CNN’s ‘silver fox’ Anderson Cooper will be the emcee at the sixth annual Mirror Awards ceremony, an event sponsored by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Wendy Loughlin, director of communications and media relations at Newhouse, said Cooper was chosen as emcee of the event because of both his connections to Newhouse and his accomplishments as a professional journalist.

‘Anderson Cooper is a very charismatic guy,’ Loughlin said. ‘We couldn’t think of anyone more perfect to emcee the Mirror Awards.’

Cooper has reported on several major news stories around the world and has been a key journalist in covering political elections and presidential debates, according to a release on the Mirror Awards’ website. He has earned many journalism awards, including multiple Emmys, for his work on his show ‘Anderson Cooper 360.’ Cooper serves as the host for his daytime talk show, ‘Anderson,’ and is a correspondent for CBS’ ’60 Minutes.’

The Mirror Awards, which will take place June 13 at The Plaza Hotel in New York City, celebrates excellence in media industry reporting, according to the event’s website.

The Mirror Awards were established in 2006, Loughlin said, as a way to celebrate the media industry. The idea stemmed from Newhouse alumni wanting to recognize the importance of media reporting and the important work media reporters do in informing the public.

The judges for the ceremony consist of two tiers. The top tier of judges picks the actual winners. The judges themselves have very accomplished resumes, Loughlin said. Both tiers consist of working journalists, alumni and faculty from Newhouse, as well as other journalism professors. The judges for this year will be announced in the upcoming weeks, she said.

The Mirror Awards comprise seven categories, including best single article and best commentary, and are valued at $1,000, according to the website. The highest award is the John M. Higgins Award for Best In-Depth/Enterprise Reporting, valued at $5,000. The categories break down into either traditional media or digital media.

Loughlin praised the Mirror Awards for the message it sends to journalists and its overall uniqueness.

‘It’s called the Mirror Awards because the journalists that are acknowledged are the ones that hold a mirror up to their own industry,’ Loughlin said. ‘It’s the only awards of their kind.’

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Published on April 2, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Meredith: [email protected] | @MerNewman93