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The Burton W. Marvin Kansas News Enterprise
Award for reporting in 2004 has been shared this year by the
Topeka Capital-Journal and Harris Enterprises’ Kansas
newspapers.
Given since 1974 by the William Allen
White Foundation, the Marvin award recognizes outstanding
reporting by newspapers in Kansas. The award is named in honor
of the foundation’s first director and a former dean
of the KU School of Journalism. The award was presented Feb.
11 during William Allen White Day activities at the University
of Kansas.
“We are proud of the rich history
in Kansas of excellence in investigative reporting,”
said Journalism Dean Ann Brill. “It is an honor for
the School to be associated with this prestigious award. We
congratulate the Topeka Capital-Journal and Harris Enterprises.”
In Topeka, reporter Tim Carpenter maneuvered
around multiple extensive roadblocks to reveal favoritism
and ineptitude in Topeka’s Municipal Courts. His findings
resulted in one judge being fired and the chief judge resigning
under pressure. Carpenter’s reports in the Topeka Capital-Journal
represent the best of watchdog journalism, according to the
competition judge.
Harris Enterprises’ seven Kansas
newspapers and their Topeka bureau combined their efforts
to examine consolidation as it applies to the state’s
nearly 4,000 units of local government—fifth highest
in the United States. The planning, reporting, writing and
editing took two months, culminating in December publication.
Reporters examined the steps units have taken to unify or
consolidate local governments, school districts and services.
The reports exposed the multitude of stumbling blocks that
have prevented a serious, comprehensive effort to streamline
state and local governments and merge school districts. The
combined efforts represent extraordinary enterprise in the
finest tradition of the Burton Marvin award, according to
the competition judge.
The School of Journalism observes William
Allen White Day annually in February to coincide with White’s
birthday. This year the White Foundation trustees chose Gerald
F. Seib, a 1978 KU School of Journalism graduate and the Wall
Street Journal Washington bureau chief, to receive the citation,
presented annually since 1950 to journalists who exemplify
the ideals of William Allen White. KU's William Allen White
School of Journalism and Mass Communications is named in White's
honor. White (1868-1944) was a nationally influential Kansas
editor and publisher.
For more information, contact Jennifer
Kinnard, Communications Coordinator, KU William Allen White
School of Journalism and Mass Communications, at jkinnard@ku.edu
or (785) 864-7644.
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