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National Press Club Honors Outstanding Journalism
[June 12, 2006]

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)

Print

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

Print

"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

Print

"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]

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