Adam Ellick – Journalist


Adam Ellick

Two years ago we gave our $15,000 Concentra Prize for Video Journalism to Adam Ellick

Adam is a VJ for The New York Times.

Even to this day, a lot of people denigrate the idea of a Videojournalist – not really a ‘journalist’  – more like a kid with a camera.

This morning, I read about Adam Ellick in The New York Times.

The Times video journalist with me, Adam B. Ellick, stood his ground to record the scene. Policemen ran at him and — as Ellick shouted that he was an American journalist — one officer roughed him up and clubbed the camera, breaking part of it. If that’s what they do to a Western journalist, you can imagine what would happen if they were to catch a kid with a rock.

Then the police pulled Ellick to a police car and stuffed him inside. He telephoned me, so I staggered through the tear gas to see if I could extricate him.

So much for my persuasive powers: The police promptly detained me as well. They wedged me in the back seat of a different police car but treated me courteously. The detention turned out to be a fascinating “embed,” because the police freely shared their venomous hatred of the protesters and their delusional view that they are all paid by Iran.

So much for the idea that VJs are not ‘journalists’.

Also, so much for the idea that you need to send a ‘crew’ to cover ‘real’ news stories.

So Bravo Adam Ellick.

Michael Rosenblum

For more than 30 years, Michael Rosenblum has been on the cutting edge of the digital video journalism revolution. During this time, he has lead a drive for video literacy, and the complete rethinking of how television is made and controlled. His work has included: The complete transitioning of The BBC's national network (UK) to a VJ-driven model, starting in 2002. The complete conversion of The Voice of America, the United State's Government's broadcasting agency, (and the largest broadcaster in the world), from short wave radio to television broadcasting and webcasting using the VJ paradigm (1998-present). The construction of NYT Television, a New York Times Company, and the largest producer of non-fiction television in the US. Rosenblum was both the founder and President of NYT TV, (all based on this paradigm (1996-1998). The President and Founder of Video News International, a global VJ-driven newsgathering company, with more than 100 journalists around the world. (1993-1996). Other clients include Spectrum News, Verizon and CBS News.