Reliable Resources - Walter Cronkite USC Annenberg Award

WALTER CRONKITE 1916 - 2009
He was arguably the most trusted man in America at a time when network anchors had Superbowl-sized audiences. His commitment to quality journalism and his opposition to the consolidation of media power were inspirational to the media reform movement. We were honored that he lent his name to the USC Annenberg School's biennial awards for excellence in television political journalism, and that our students had opportunities to meet and to learn from him. He was a legend who more than lived up to his reputation, and all of us who were fortunate to have had the chance to work with him will miss him.

Learn how to make great political television from the winners of the Walter Cronkite Award. Download the full transcript here. To read a transcript of finalist acceptance speeches, please go here.

KING, Seattle, Washington
[watch the full entry]
A third-time winner in this category, KING was recognized for its comprehensive coverage of candidates and issues, including a thoughtful report on an initiative legalizing physician-assisted suicide. With a full-time political unit, KING broadcast over 100 minutes of political coverage each week. Judges praised the station for demonstrating "a strong commitment to political coverage" and for "covering tough issues and presenting them clearly and in a way that is interesting to watch."

WGAL-TV, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
[watch the full entry]
A first-time winner, WGAL used its eight full-time staff members dedicated to political coverage to offer viewers thought-provoking and visually engaging stories about the presidential campaign, as well as congressional and state-level races. Judges made special note of the "surprisingly probing and revealing interviews with Obama and McCain" and the overall "entertaining, engaging and innovative reporting."

GREG FOX, WESH, Winter Park, Florida
Watch the Full Entry
Fox won his second award for excellent journalistic analysis and helping voters evaluate what candidates say in a "Truth Tests" series. Judges praised Fox’s work as "comprehensive, innovative, engaging and compelling" and added, "This should be sent out to every station as a model."

NEWS 8 Austin, Texas
[watch the full entry]
News 8 Austin, now a three-time winner, got top marks from the judges for
impressive, well-edited and ethnically diverse political reports. Judges praised the
"Voters' Voices" series as "a refreshing approach to political coverage," which
challenged conventional wisdom and cultural stereotypes by inviting real people
in four families to discuss key issues.

Wisconsin Public Television
[watch the full entry]
Wisconsin Public Television won its fourth award for covering issues via compelling stories about real people. The judges noted that the station “went above and beyond what many come to expect from public television” and called its campaign stories “as good as political coverage can get.”

Hearst-Argyle Television
[watch the full entry]
Hearst-Argyle Television garnered its fifth consecutive award for its commitment to airing political coverage on all its 25 stations across the country. Hearst renews and revises its philosophy for each election cycle, in 2008 increasing "candidate-centered" coverage in prime newscasts to 10 minutes per day. Judges were impressed by the work of several stations, including a report on voters tricked into signing anti-affirmative action initiatives, and a how-to on hacking electronic voting machines.

COMMENDATION FOR SERVICE TO A COMMUNITY

Jo Wan, KTSF-TV, San Francisco
[watch the full entry]
Jo Wan was cited for her Mandarin-language reports on minority and female presidential candidates and the importance of Asian voters in the 2008 presidential election.

ABC NEWS’ THIS WEEK WITH GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
[watch the full entry]
ABC News’ This Week with George Stephanopoulos was a second-time winner for its “On the Trail” series, which took the host out of the studio over a period of two years to interview all of the presidential contenders. Judges praised the incisive and compelling nature of the reports, as well as his thorough preparation.

NOW on PBS
[watch the full entry]
NOW on PBS was recognized for meticulous reporting and for seeing the issues through voters' eyes and experiences. Judges mentioned the "excellent coverage" in the report "New Voters in the New West," which showed how both political parties sought to attract and hold first-time voters on college campuses and among New Mexico's large Hispanic population.

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT FOR NATIONAL IMPACT ON THE 2008 CAMPAIGN

KATIE COURIC, CBS NEWS
[watch the full entry]
Katie Couric was honored for her extraordinary, persistent and detailed multi-part interviews with Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin which judges called a “defining moment in the 2008 presidential campaign.”

The Norman Lear Center, based at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California, honors outstanding achievements in political coverage with the USC Annenberg Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism.

The purpose of the award, named for the most prestigious broadcast journalist of the past forty years, is to encourage and showcase television journalistic excellence in political coverage, particularly innovative, issue-focused coverage that informs viewers about their electoral choices. The award recognizes coverage that helps viewers understand who the candidates are; what the issues and ballot propositions are; how electoral choices will affect their lives; how to assess campaign information, including advertising; and how to register, vote and make their own voices heard.