The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is giving its 2017 Presidential Award to CNN senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta, who has emerged this year as a media star for his frequent clashes with the Trump administration.
NAHP will honor Acosta at the Hall of Fame Gala on Sept. 9 in Anaheim, Calif., the group announced Wednesday.
"For the past years, I've seen Jim Acosta in action. He's covered President Obama and President Donald Trump, always pushing both sides to answer the tough questions," said Brandon Benavides, NAHJ's president. "As a voice for the people, Acosta is not afraid to hold our elected leaders accountable. Regardless of criticism, he remains focused in a pursuit of truth for our communities."
Acosta has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and his administration. He also has been a foe of White House press secretaries, gaining attention for his outbursts and commentary on policy issues during press briefings.
Some of Acosta's own CNN colleagues have criticized his antics, saying he is angling for his own opinion show on the network rather than reporting.
During a recent press briefing about immigration, Acosta got into a heated argument with White House policy adviser Stephen Miller that gained widespread media attention. Acosta's comments and argument drew as much attention as the issue itself. At one point, he accused the White House of "trying to engineer the racial and ethnic flow of people" into the United States.
At a press conference in January, Trump called Acosta and CNN "fake news." Acosta has also accused Trump of hosting a "fake news conference."
Acosta tweeted on Wednesday that he is "incredibly honored" to receive NAHP's award and thanked the organization.
Incredibly honored. Thank you. https://t.co/hFGWqNqSQ0
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) August 9, 2017