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National Press Club Honors Outstanding Journalism(Comtex Business Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)WASHINGTON, Jun 12, 2006 (U.S. Newswire via COMTEX) --CNN and the Chicago Tribune were multiple winners in the 2006 National Press Club Awards, while Tom Curley, president and CEO of The Associated Press, won the John Aubuchon Freedom of the Press Award for his efforts in support of the public's right to know. The NPC, a Washington-based group comprised of 3,657 members who work in journalism and communications, evaluated a record 280 entries in a total of 24 categories. "At a time when journalism is under attack, the contest reminds us of the wonderful work that is done every day by thousands of reporters, editors, correspondents and producers," said Jonathan D. Salant, a reporter for Bloomberg News and NPC president. "The award winners should be proud of their distinguished contributions to inform the public." The awards will be formally presented at a National Press Club dinner on Monday, July 17. The Chicago Tribune won a consumer journalism award for a package of stories about mercury contamination in tuna. The newspaper also garnered the diplomatic correspondence award for "Pipeline to Peril," which explored the deaths of 12 Nepali workers in Iraq. CNN won for environmental reporting with "Melting Point," a segment about global warming. It also received an award in press criticism for its show on the media, "Reliable Sources." The newest award, the Ann Cottrell Free Animal Reporting Award, went to the Connecticut Post for a story on the slaughter of parrots. The broadcast award went to WPMI-TV in Mobile, Ala., for a segment about dog-hog fighting. The award, which received the highest number of entries, is named in memory of Ann Cottrell Free, who wrote extensively about animals and their welfare. The prize, endowed by the Free family, recognizes serious journalistic work that informs and educates the public about threats facing animals. The John Aubuchon Freedom of the Press Award was bestowed on Tom Curley, president and CEO of The Associated Press, for extraordinary efforts to raise awareness and strengthen support for freedom of information issues. The winner of the international Aubuchon award was Akbar Ganji, an Iranian journalist, for his courageous reporting on top government officials in his country. The awards are named in memory of John Aubuchon, a veteran television correspondent and former NPC president. "In these challenging times for journalism, Tom Curley has done more than any other single individual to invigorate the fight to protect the free flow of information," said Geneva Overholser, chair of the NPC Freedom of the Press Committee and a professor at the Missouri School of Journalism. "On his initiative, news industry leaders have joined forces to work for a federal shield law and for the strengthening of the Freedom of Information Act. Under his leadership at The Associated Press, the AP Washington bureau has consistently worked to open press briefings, to get sources on the record and to bring light to government secrecy." Greg Mott, an editor on the Health staff of The Washington Post and vice chair of the NPC Freedom of the Press Committee, said, "There is perhaps no greater exemplar of journalistic heroism in the world today than Iranian investigative reporter and dissident Akbar Ganji. Ganji has spent six years in prison in Iran on a conviction stemming from his reporting of government involvement in the serial murders of writers and intellectuals, reports that were collected in a bestselling book, Dungeon of Ghosts. Released from prison in March of this year, Ganji has continued to speak out against repression and has vowed to continue in the struggle to promote free expression in Iran." Here is a complete list of National Press Club Award winners for 2006: Consumer Journalism (newspapers) "The Mercury Menace" Chicago Tribune Sam Roe and Michael Hawthorne (periodicals) "New Concerns about Ionizing Air Cleaners" and "Air Cleaners: Some Do Little Cleaning" Consumer Reports Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman and Mari McQueen (TV & radio) TV "Brains for Sale" KIRO-TV Seattle Chris Halsne, Bill Benson, David Weed Honorable Mention "Burning Secret" CNBC Scott Cohn and Mark Lagerkvist Radio Consumer health topics (five weekly segments) NPR Allison Aubrey Washington Correspondence "Randy 'Duke' Cunningham" Copley News Service Marcus Stern and Jerry Kammer Arthur Rowse Award for Press Criticism (single entry) "The Sad Saga of Gary Webb" American Journalism Review Susan Paterno (body of work) American Journalism Review Rachel Smolkin Honorable Mention American Journalism Review Sherry Ricchiardi Broadcast CNN Reliable Sources Howard Kurtz, host Honorable Mention WGBH-TV Beat the Press Emily Rooney and John Carroll Robin Goldstein Award for Washington Regional Reporting Louisville Courier-Journal James Carroll Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence "Pipline to Peril" Chicago Tribune Cam Simpson Broadcast "Security Check: Confronting Today's Global Threats" The Stanley Foundation and KQED Public Radio Simon Marks, Kristin McHugh and Keith Porter Honorable Mention "And Justice for Some: The U.S. Battle with the International Criminal Court" NPR/Justice Talking/Radio Netherlands Kathryn Kolbert Newsletter Journalism (analytical) "Overtime Claims Brought by Video Gamers Expose Workplace Issues for Tech Employers" BNA Daily Labor Report Michael Triplett Honorable Mention "What Salespeople Aren't Telling You about Annuities" Consumer Reports Money Adviser Amanda Walker (exclusive) "Administration Eyes Sweeping Nuclear Reprocessing Initiative" The Energy Daily Jeff Beattie and George Lobsenz Honorable Mention "Misleading Coding Advice" DecisionHealth Wendy Vogenitz Robert L. Kozik Award for Environmental Reporting "Blind Eye" The Miami Herald Debbie Cenziper Honorable Mention "Toxic Legacy" The Record (Bergen County, New Jersey) Staff Broadcast "Melting Point" CNN Staff Online Journalism (best site) "Rising from Ruin: Two Towns Rebuild After Katrina" MSNBC.com Staff Honorable Mention "Kevin Sites in the Hotzone" Yahoo! News Kevin Sites Honorable Mention "The Pineros: Men of the Pines" The Sacramento Bee Tom Knudson and Hector Amezcua (distinguished contribution) "Fire Alarm" Newsday.com Staff Sandy Hume Memorial Award for Excellence in Political Journalism The Wall Street Journal Brody Mullins Honorable Mention Chicago Tribune Jeff Zeleny Joseph D. Ryle Award for Excellence in Writing on the Problems of Geriatrics "Discharged and Dishonored" Knight Ridder Chris Adams and Alison Young Honorable Mention "Fire Danger and Seniors" USA Today Peter Eisler Angele Gingras Humor Award "My Planet" Reader's Digest Mary Roach Ann Cottrell Free Animal Reporting Award Print "Connecticut Parrot Slaughter" Connecticut Post Ken Dixon Honorable Mention "A Time to Kill?" The Dallas Morning News Todd Gillman Broadcast "Chewing the Fat" WPMI-TV Mobile, Alabama Mike Rush Photojournalist: Mike Corry Honorable Mention "Greenies" KIRO-TV Seattle Wayne Havrelly John Aubuchon Freedom of the Press Award Tom Curley, president and CEO, The Associated Press Akbar Ganji, Iranian journalist http://www.usnewswire.com Joann Booze, 202-662-7532, [email protected], or Mark Schoeff, 202-662-7218, [email protected], or Paul Basken, 202-624-1827, [email protected] |