WASHINGTON, D.C. Journalists and broadcast industry insiders gathered to celebrate colleagues at the 23rd annual Radio Television Digital News Foundation's First Amendment Awards.

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and press. 

And this year's award recipients include NBC Vice President Lloyd Siegel and CNN Political Correspondent Candy Crowley for the work they have done to preserve these rights. 

"I am extremely honored by this. I don't think I'm worthy of it. But I'm really happy. But the most important thing is spending the night celebrating the First Amendment and freedom to do what we do, which is cover the news," says Siegel.

Past winners include Bryan Williams and Google.

"Sometimes when the perfect thing happens to you at the perfect time in your life and it doesn't happen very often, this is one of those. I really didn't look at the list. When I did I thought oh my gosh I know these people. I admire these people. So to be on that same list it's great. It's wonderful," says Crowley.

This year marks the celebration of a new medium for expressing ideas.

"I think I'm most excited to see what Twitter has to say because it's the first time that we're giving an award to a social media company and it's going to be a speech unlike the others I've seen in the past so I'm very excited about that," says RTDNA Chair Vince Duffy. 

In addition to recognizing the honorees, the foundation also seeks to preserve the field for the next generation.

"Keep working at places as long as you're learning. When it's time to do something else be brave enough to do something else," says Siegel.