The 2007 Cronkite Awards were presented at the University of Southern California on April 19, at an event featuring a keynote speech by FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps. The ceremony was preceded by a colloquium on Politics As Television/Television As Politics, including ABC News' Brian Ross, the reporter who broke the Mark Foley story.
Watch examples of engaging candidate profiles, unique political debates, revealing ad watch stories and eye-opening issue pieces from the 2007 Cronkite Award winners:
KING, Seattle, Washington
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KING has a full-time political unit and offered more than 100 minutes of local political coverage each week. Judges said that KING reporters “dug deep into issues, providing viewers with clear explanations that would help them understand their choices at the polls. The adwatch reporting was especially good, offering not only a critique of the ad, but substantive information about the issues.” This is the second win for KING.
WBAL, Baltimore, Maryland
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WBAL, a first-time winner, was recognized for its deep coverage of candidates and key campaign issues. Judges were particularly impressed by a report on loopholes in campaign finance regulations that “went well beyond publicly available information and utilized graphics to make a complicated story crystal clear.”
GREG FOX, WESH, Winter Park, Florida
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Greg Fox won his award for excellent journalistic analysis and helping voters evaluate what candidates say. Judges praised Fox’s “Truth Tests,” including one that went beyond sound bites to show the profound impact religion can have on a race.
BILL HORMANN, WTVG, Toledo, Ohio
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Bill Hormann won for “providing very helpful information to voters and giving candidates and advocates time to speak.” Judges were particularly impressed that Hormann was able to make a county commissioner race interesting for viewers.
ROBERT MAK (Reporter) & MIKE CATE (Producer)
KING, Seattle Washington
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Mak and Cate won their third award for their “superb” election reporting. Judges said that KING’s major commitment to political coverage and the terrific talents of this reporting team make it the station to beat for quality political coverage.
BEN SIMMONEAU (Reporter) & DAN MADDOX (Photographer/Editor)
WGAL, Lancaster, Pennsylvannia
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Simmoneau and Maddox won for “absolutely watchable,” “probing” and “aggressive” coverage. Judges were excited to see a team taking the initiative to produce excellent political coverage in a small market.
NEWS 8 Austin, Texas
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Now a two-time winner, News 8 Austin got top marks from the judges for impressive political coverage. Judges were particularly enthusiastic about an innovative series devoted to the issues that arose within four families of voters.
NECN, New England Cable News
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NECN produced “intelligent, well-written coverage” that demonstrated true enterprise journalism. Judges recognized the station for fleshing out issues that arose in debates through follow-up interviews and analysis.
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION
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Wisconsin Public Television garnered its third award for tackling campaign issues by telling compelling stories about real people. The judges were impressed with the production value, which was enhanced by “beautiful shots and elegant pacing, giving local flavor to news coverage.”
WGBH, Boston, Massachusetts
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WGBH served its market well by providing “well-produced, smart discussions about journalism and politics” in its nightly news and public affairs program, Greater Boston with Emily Rooney. Judges thought the station offered an “involving mix of information and opinion” as it evaluated press coverage of political news.
HEARST-ARGYLE TELEVISION
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Hearst-Argyle won its fourth consecutive award for its “inspiring” country-wide political coverage. Hearst’s cohesive philosophy includes a commitment to detailed research, tough questions, perceptive candidate profiles, and a strong commitment to debates. Judges were impressed by the work of several stations, including reports on young voters and school bonds.
NBC TELEVISION STATIONS DIVISION
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NBC won for its overall, group-wide commitment to political coverage. Stations in the group made good use of veteran reporters who provided analysis of races and plenty of solid coverage of issues. Judges were particularly impressed with reportage that allowed viewers to hear what candidates and voters have to say.
ABC NEWS’ THIS WEEK WITH GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
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This Week with George Stephanopoulos won for its “On the Trail” series, which took Stephanopoulos out of the studio to interview candidates on their home turf. Excellent preparation and deft editing made interviews both substantial and profoundly watchable.
ABC NEWS’ BRIAN ROSS AND THE ABC NEWS INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
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Brian Ross and the ABC News Investigative Unit won a special commendation for enterprise journalism that changed the course of the election. By breaking the Mark Foley story, Ross demonstrated the profound impact that political reporters can have when they expose information that vested interests would rather keep under wraps.
Background
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.
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