James Foley honored with First Amendment Award

Slain New Hampshire journalist James Foley was honored Wednesday night in Manchester with the Nackey Loeb School of Communications First Amendment Award.

Foley was reporting in Syria in 2012 when he was captured. The terror group ISIS executed Foley in August.

Foleys parents accepted the award on his behalf.

Obviously, were very honored, said Diana Foley, his mother. Jim was very passionate about freedom of the press. Thats why he risked his life to be in Syria. He wanted the world to know about the suffering in Syria.

Nicolas Henin, a French freelance journalist and a fellow cellmate for seven months with James Foley, is visiting the Foleys family and was at the awards ceremony. He said Foley was a humble man who did not seek out the kind of honors he received.

We were about two dozen men held together in a teeny, teeny room, and of course that does not happen without conflict. But James was the one in our group who managed to stay friends with every single one of us, Henin said.

Joe McQuaid, president of the Loeb School, said Foleys work and sacrifice made the choice of naming him the First Amendment winner easy.

This young man had been a teacher and he wanted to do more than teach. He wanted to tell the stories of oppressed people, McQuaid said.

James Foleys parents have established the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation to help support families of hostages. His father said James Foley set an example of caring for his fellow man, and they will strive every day to follow his example.

His courage, his commitment and his compassion challenge us all to make something good out of something that was horrible, said John Foley, his father.

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James Foley honored with First Amendment Award

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