Summer 1997
Three Newspapers Split 1997 Batten Award
Three newspapers this year again shared the $25,000 James K. Batten Award for Excellence in Civic Journalism, for such wide-ranging initiatives as economic development, teen violence, and civic leadership.
The Peoria Journal Star was cited for its project, “The Leadership Challenge,” a close-up examination of the dearth of political and civic leaders in the community. The Bradenton Herald in its “Decision Downtown” invited the public to have a voice in a proposed municipal development on the waterfront. And the Rochester, N.Y., Democrat and Chronicle won for its series “Make Us Safe: Teens Talk about Violence,” which examined the issues through the eyes of young people.
“The winning entries all illuminate the diversity and innovation of civic journalism as it engaged people in all three of these communities in grappling with tough issues in a newsy and no-nonsense manner and in ways that kept citizens engaged long after the journalism ended,” said the Batten advisory board in selecting the winners.
In deciding for the second year in a row to split the cash prize after a three-way tie vote, the board said, “The evolution of civic journalism has given rise to a remarkable creativity among regional newspapers around the country. Let these efforts fuel more ideas about journalism’s role in today’s society.”
The winners were selected from 90 entries, including many efforts aimed at involving citizens and candidates in deeper discussions of the issues during the 1996 elections. The board took special note of these election initiatives: “We applaud the continued growth and increasing sophistication of these efforts as exemplary civic journalism.”
Runners-up included the Binghamton (NY) Press & Sun-Bulletin’s “Facing our Future;” the St. Paul Pioneer Press’s “Across Generations” project; the Riverside Press Enterprise’s “Prism” series examining racial issues; and the Kansas City Star’s “Raising Kansas City: Democracy and the Next Generation.”
The winners received their awards May 14 at the annual James K. Batten Symposium in Washington, D.C., where a panel of noted journalists discussed newsroom change.
The winners were selected by a board of respected journalists, headed by Thomas Winship, Editor Emeritus of The Boston Globe and Chairman of the International Center for Journalists. Members include Katherine W. Fanning, former editor, The Christian Science Monitor; Teresa Hanafin, Assistant Managing Editor/Metro, The Boston Globe; W. Davis Merritt, Senior Editor, The Wichita Eagle; John Miller, Managing Editor, the Myrtle Beach Sun News; Mizell Stewart III, Metro Editor, The Akron Beacon Journal; Jeannine Guttman, Managing Editor, The Portland (ME) Newspapers; Gene Roberts, Managing Editor, The New York Times; Amy McCombs, President and General Manager, KRON-TV, San Francisco; Joe Ritchie, Knight Chair in Journalism, Florida A&M University; and Ed Fouhy, Executive Director, Pew Center for Civic Journalism.