Christof Putzel

Christof Putzel
Education	Connecticut College
Occupation	Journalist Correspondent
Spouse(s)	Julia Taft
Years active	2003–present
Notable credit(s)	Vanguard

Christof Putzel, is an award-winning journalist and correspondent for Vanguard, Current TV's investigative documentary series.^[1] In addition to Current TV, his work has appeared on ABC’s Nightline, Good Morning America, PBS, CBC, and the Sundance Channel.^[2]

Career

Christof began his production career while still an undergraduate at Connecticut College, where he produced his first documentary, "Left Behind," about AIDS orphans in Kenya. After screening at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, the film won a Student Academy Award, a Student Emmy, the International Documentary Association’s David Wolper Award, and the HBO Films Best Student Film Award.

Christof joined Current TV in 2005 as one of the network’s first employees. The following year, he was the first American television journalist to report from Mogadishu, Somalia since the infamous Black Hawk Down incident in 1993. His resulting story, Mogadishu Madness, about the rise and fall of the Islamic Court Union, was nominated for an Emmy.

Christof has since trekked in the jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo to cover the exploitation of child gold miners, made the treacherous journey across the Mexico/US border through the desert with migrants trying to reach American soil, and camped on the southern shores of Yemen, where he discovered the bodies of more than two-dozen people who died attempting to escape the violence in Somalia.

In 2009, Christof won both the prestigious Livingston Award for International Reporting and Columbia University’s Alfred I. duPont Award for his report, “From Russia with Hate,” about the rise of violent attacks against immigrants by neo-Nazi skinheads. The following year, Christof was nominated for his third Emmy for “Lost in Democracy,” a story about the first democratic elections held in the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan.

Personal Life

Putzel is a third generation news reporter. His father, Michael Putzel, covered the Vietnam War and the White House for the Associated Press. His mother, Ann Blackman, was a correspondent for Time Magazine and a reporter for the Associated Press before becoming a successful author. His father, Samuel G. Blackman, was a top editor for the Associated Press.

Christof is married to Julia Taft, a great-granddaughter of the late Robert A. Taft, Republican senator from Ohio, and a great-great-granddaughter of President William H. Taft.

Awards

Year	Award	Organization	Work	Category	Result
2009	Emmy Award	National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences		Best New Approach: Arts & Culture	Nominated
	Alfred I. duPont Award	Columbia University	"From Russia With Hate"	Silver Baton	Won[3]
2008	Webby Award	International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences	"From Russia With Hate"	Drama: Individual Episode	Won[4]
	Emmy Award	National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences		Best New Approach: Documentary	Nominated
				Best New Approach: Current News Coverage	Nominated
	National Headliner Award	Press Club of Atlantic City	"From Russia With Hate"	First Place: Investigative Reporting	Won[5]
2007	Livingston Award for Young Journalists	Mollie Parnis Livingston Foundation	"From Russia With Hate"	Best International Reporting	Won[6]
2006	CINE Golden Eagle	CINE	"Party and Play"	Award of Excellence	Won[7]
2003	HBO Films Award	Savannah International Film Festival	"Left Behind"	Best International Student Film	Won[8]
	Student Emmy	Academy of Television Arts and Sciences	"Left Behind"	1st Place Documentary	Won[9]
	Student Academy Award	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences	"Left Behind"	Best Documentary	Won[10]
2002	Silver Chris Award	Columbus International Film & Video Festival	"Left Behind"	Best Student Film	Won[11]
	David L. Wolper/IDA Award	International Documentary Association	"Left Behind"	Best Student Documentary	Won[12]

See also

Vanguard

Current TV

Mariana van Zeller

Adam Yamaguchi

References

1. ^ "Vanguard Correspondents". http://current.com/shows/vanguard/team/. Retrieved 08/09/2011. 
2. ^ "Christof Putzel's Bio". http://current.com/shows/vanguard/team/christof-putzel/. Retrieved 08/09/2011. 
3. ^ "duPont Award Winners 2009". http://www.dupontawards.org/year/2009. Retrieved 08/09/2011. 
4. ^ "Winners 2008". http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?media_id=97&season=12#film_drama_ind_ep. Retrieved 08/09/2011. 
5. ^ "Winners 2008". http://www.headlinerawards.org/Winners2008Broadcast.html. Retrieved 08/09/2011. 
6. ^ "2007 Winners". http://www.livawards.org/winners/2007.html. Retrieved 08/09/2011. 
7. ^ "2006 CINE Winner Directory". http://www.cine.org/archives/winner-archives/pdfs/2006-CINE-Winner-Directory.pdf. Retrieved 08/09/2011. 
8. ^ "Awards and Screenings". http://www.leftbehindfilm.com/awardsandscreenings.html. Retrieved 08/09/2011. 
9. ^ "Awards and Screenings". http://www.leftbehindfilm.com/awardsandscreenings.html. Retrieved 08/09/2011. 
10. ^ "Awards and Screenings". http://www.leftbehindfilm.com/awardsandscreenings.html. Retrieved 08/09/2011. 
11. ^ "Awards and Screenings". http://www.leftbehindfilm.com/awardsandscreenings.html. Retrieved 08/09/2011. 
12. ^ "Awards and Screenings". http://www.leftbehindfilm.com/awardsandscreenings.html. Retrieved 08/09/2011.