Won two awards this month for journalism

In addition to the Society of Professional Journalism Lisagor Award I received last month (my 4th Award) from the Chicago Headlline Club, the SPJ's largest chapter, I also received the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for columns writing.

Here's the press release.

Announcing winners of the 2009 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for journalism


5/3/2010

For immediate release

Contact:
Lauren Rochester, Awards Coordinator, (317) 927-8000 ext. 210,
lrochester@spj.org
Karen Grabowski, Communications Coordinator, (317) 927-8000 ext. 215,
kgrabowski@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2009 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for excellence in journalism.

Judges chose the winners from over 1,300 entries in categories covering print, radio, television and online. The awards recognize outstanding work published or broadcast in 2009.

Dating back to 1932, the awards originally honored six individuals for contributions to journalism. The current program began in 1939, when the Society granted the first Distinguished Service Awards. The honors later became the Sigma Delta Chi Awards.

The awards will be presented Oct. 2 during the 2010 SPJ Convention and National Journalism Conference in Las Vegas.

For more information contact Lauren Rochester at (317) 927-8000 ext. 210 or at lrochester@spj.org.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well- informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.

2009 Sigma Delta Chi Winners:

General Column Writing (Daily Circulation 1-50,000)
“Sunday Reflections,” Tracey O'Shaughnessy, Republican American

General Column Writing (Daily Circulation 50,001-100,000)
Sean Kirst, The Post-Standard

General Column Writing (Daily Circulation 100,000+)
Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times

General Column Writing (Non-Daily Publication)
Ray Hanania, Southwest News-Herald

Click HERE to read the entire list of winners.

-- Ray Hanania

www.RadioChicagoland.com

Proud to receive my 4th Peter Lisagor Award for "In-Depth" reporting from the Society of Professional Journalist's Chicago Headline Club

I won a Society of Professional Journalism Lisagor Award for a series I did on an American Arab Grocer who claimed he was the victim of anti-Arab bias by the suburban village where his store is located. Had I not written the story, no one in the Chicagoland media would have “wasted” their time covering the complaint. No one would listen to him and for a year, he was being harassed. When I started writing the story, I discovered in fact he was targeted by village inspectors who he said and I believe were trying to shut him down. They arrested him and his wife and son in August 2009 after receiving a complaint that he was “storing” food (that was canned) in a vacant store next to his own. The 911 tapes of police showed – after weeks of trying to get them – that the police had targeted him for being “Arab” – they said they were going to “shut down” an “Arab store owner.”

The Lisagor Awards are the highest honors you can receive from a chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The Chicago Headline Club is the largest US Chapter. They were awarded last Friday April 23. This is my 4^th Lisagor; I received three others for column writing. This one was awarded for In-Depth Reporting.

My awards include:

1984, Lisagor Award for Column Writing, Daily Southtown

2002, Lisagor Award for Column Writing, Arlington Heights Daily Herald

2004, Lisagor Award for Column Writing, Southwest News-Herald

2009, Lisagor Award for In-Depth Reporting, Southwest News-Herald

2006, Best Ethnic Columnist in America, New America Media

2009, Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award, the Mehdi Family

I have one more award that will be announced next week.

Thanks everyone for your support.

Thanks so much

-- Ray Hanania

www.RadioChicagoland.com