ASHA Announces 2021 Media Award Recipients

(Rockville, MD) The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) announced the recipients of the organization’s 2021 Media Awards today.

The awardees include nine media outlets and two communication sciences and disorders professionals. Annually, the awards recognize outstanding coverage by print, broadcast, and digital outlets and outreach by ASHA Certified Member audiologists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs).

"The essential work of communication professionals has taken on a new urgency during the pandemic,” said ASHA 2021 President A. Lynn Williams, PhD, CCC-SLP. “As our members have risen to address new risks to communication health, these awardees have helped spotlight those issues, as well as the efforts to alleviate them. We at ASHA are happy to honor them.”

ASHA’s 2021 Media Award recipients are:

Print Media

The Washington Post: For “Some people think they have to lose their accent to get ahead. Is that fair?,” by Rachel Hatzipanagos, published March 24, 2021. Hatzipanagos consulted various SLPs when writing her article that explored the social issues behind accent modification.

Parents: For “Creative Ways Parents Can Increase Their Child’s Language Skills at Home,” by Samantha Lynch, published May 27, 2021 and “Tools to Get Them Talking,” by Rebecca Rakowitz, published July 2021. Both articles offered advice to parents on how to encourage speech and language skills in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers at home.

Digital Media

Healio: For “Poll: Many Americans forgo treatment for hearing loss,” published May 28, 2021. Healio expanded upon a recent ASHA poll that shows the extent of unaddressed hearing loss among American adults.

POPSUGAR: For “Why Is My Toddler Stuttering All of a Sudden?,” by Leeny Sullivan, published July 15, 2021. Sullivan spoke to ASHA member Rita D. Thurman, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, for an article that offers suggestions for supporting a child who stutters. 

Healthy Children (from the American Academy of Pediatrics): For “Do Masks Delay Speech and Language Development?” This article addressed parental concern about whether mask use by preschool teachers, daycare providers and other adults will delay their toddler’s speech and language development. It included tips for families about how they can boost their toddler’s speech and language skills at home, as well as information about how speech/language therapy is being conducted during the pandemic.

Children’s Screen Time Action Network: For their January 12, 2021, webinar “New Baby, New Year: Resolve to be a Tech Wise Parent.” A panel that included ASHA member and Media Outreach Champion Samah Saidi, MA, CCC-SLP, and ASHA Fellow Carol Westby, PhD, CCC-SLP, discussed the impact of popular technology on an infant’s development as well as how to boost a baby’s communication skills.

Broadcast Media

Doctor Radio – Sirius XM: For three interviews broadcast in 2021:

• February 10, 2021, interview with ASHA Chief Staff Officer for Audiology Donna Smiley, PhD, CCC-A, on pandemic challenges for people with hearing loss
• March 17, 2021, interview with ASHA Board member Sharon Sandridge, PhD, CCC-A, on hearing aid challenges and solutions
• April 28, 2021, interview with ASHA member Luis F. Riquelme, PhD, BCS-S, CCC-SLP, on swallowing disorders.

Univision 41 – New York: For its March 9, 2021, broadcast about hearing loss. ASHA member Keidy Sánchez Pereira, AuD, CCC-A, spoke about the signs of hearing loss and how to address them.

NewsWatch TV: For its airing of ASHA’s Act Now on Hearing public service announcement (PSA). In the first 2 months of the PSA’s release, the station aired it 241 times and reached an audience of 3.7 million.

2021 ASHA Member Media Outreach Champions

Ianthe Dunn-Murad, ScD, CCC-A: Dunn-Murad has long been a champion for hearing health in the media. This year, she participated in multiple broadcast outlet interviews related to World Hearing Day (March 3) and promoting hearing protection from fireworks used to celebrate July 4th.

Samah Saidi, MA, CCC-SLP: An advocate for healthy and balanced use of popular technology, Saidi served this past year as a panelist on the Action Network Live! webinar New Baby, New Year: Resolve to be a Tech Wise Parent. Saidi provided expectant parents with guidance for prioritizing a newborn’s speech and language development amidst the strong societal pull to overuse popular technology. In the past, Saidi has also helped ASHA spread the word about healthy popular use to groups like the National PTA.

About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 218,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems, including swallowing disorders.