vincent Awards for Journalism’ were created in 1948 by the government of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley (north-western Italy) and SITAV (Regional Hotel and Tourism Promotion Agency). Over the years it became the most prestigious journalism award in Italy.

This year’s winners in eight categories are:

• Fabrizio Gatti (L’Espresso) as journalist of the year;
• Paolo Biondani and Guido Olimpio (Corriere della Sera) and Antonio Maria Mira (Avvenire) for the best report published by a daily newspaper;
• Dario Laruffa (Rai TG 2 Dossier) and Pietro Suber (Rete 4) for the best feature story by a national TV network;
• Andrea Frailis of Videolina for the best feature story by a regional TV network;
• Giorgio Zanchini (Rai Radio Uno) for the best feature story by a national Radio network;
• Marina Corradi (Tempi - Il Giornale) for the best report by a national magazine;
• AsiaNews for the best online newspaper;
• Andrea Cinquegrani and Rita Pennarola (La Voce della Campania) for the best report by a regional magazine.

The Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley Valle will present the Grolla d’Oro Communication Award to Guido Bertolaso, head of Italy’s Civil Protection Agency.

Mona Makki, editor-in-chief of the weekly TV newsmagazine Espace francophone (on France3) will receive an award for her report on southern Lebanon and the Franco-Lebanese high school of Habbouche-Nabatyieh.

A third prize goes to Roberto Mantovani, editor of the Rivista della Montagna (Mountain Review) for his articles on “Mountains: background to History.”

A special prize was awarded to Mario Cervi and Sergio Zavoli on the 60th anniversary of the ‘Casino de la Vallée.’

Award organisers will present a special ‘Front Page Report’ Award to Roberto Napoletano, editor of the daily Il Messaggero for giving a lot of front page space to investigative reports.

The Jury will present the Indro Montanelli Award ‘Witness to the 21st Century’ (for the journalist who in his or her career contributed the most to the prestige of the profession) to Antonio Ferrari of the Corriere della Sera.

The Special Jury Award went to Giovanni Spampinato, killed by the Mafia in 1972, as a tribute to him and through him to all those who fell victims to organised crime.

The Jury’s International Journalism Award will be presented to Mauro Montanari of the Corriere d’Italia.

A special prize was awarded in memory of journalist Adjmal Naqshbandi, who was brutally murdered in Afghanistan and worked as an interpreter for Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, and of Russian journalist Anna Politovskaya, assassinated in Moscow on October 7, 2006.

Finally, another special prize was awarded to respected sports journalist Giorgio Tosatti, who died earlier this year.