The winners of the Distinguished Journalists Award are Bob Banfield of KABC-TV, Beth Barrett of the Los Angeles Daily News, John Rabe of KPCC-FM and Tom Tugend of the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Los Angeles Times reporters Scott Glover and Matt Lait will be honored with the Freedom of Information Award.
While SPJ/LA traditionally gives the FOI award to non-journalists for making changes that positively impact journalism, the work that Lait and Glover have done provides similar results.
The Distinguished Journalists Awards banquet will be held on Wednesday, April 30, at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Tickets are $80 per person for SPJ members and $90 for non-SPJ members. Tables of 10 are available for $800.
For reservation information, contact Roberta Wax at (818) 993-7027 or RobiW@aol.com.
SPJ/LA presents the awards to members of the profession who demonstrate good news judgment, a strong sense of ethics and a passion for getting the story right. Honorees are journalists who have achieved a record of accomplishments over the course of several years. Over the past three decades, the chapter has recognized reporters, editors and photographers in print and broadcast journalism. The award is presented in four categories: television, radio, newspapers with a circulation of less than 100,000 and newspapers with a circulation of 100,000 or more.
The Freedom of Information Award is presented to those who have helped further the free flow of information and championed freedom of the press. The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s largest and most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to promoting high standards of ethical behavior and encouraging the free practice of journalism. Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.