ProPublica senior reporter Sebastian Rotella is the winner of the seventh annual Urbino Press Award, which recognizes members of the American press who are committed to excellence in journalism. Previous winners include NPR's Diane Rehm, the Washington Post's David Ignatius and the New York Times' Helene Cooper.

In his acceptance speech at the Italian embassy, Rotella shares a quote from Italian writer Leonardo Sciascia, "La sicurezza del potere si fonda sull'insicurezza dei cittadini," meaning "the security of power is founded on the insecurity of the citizens." He explains that this quote not only serves as analysis for how the world truly works but also as a premise for the mission of journalism and of ProPublica.

"ProPublica challenges the security of power. It exposes the abuse of power," Rotella said. "My talented colleagues have not only won awards and accolades, they've become a force for justice and for the future of journalism."

Watch Rotella's uplifting speech, and read his award-winning series on Pakistan's Terror Connections (which is also available as an ebook).