Amanpour, Chenault and Polansky talk values, staying true at 2022 awards

Watch the 2022 Page Center Awards here.

At the sixth annual Page Center Awards, honorees helped connect their diverse expertise to a shared mission and purpose of public communication: integrity.

More than 450 people tuned in live on Feb. 23 as the Page Center honored CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, General Catalyst’s Ken Chenault and IPG DXTRA’s Andy Polansky with a Larry Foster Award for Integrity in Public Communication.

The three honorees join 16 past recipients in a group of remarkable leaders representing business, journalism, public relations, and other areas. Hosts Bill Nielsen, Page Center advisory board chair, and Marie Hardin, dean of Penn State’s Bellisario College of Communications, opened the night with an overview of the Center and the purpose of the awards.

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“We are on a mission to improve public communication and to help restore public trust,” Nielsen said during the event’s opening. “This is an important, dramatic -- and many believe -- a pivotal time in our society.”

First to be honored was Polansky, who will be retiring in June after a near 40-year career. Board member John Onoda, principal at iQ 360, led a conversation with Polansky on how the public relations industry has evolved over that time.

“Sometimes it’s hard to find the truth,” Polansky said. “Communicating with integrity comes back to core values. It cuts to the heart of what our business is all about…and that hasn’t changed.”

Polansky said building relationships and “meeting around a table” to solve problems is as important as ever.

“You have to remind folks what the firm stands for, what the values are,” he added. “That’s a 24/7 job.”

Amanpour Zoomed in from her London office to chat with board member Suki Dardarian, editor and senior VP at the Star Tribune (Minneapolis). The two journalists discussed a variety of topics, including leadership, international storytelling and Amanpour’s motto, “Truthful, not neutral.”

“The truth is the truth,” Amanpour said. “Yes, there is nuance and history and context, but the truth is the truth.”

Amanpour criticized “anchor analysis,” saying a journalist’s job is to be the “eyes and ears of our viewers.” She said to get a full picture, reporters need to be on the ground talking to real people, soldiers, and leaders.

“Objectivity means giving all sides a hearing,” she said. “It does not mean saying all sides are equal.”

Amanpour learned early in her career that it’s OK “not to be liked,” if it means reporting the truth. She says it’s important for young journalists to know that.

“You must be fair, firm and seek the truth as best as possible,” she said. “The people who criticize are the people who do not want to hear the truth.”

The evening’s final honoree was Ken Chenault. Former Page Center board member and founding executive director of the Data & Trust Alliance Jon Iwata led the conversation with Chenault who talked about his experience guiding American Express through the 9/11 terror attacks. He also discussed stakeholder capitalism and why companies should treat society as an equal stakeholder to others.

“Corporations exist because society allows us to exist,” he said. “We have a responsibility to help build a healthy society.”

Chenault said every CEO wants to create an enduring company and to do that they must understand how the company can benefit society as a whole.

“You can’t ignore what happens in society,” he said. “Corporations can be a force for positive change and it’s critical that corporations recognize that role.”

This was the sixth installment of the annual event. Past honorees include Dr. Anthony Fauci, Judy Woodruff, Ginger Hardage, Tom Kean, Sr., Dean Baquet, Jack Rowe, Gwen Ifill, Bill George, Marylin Laurie, and more.

Learn more about previous years’ events here.

Thanks to the support of sponsors, the event was free and open to the public. Special thanks to the Platinum Sponsors – GM, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Weber Shandwick.

Larry Foster founded the Page Center in 2004 with fellow public relations legends Jack Koten and Ed Block. The awards program was created to honor communicators who share in Foster’s vision. Funds raised from the event support innovative research and educational programs by the Page Center.