Todd Bensman, an intelligence analyst and former investigative reporter, will be honored during the School of Communication’s 2012 Associated Press/Robert R. Eunson Award ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, at NAU’s Native American Cultural Center.
Bensman earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from NAU in 1987 and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, Columbia, in 2008. He worked for more than 20 years at various news outlets including The San Antonio Express News, The Dallas Morning News and CBS-owned KTVT-11 in Dallas. Bensman reported from Tel Aviv during the Gulf War in 1991, covered conflicts in Bosnia and Moldova, and investigated Islamic extremists, terrorism and U.S. border security.
Bensman earned the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence from the National Press Club in 2008 for “Breaching America,” a series that delved into the issue of illegal immigration from the Islamic countries, and earned the award again the following year for his reporting on Mexico’s drug cartels and gunrunning.
Bensman is a senior intelligence analyst and program adviser for the state of Texas where he focuses on counter-terrorism in partnership with law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Charles Bowden, award-winning journalist and nonfiction author, will be the keynote speaker at the event. He has written 11 books and serves as a contributing editor for The New York Times Book Review, Harper’s, GQ and Mother Jones. Bowden’s work focuses on U.S./Mexico border issues.
The School of Communication’s Distinguished Achievement Award in Journalism is named for Robert R. Eunson, a 1936 graduate of Arizona State Teachers College, as Northern Arizona University was then known, who enjoyed a distinguished career as a war correspondent, journalist and news executive with the Associated Press.
The event is free and open to the public. For information contact Peter.Friederici@nau.edu.