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The Frank Premack Public Affairs Journalism Awards Program has been suspended after consultation with the Premack Board and the Minnesota Journalism Center Advisory Board. Submissions will not be accepted for reporting done in 2012.
For 35 years, the Premack Public Affairs Journalism Awards honored excellence in Minnesota journalism. The awards program is funded by the Minnesota Journalism Center and the University of Minnesota School of Journalism & Mass Communication.
The Minnesota Journalism Center is working to create reinvigorated programming that better suits the needs of public affairs journalists.
“We wanted to do something in Frank’s memory that better reflects the important role of public affairs journalism in the state,” said Nora Paul, director of the Minnesota Journalism Center. “We’re looking into ideas for workshops or trainings or research that supports new models for public affairs reporting. After 35 years, the board agreed that it was time to change the programming to reflect changing times.”
Future plans that support public affairs journalism will be announced in summer 2013.
The 35th annual Premack Awards took place on April 19, 2012 at McNamara Alumni Center at 5 p.m. In addition to the announcement of the Premack Award winners, this year’s award ceremony featured a keynote from PolitiFact founder Matt Waite.
Excellence in public affairs reporting (Print/Online; Larger Organization)
Elizabeth Mohr and MaryJo Webster, St. Paul Pioneer Press, "Notorious Landlords" (pdf)
Excellence in public affairs reporting (Print/Online; Smaller Organization)
Brandon Stahl, Duluth News Tribune, "Minnesota Sex Offender Program" (pdf)
Excellence in public affairs reporting (Broadcast/Online)
Mark Albert, Mike Maybay, Erik Altmann, Jim O’Connell and Lee Zwiefelhofer, KSTP-TV , "Welfare Waste"
Excellence in opinion writing (Larger Organization)
Jill Burcum, Star Tribune, "UCare donation raises questions" (pdf)
Excellence in opinion writing (Smaller Organization)
Kathy Vos, The Free Press, "Law would endanger teen health" (pdf)
Graven Award: Dave Pyle, Minnesota Associated Press, received the Graven Award. The Premack Board honored Pyle for his 21 years of leadership at the Minnesota Associated Press.
The Premack Public Affairs Journalism Awards Board gives the Graven Award each year to a member of the journalistic community whose contribution to excellence in the journalism profession has deserved special recognition. It is named after David L. Graven, a close friend of Frank Premack, who served on the Premack Board until his death
in 1991.
Farr Award: Lynda McDonnell, ThreeSixty Journalism received the Farr Award for her tireless efforts in nurturing young journalists who come from underrepresented communities through the ThreeSixty Journalism program.
The Premack Public Affairs Journalism Awards Board confers the Farr Award on occasions when a member of the community has made an exceptional contribution to public affairs journalism. It is named after George A. Farr, a close friend of Frank Premack, who served as chair of the Premack Board for the first 29 years of the program.
2010 winners
Excellence in Coverage of Breaking News (Larger Organization)
Staff Reporters, Star Tribune, Series on Apartment Fire
Excellence in Coverage of Breaking News (Smaller Organization)
Molly Priesmeyer and Mary Turck, Twin Cities Daily Planet, Series on 'Troubled Waters' documentary
Excellence in investigative or analytical reporting about public affairs (Larger Organization)
Jim Spencer and Tom Meersman, Star Tribune, "Losing Our Lakes"
Excellence in investigative or analytical reporting about public affairs (Smaller Organization)
Britt Johnsen and Kirsti Marohn, St. Cloud Times, "Gambling on Growth"
Excellence in Opinion Journalism (Larger Organization)
Randy Krebs, St. Cloud Times, "Words Matter Over Opinion"
Excellence in Opinion Journalism (Smaller Organization)
Brad Swenson, Bemidji Pioneer, "Election Issues - Rural Health Care"
Graven Award: Gary Eichten, producer and Midday host at Minnesota Public Radio, is the recipient of the prestigious 2011 Graven Award. His commitment to public affairs journalism, excellent interviewing skills and deep knowledge of Minnesota politics has distinguished him among his peers.
“As a Minnesota transplant, I gained a real understanding of what was going on in this state and why these issues mattered from listening to Gary’s show every day. Gary provides a voice that is a valuable resource for everyone,” said board chairman Art Coulson.
The Premack Public Affairs Journalism Awards Board gives the Graven award each year to members of the journalistic community whose contribution to excellence in the journalism profession has deserved special recognition. It is named after David L. Graven, a close friend of Frank Premack, who served on the Premack Board until his death in 1991.
Farr Award: Laura Waterman Wittstock, of Wittstock and Associates, is the recipient of the Farr Award. She is also the former president of Migizi Communications, a non-profit organization that delivers quality programming to the Indian community. Wittstock is the author of several publications and served as the fourth Louis W. Hill Jr. Fellow in Philanthropy at the University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, which now is known as the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
“Laura was the quiet force behind the scenes cultivating the next group of young journalists through her programming at Migizi Communications. She provided young people with an opportunity to learn about the communications industry and gave them the tools to tell their own stories,” said board chairman Art Coulson.
The Premack Public Affairs Journalism Awards Board confers the Farr Award on occasions when a member of the community has made an exceptional contribution to public affairs journalism. It is named after George A. Farr, a close friend of Frank Premack, who served as chairman of the Premack Board for the first 29 years of the program.
2009 winners
Read the 2009 news release (pdf)
Excellence in Coverage of Breaking News (Larger Organization)
Staff Reporters, Star Tribune, Series on Daniel Hauser
Excellence in Coverage of Breaking News (Smaller Organization)
Tom Burford, Farmers Independent, Series on Jennings and Clarice Sunderland
Excellence in investigative or analytical reporting about public affairs (Larger Organization)
Glenn Howatt and Pam Louwagie, Star Tribune, "Deadly Falls"
Excellence in investigative or analytical reporting about public affairs (Smaller Organization)
Jay Furst, Rochester Post-Bulletin, "Panhandlers: Are they legit?"
Excellence in Opinion Journalism (Larger Organization)
Doug Tice, Star Tribune, "It's easy to pounce on that political football"
Excellence in Opinion Journalism (Smaller Organization)
Brett Larson, Mille Lacs Messenger, "Good governments don't fear sunshine"
It took Frank Premack a while to discover newspapering. He emigrated from his South Dakota boyhood home as an early adolescent, bright, curious and cantankerous. First stop was the University of Chicago, where, by his own admission, he majored in poker and left under a cloud. Next stop was the University of Minnesota, where his studies in architecture left him unsatisfied.
Finally, he managed to land a job as a copy editor on the Minneapolis Tribune in January 1958. Almost immediately, he began lobbying for assignment as a reporter. Persistence was rewarded, and in February 1960 he was transferred, having worn down those who objected that he had no experience. Premack knew he had found his life’s calling. He quickly became known for his aggressive pursuit of the news. Dishonesty, sham and pretense were his targets wherever his reporting led him. Curious and cantankerous as always, he demanded to know why things were as they were. Fascinated by politics and government, he excelled at such reporting, earning the respect of those he covered, the reading public and his colleagues.
Later, as city editor and assistant managing editor of the Tribune, Premack carried the same high ideals into the editing process. His motivational techniques often were direct and memorable, as when, on a dull Friday afternoon, he might climb onto his desk, crack a bull whip over the heads of a staff dreaming about the weekend ahead, declare there was no news to be found while sitting at their desks and order them into the streets to find it. On April 7, 1975, while a member of the Tribune’s Special Reporting Group, Frank Premack died of a heart attack. He was 42.
