The venue (Cipriani 42nd Street) was upsized from past editions, but the mission of the Mirror Awards remained focused on celebrating achievement in journalism at Wednesday’s 14th annual Syracuse University-backed event. The honors from the university’s Newhouse School saluted publications ranging from CQ Researcher to The New Yorker.
Honors were given to Re/code co-executive editors and former Wall Street Journal writers Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg as well as Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav.
Presenting Zaslav with the Fred Dressler Leadership Award, Tom Freston summed up sardonically: “The Zas moves fast.” He gently ribbed the exec for his rapid-fire manner, his “quick scooping up” of Conan O’Brien’s New York apartment, and occasionally abrupt texts and phone call endings. A tribute video featured a host of major industry execs as well as director Ron Howard and some Discovery show talent, some of whom saluted him with only the last name Zaslav.
Accepting the award, the Discovery chief noted another award given in the memory of late B&C business editor John Higgins. “I used to talk to him two or three mornings a week,” he recalled. “Tough guy. Knew the business well. He was always interested in talking about where the business was headed. We all miss him.”
TV host Gayle King emceed the luncheon, and the judging panel for the awards included Mark Robichaux, editor-in-chief of Multichannel News.
