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Journalist Jinah Kim of NBC News Honored by National Office of The ALS Association for Reporting on Lou Gehrig’s Disease



CALABASAS HILLS, Calif. (January 26, 2009) -- The ALS Association has presented NBC News correspondent Jinah Kim<


http://www.alsa.org/media/article.cfm?id=1396.>, whose father fought ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, with the prestigious Voice of Courage Award.

Kim received the award, which recognizes an individual or team in print and/or electronic journalism whose reporting about ALS, a progressive, neurodegenerative disease, demonstrates accuracy, originality, creativity and journalistic merit, on Saturday, January 24 at The Association’s 2009 Annual Conference in Newport Beach, Calif.

The award also is given in recognition of journalism that stimulates greater public awareness and understanding of ALS and its devastating impact on patients, who, on average, survive from two to five years from the time of diagnosis.

“After witnessing the horrors of ALS first-hand, I promised myself I would do whatever I could to fight and help raise awareness about the disease,” Kim said. “I am very lucky that I am a journalist because it gives me an opportunity to give voice to a cause I am fervently passionate about; give voice to those who are losing theirs. This award means so much to me. I only wish my father could be here to witness the work his daughter is doing in his honor and memory.”

Kim was the overwhelming choice for the award. Her stories on ALS Awareness Month, military veterans with ALS, actress Angela Lansbury status as spokesperson for The Association, the late Paralympian Gold Medalist Nick Scandone and an artist and his daughter were well received by the public and resulted in greater support for The Association’s mission: to lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global, cutting-edge research, and to empower people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.

“The ALS Association welcomed Jinah Kim with open arms several years ago when she approached our organization about becoming involved in the fight against ALS. We knew we could count on her when we needed her most and her work speaks for itself,” said Gary A. Leo, president and CEO of The Association. “She’s a consummate professional and her commitment to ridding this world of ALS is tremendous.”

“Excellent stories about ALS are done everyday, and then there are the stellar stories done by Jinah Kim who goes the extra mile in making sure the public knows what people with this horrendous disease experience and that there is hope out there for new treatments and a cure,” Leo continued. In addition to her reporting duties, Kim also is the co-owner of WorldWise Productions, a video production company specializing in corporate and non-profit videos, based in Los Angeles. She is the president of the Asian American Journalists Association’s Los Angeles chapter. She also sits on numerous boards, including the communications committee of The Association’s National Board of Trustees.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kim immigrated to the U.S. with her family when she was 6 years old. She grew up in the Los Angeles area and attended UCLA, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, with a BA in English Literature.

Her journalism career began with her high school newspaper, then the Daily Bruin at UCLA. She was sure she wanted to become a newspaper reporter when she decided to intern at CBS News in New York during college. Her first job in the broadcasting was at KTLA in Los Angeles as an assignment desk assistant in the newsroom. She has also produced in Monterey, reported and anchored in Salinas, San Diego and most recently, in Denver.

Kim has a passion for languages and speaks, reads and writes Korean, German and Spanish. Her other passions include traveling around the world, reading anything she can get her hands on, recycling, literacy, ALS research and environmental causes. The ALS Association is the only non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure.

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Contact: The ALS Association Gary Wosk, Manager, Media Relations (818) 587-2241 gwosk@alsa-national.org