Jill in AmmanFour female journalists will be honored this month in New York City, DC and Los Angeles for their courage. Among them is my dear friend Jill Carroll, who was held hostage in Iraq for nearly three months. Lebanese journalist May Chidiac, who survived an assassiantion attempt last year, will also be honored. Also among the feted is Gao YU from China, who has been jailed twice for her reporting. The award is being presented by the International Women’s Media Foundation. This is a description of what the award is all about:

The only awards program exclusively for international women journalists, the IWMF’s Courage in Journalism Awards honor women journalists who have shown extraordinary strength of character and integrity while reporting the news under dangerous or difficult circumstances. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a woman journalist who has a pioneering spirit and whose determination has paved the way for future generations of women in the media.

Kudos to all these wonderful journalists for their bravery and resolve. You can find a full list of award recipients here.