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Payne Awards honor ethics
Recipients of the journalistic accolades reported on a mayor's sex scandal, child pornography and a controversial bond measure
by Tom Hubka | News Reporter
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The Spokesman-Review newspaper and New York Times reporter Kurt Eichenwald received the Payne Award for ethics in journalism Thursday afternoon for reporting stories that involved numerous ethical choices.
About 50 people attended the ceremony in the Knight Library Browsing Room.
The Spokesman-Review received the News Organization Award for its investigation on former Spokane Mayor Jim West. Publishing more than 150 stories, The Spokesman-
Review revealed that West had used his power and resources to lure teen-aged males into sexual conduct.
Eichenwald received the Individual Journalist Award for his series on child pornography with an emphasis on the story of Justin Berry, a young teen who was involved in pornography and drugs.
With Eichenwald's assistance, Berry eventually cleaned up and became a witness for federal prosecutors, helping them shut down other child porn Web sites.
Media critics and journalists criticized both series for the nontraditional methods they employed.
Payne award judges cited the journalists' sensitivity to the stories' issues and the transparency of their decision-making processes.
The Spokesman-Review hired a forensics computer expert to pose as a young male to verify that Jim West, a staunch Republican who had endorsed previous legislation that would limit gay rights, was indeed soliciting sex on Gay.com in exchange for gifts and jobs.
After the series' seven-month period, Spokane citizens voted to recall West. Sixty-five percent of voters elected to kick him out of office.
The ethical situations facing the Times and The Spokesman-Review prove that the media need to focus on their methods, said Steve Smith, executive editor of The Spokesman-Review.
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