Esther Vera, director of ARA, National Communication Award

BarcelonaEsther Vera, director of ARA since 2016, has been awarded the National Journalism Award, as announced this morning by the Generalitat. The executive council has agreed to recognize the journalist "for having decisively contributed to consolidating the ARA newspaper as one of the leading publications in the country". The award ceremony will take place on May 19 in Sabadell.

The jury of the awards also highlights the newspaper's trajectory since its inception in 2010, and points out that the daily has been a pioneer in Catalonia in the development of digital subscriptions and in charging for online content. They add that, with 50,000 subscribers, the media outlet has "its own voice, informative rigor, and the ability to adapt to new consumption habits". Vera has thanked for the award and has assured that she considers it a recognition of "perhaps discreet journalism, but journalism that demands rigor and that demands work, work, work and not being arrogant. To see this work with humility and try to be useful". The director of ARA has assured that upon receiving the news of the award, she first thought of her colleagues at the newspaper and also of her daughter, the main "victim" of a job as intense as directing a newsroom.Born in Badalona in 1967, Esther Vera, a journalist and political scientist specializing in international relations, came to el ARA after an extensive career in both audiovisual media and print. As a journalist, she began in radio and later in the International Section of Televisió de Catalunya, where she worked as a reporter covering events related to European and North American politics. After working at Catalunya Ràdio (1992-1995), she was a correspondent for the newspaper Avui, first in Paris and then in Washington. From 2000 to 2004 she was linked to TV3 as editor and presenter of the news program Món33, as deputy director of the political debate program Àgora, and subsequently, as deputy director of the economic program Valor afegit. Later, she was appointed delegate in Catalonia for the 24h CNN+ information channel and for the news programs of the generalist television channel Cuatro. Radio and television

In addition to the press category, the National Communication Awards recognize professionals and projects in six more areas. Regarding television, the jury has chosen RTVE Catalunya "in recognition of the more than sixty years that have passed since the first broadcast in Catalan – on October 27, 1964 – and for the sustained defense of the Catalan language throughout all these years". Furthermore, the executive council's agreement also highlights that the public entity has reinforced its commitment to the Catalan audiovisual sector with the launch of La 2 Cat. The 3Cat platform has been distinguished with the National Digital Communication Award for "having consolidated itself as a useful, accessible audiovisual consumption environment, fully connected with new audience habits".