MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State University Department of Journalism honored outstanding achievement in journalism and communications at its recent annual awards luncheon.

Crocker Stephenson of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel received the Nixon National Writing Award for his heart-wrenching tale of survival, "The Phoenix Man." Stephenson chronicled the life of burn victim George Bennett and his struggle to regain his physical and emotional selves.

Seven Indiana newspapers received The Indiana Journalism Award for their unique partnership in writing a series investigating Indiana’s open records laws. The series helped Hoosiers understand their right to know and how to gain access to records. The papers honored were: The Times of Northwest Indiana; The Indianapolis Star; The Evansville Courier; South Bend Tribune; The Star Press, Muncie; The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute; and The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne.

The 1999 National Public Relations Achievement Award Winner is John M. Reed of Consultants in Public Relations, SA. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Reed also has offices in New York City, Chicago, Boca Raton, Paris, Lisbon, Helsinki, Montevideo, Mexico City, Pusan and Taipei. In addition to his free-lance consulting he is also an adjunct professor at American University, where he teaches international public relations.

Courtroom drama captured by Scott Wiseman of the Palm Beach Post earned him the Joseph Costa Award for Courtroom Photography. His startling photographs of Hector Riva’s violent attack on his lawyer, Gary Israel, illustrated all of the tenets set forth by Costa--impact, emotional content, drama, photo composition and print quality.

For her work to promote visual literacy in the journalism industry, Deborah Withey received the Majeri Award for Innovation and Leadership in Graphic Journalism. As the corporate redesign consultant for Knight-Ridder, she has profoundly influenced the visual presentation of newspapers for more than a decade. Her work represents the hallmark of content-based, contemporary consumer-friendly newspaper design.

Everett Frost, president of Eastern New Mexico University, has endured criticism of a free student press on his campus in Portales, N.M., for many years. Threatened by an advertiser boycott, legislative funding cuts and the theft of hundreds of copies of controversial issues, Frost’s staunch and steadfast support helped ensure a free university press and earned him the John R. Emens Award for Support of a Free Student Press.

Few graduates epitomize the educational potential of Ball State students as well as Emily Holmes. Hired upon graduation by The Baltimore Sun, she was recently promoted to graphics editor. Holmes is the youngest female graphics editor of a major daily newspaper in the nation. Because of her dedication to journalism graphics and determination to succeed, the Department of Journalism named Emily A. Holmes the Outstanding Young Alumnus.

The Outstanding Alumnus of the year’s career in scholastic journalism began in the mid-1970s when he served as sports editor of the Daily News and feature writer and editor of the Ball State Orient yearbook. Bruce E. Konkle gained national recognition as an officer of national scholastic journalism associations and the author of more than 90 articles for such publications as Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Student Press Review, Dow Jones Newspaper Fund’s Adviser Update and Journalism Education Association’s C:JET. He is an associate professor in the College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of South Carolina.

This year’s Indiana Scholastic Journalism Award was presented to the Journalism Education Association. JEA has served the needs of scholastic journalism educators throughout the country and the world since 1924. JEA sponsors national conventions for educators, offers national certification, publishes membership directories and offers bookstore service to its members.

The department recognized Mark Dominiak, senior vice president and director of media planning at Foote, Cone Belding, with a special citation. Committed to helping advertising faculty and students add professional real-world touches to their work, he twice arranged and hosted a one-week instructor internship at his agency. He has made several trips to Ball State to talk to advertising classes and judge student work.

Another special citation was bestowed upon Eugene S. Pulliam, who began his newspaper career as a delivery boy. He became a great newspaper man by learning the business from the ground floor up, working through the ranks to become one of the last great independent publishers in a world of mega-corporations.

The 1999 Journalism Hall of Fame Inductees were John M. Butler, Gary A. Hengstler and Homer B. Smith.

Educator, public relations fellow and passionate advocate of education, John M. Butler devoted himself to helping others achieve their dreams. Instilling in others his belief in hard work and devotion to lifelong learning, he has worked as a teacher, journalism workshop instructor, publications adviser, public relations director and professor.

Hengstler is a lawyer, activist, humanitarian, writer and editor. Some of his most recent achievements include the founding and administering of the first legal newspaper in Texas, conducting the last interview granted by Chief Justice Thurgood Marshall and traveling to Israel to conduct the first interview with Yassar Arafat after the signing of the historic peace accord. Hengstler serves as the associate executive director, editor and publisher of the American Bar Association in Chicago.

Homer B. Smith, who hitchhiked to take Ball State classes early in his education, studied journalism under Sharley B. DeMotte before the journalism department existed. Under DeMotte’s tutelage he worked for the Easterner (Ball State’s student newspaper) as a writer, circulation manager and advertising manager. Throughout his academic career and after, Smith has remained an advocate for the department.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information about this story contact Lori Rader at 765-285-1560 or lrader@bsu.edu.)