Barton Hinkle wins 2008 Bastiat Prize for Journalism

The winner of IPN's 2008 Bastiat Prize was Barton Hinkle of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. (Barton was also a finalist for the Prize in 2007). This year's judges felt that Barton’s articles were most evocative of Bastiat, both stylistically and intellectually. The prizes for Second and Third place went to Swaminathan Aiyar and Fraser Nelson, respectively.

Following the award, Barton gave an emotional speech in which he compared himself and the attendant audience – which included many of the leading lights of the US free market movement – to an idea proposed in an essay by Albert J. Nock, entitled “Isaiah’s Job”. He said that the assembled guests were the “Remnant” – those who continue to explain, defend and promote the institutions of the free society in an environment that is predominantly hostile to such views. As governments in the US and Europe take control of financial companies left, right and center, with narry a whimper from the public, the role of the Remnant has become more important than at any time in the past two decades.

The guest speaker at the event was Andrew Mwenda, a Ugandan journalist, who reminded the attendees that if we want to keep the light of liberty burning, we must resist government attempts to silence freedom of expression even if it means risking our own liberty. Andrew has been jailed a dozen times for criticising the Ugandan government and currently faces charges that carry a maximum combined sentence of 150 years.