WASHINGTON—A Knight Ridder investigation of the government's treatment of veterans received an award from the National Press Club, the Washington-based association of news professionals announced.
"Discharged and Dishonored," by Chris Adams and Alison Young of the Knight Ridder Washington Bureau won the organization's Joseph D. Ryle Award for writing about problems that confront the elderly. The stories highlighted problems elderly veterans and their widows face getting the pensions and disability payments they are due from the government. The award includes a $2,000 prize.
USA Today received an honorable mention in the category. The award was one of eight in newspaper journalism given by the Press Club, which also recognized broadcast, online and newsletter journalism.
Among the other winners was The Miami Herald, a Knight Ridder newspaper, for a series on the nation's hurricane warning system. The Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal and the Copley News Service also won awards.
The veterans stories ran in 30 Knight Ridder papers in 2004 and 2005; they previously won awards for outstanding Washington reporting and investigative journalism.
They can be read at:
http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/special(underscore)packages/veterans/
Knight Ridder is being acquired by McClatchy Co. in a deal expected to close later this month.
———
(c) 2006, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
Need to map