Hook shares top state prize
The Norfolk waterfront, as seen from room 1502 of the Marriott hotel, is reflected on the shiny prize plaque.PHOTO BY HAWES SPENCER
Staffers of the Hook were in Norfolk Saturday night to receive The Virginia Press Association Award for Journalistic Integrity and Community Service. The Hook won for a series of stories about a controversial water proposal. The over-30,000 circulation winner was the Roanoke Times for a series about the effects of an aging population.
The Hook also won the VPA's top honor in 2007. This year, staffers picked up an additional eight awards.
Several other Central Virginia publications brought home awards from the Association, such as the Daily Progress, which won 21 awards, and the Cavalier Daily, which won 17 awards, as well as a special First Amendment prize for fighting a state ban on alcohol advertising.
–last updated 10:04am March 24
10 comments
Hearty congratulations to the Hook for snagging the Award for Journalistic Integrity and Community Service. I'm proud to be associated with you.
Congratulations to Hawes Spencer and the Hook staff for their well- deserved award for journalistic integrity for reporting the hidden facts of the $200 million dollar Ragged Mt.Dam and pipeline proposal.
Lisa Provence's introductory article, published in February of 2008, very nicely summarized the complex nature of our water supply system and provided the background on which both the public and our
governing officials could understand the problems which the proposal presented.
Thanks to the Hooks efforts, our public officials are now reversing course and insisting that careful planning and cost projections be completed before any construction begins.
Brava! Bravo! And richly deserved. The Hook is the best paper in this region--just keeps getting better.
Opportunities for additional journalistic prizes are available via a thorough investigation and reporting on the fundraising -- and use of funds -- at UVA's Darden School. From there, you might explore admissions statistics and compare them to other comparable b-schools, with a particular emphasis on women and minority admissions.
Waste, sloth, arrogance, duplicity, fiscal mismanagement -- it's all there and begging to be reported upon.
Many people are concerned about the state of print journalism. What a refreshing and hopeful recognition for the Hook, local weekly journalism and for reminding us how much a free press contributes to democratic aspirations. You guys at the Hook, and also at Cville, bring distinction to our town. Will the national media recognize the significance of this award as they search for new "business models" for print journalism. Thanks and congratulations.
Rich
Guys this is fantastic. You are awesome and quite deserving of this honor. We all love what you do! Thank you, Thank you for being there for us.
Congratulations and so richly deserved as it's the best source of news hands down !
Ditto to Son of Liberty
WELL DONE!!!! Congratulations on all the great stories you publish!!
Every town I visit I pick up the weekly newspaper. Never have I seen a print publication with the journalistic excellence or quality that the Hook produces every week. The entire staff involved in layout, artwork, cartoons, columns, and all other aspects of producing this first rate paper deserves an award! It is highly unusual, especially now, to have a newspaper willing to work as diligently as the Hook to dig for the facts of the story that when known have the potential to create a more fair and just community for all of us.
Thank you one and all !