NEWARK‚ NJ --- Journalists from all over the state celebrated the outstanding work of their profession at the annual awards luncheon sponsored by the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Held on Saturday‚ June 22 at the Theatre Square Grill at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)‚ Newark‚ NJ‚ the event honored over 150 journalists in 34 award categories covering daily and weekly newspapers‚ radio and television stations‚ magazine‚ newsletters and online publication.  To be eligible‚ entries must have been published or broadcast during the calendar year of January 1 to December 31‚ 2007.

“This year we received one of the largest number of entries ever‚” said Michelle Maskaly‚ NJSPJ chapter president‚ “so our contest winners are truly the best of the best in the Garden State.”

She added: “We thank the winners for the great work they have done here in New Jersey. I would also like those who worked on the contest and luncheon. Without them‚ it would not have been the great success it was.”

Mark S. Porter‚ editor of The Montclair Times and winner of two awards this year observed‚ “NJPAC is a geographically decent location that is reachable for most folks in New Jersey. It’s a wonderful opportunity each year for journalists to meet new people and reestablish ties with former colleagues.”

THE STUART AND BEVERLY AWBREY AWARD

This year’s Stuart and Beverly Awbrey Award for civic journalism went to Jack Fichter of The Cape May Herald for his fund-raising efforts and accompanying stories on behalf of the Forgotten Warriors Vietnam Museum in Erma‚ N.J. The judges noted that Fichter was being recognized because he conceived of the idea for a unique project and persuaded the Herald management to publicize it. While the project was relatively small in scope‚ the judges felt Fichter’s actions exemplified what the award honors — that is‚ civic journalism that provides tangible benefits for the community.

The Awbrey award is named for the husband and wife team whose decades-long ownership and operation of the Cranford Chronicle made the 100-year old weekly a model for how local newspapers can make a unique contribution to the civic life of a community.

Jack Fichter (right) of the Cape May Herald receives the Stuart and Beverly Awbrey Award for civic journalism from Joe Tyrrell.

THE TIM O'BRIEN AWARD

The 2007 Tim O’ Brien Award for best investigative reporting using the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA) went to the Newark Star-Ledger team of Bev McCarron‚ Joe Tyrrell and Jeanette Rundquist for their reporting on the Somerset County Park Commission.

After a law firm hired by the Somerset County freeholders issued a report detailing questionable spending by the park commission‚ the Star-Ledger team doggedly followed up on the findings. Using the report as a guide‚ the team used OPRA to document the waste of taxpayer’s money on sweetheart rents‚ car allowances‚ parties and more.

The team’s relentless reporting resulted in four resignations from the park commission board and dramatic changes in Somerset County’s policies and practices. The county substantially cut the number of vehicles assigned to county employees and raised the low rents some park employees were paying to live in park buildings.

Receiving the 2007 Tim O’Brien Award for best investigative reporting utilizing the state’s open records act are (left to right) Joe Tyrrell‚ Bev McCarron‚ and Jeanette Rundquist of the Newark Star-Ledger.

THE WILSON BARTO AWARDS

The Wilson Barto Awards for first-year journalists is names for the NJSPJ’s first chapter president. As a long-time editor working for newspapers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey‚ including The Trentonian and The Trenton Times‚ Barto took a special interest in nurturing new members of his staff.

The 2007 Wilson Barto Award for first year reporters working for daily newspapers went to three young hard-working journalists: (left to right) Denisa Superville of The Herald News‚ West Paterson; Michael Feeney of The Record‚ Hackensack‚ and Brandon Lausch of The Courier News‚ Bridgewater.

The 2007 Wilson Barto Award for first-year reporters working for weekly newspapers went to (left to right) Helen Walters of The Clifton Journal‚ Clifton‚ and Madeline Friedman of The Hudson Reporter‚ Hoboken. Not pictured: Vincent Cavalier of the North Jersey Media Group.

For the rest of this year’s winners in daily and weekly newspaper‚ design‚ photography‚ broadcast‚ magazine‚ newsletter and online categories‚ click here.

NEWARK‚ NJ --- “Life ain’t fair‚” three-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Walter Bogdanich told the attendees of NJSPJ’s awards luncheon held on Saturday‚ June 21 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark‚ NJ. “The role of an investigative reporter is to make life more fair.”

Bogdanich should know. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a degree in political science and a master’s in journalism from Ohio State University‚ Bogdanich has been an investigative reporter most of his life. His first Pulitzer was awarded in 1988 for his articles in The Wall Street Journal on substandard medical laboratories. In 2005‚ he was recognized for national reporting with his series on dangerous rail crossings in America called "Death on the Tracks." This year‚ Bogdanich and Jake Hooker of The New York Times won for their 7-part investigative series on toxic ingredients in medicine and other everyday products imported from China‚ leading to crackdowns by American and Chinese officials.

He has also won four George Polk Awards‚ an Investigative Reporters & Editors Award‚ and an Overseas Press Club award.

In 2001‚ Bogdanich became the investigations editor for the Business and Finance Desk of The New York Times and was named an assistant editor for the paper’s newly expanded Investigative Desk two years later.

Previously‚ he’d worked for the Cleveland Press and the Cleveland Plain Dealer‚ the Wall Street Journal in New York and Washington‚ ABC News and 60 Minutes on CBS.

During his lively‚ inspirational presentation‚ Bogdanich described the high points of his long career: going undercover as a longshoreman‚ as a carnival worker‚ and as a food service manager at an airport‚ where‚ ironically‚ he earned a larger salary than he did as a reporter.

Bogdanich recalled his 4 ½-year stint at 60 Minutes with particular amusement. He said he spent half of his time following up every Mike Wallace interview by apologizing to the people that Wallace had just insulted. He also remembered being caught in the middle of a $10 billion lawsuit when 60 Minutes decided to take on the tobacco industry. That “excellent adventure” he said convinced him that good journalism can make a difference. “I will never do a story that saved more lives.”

The best ideas for investigative stories‚ Bogdanich observed‚ come from reporters who forge their own path and stay out of the pack. Addressing reporters‚ both veteran and those just starting out‚ he advised‚ “Never take no from your sources or your editors.” If your editor won’t allow you to do a story you believe in‚ he said‚ “Do your story anyway on your own time. You have to show them; you have to push and fight for it.”

Despite his long experience ferreting out lies and corruption‚ Bogdanich remains an optimist. “Don’t be afraid to lose‚” he said. “The truth in the end will always win out. And never forget: one person can make a huge difference.”

After hearing that media employees in Cedar Rapids‚ Iowa City‚ Vinton and Waterloo‚ Iowa‚ were facing significant damage to their own homes while continuing to provide top-level reporting of the devastating floods in that state‚ members of the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix) pro chapter board voted to donate $500 to a fund created to assist these journalists.

"We're inviting other SPJ chapters and individual SPJ members to also contribute to the Iowa Media Employees Disaster Relief
Fund‚" said Valley of the Sun Chapter Immediate Past President Mark Scarp. "These journalists are out there doing a tough job‚ many knowing that they themselves have no home to go home to."

Want to help out? Donate online or send tax-deductible checks to: Iowa Media Employees Disaster Relief Fund‚ c/o Iowa Newspaper Foundation‚ 319 E. Fifth St.‚ Des Moines‚ IA 50309.

Need some guidance? Not sure if you should stay or if you should go? Want to help aspiring journalists get their start?

The Society of Professional Journalists’ Mentor Match-Up program is here to help.

SPJ’s Mentor Match-up aims to promote great journalism by introducing journalists of different experience levels and similar interests. Participating journalists are encouraged to communicate by e-mail‚ phone and occasional personal visits. SPJ helps make a match but leaves it to program participants to decide the nature and frequency of their communications.

The program is open only to SPJ members. Journalists wanting to serve as mentors must have more than five years of professional experience. Journalists who want mentoring must have less than five years of experience.

Sounds like something you’re interested in?

Log on to www.spj.org/mentor.asp for more information

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Free Wallet Cards Summarize New Jersey’s Open Government Laws

As part of its long support for freedom of information in New Jersey‚ the New Jersey Chapter of SPJ has since 2002 distributed more than 1‚000 wallet cards providing useful summaries of the main provisions of the state’s two main laws concerning open records and open meetings.

The cards – one covering the Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) and one covering the Open Public Meetings Act (“The Sunshine Law’) – are provided free as a handy reference for journalists‚ public officials and the public.