The Star earns national Pulliam First Amendment Award for government secrecy project
The Kansas City Star has been awarded the prestigious Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award in recognition of its government transparency project, “Why so secret, Kansas?”
The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation presents the national award “to honor a person or persons who have fought to protect and preserve one or more of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.”
“In its investigation, Star reporters ran into stonewalling politicians and government officials who were upset that The Star was working to shine light on controversial subjects that might put said officials in a bad light,” said leaders of the Kansas Press Association in their joint nomination letter. “But, the reporting team persevered and the public loved it.”
Pulliam was publisher of The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News until his death in 1999 and was well-known for consistently supporting activities that educated the public about First Amendment rights and values. The foundation established the annual award to honor those committed to the same goals and as a tribute to the professional contributions that he made to journalism.
Previous winners include reporters for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Boston Globe, The Columbus Dispatch, Associated Press and the Student Press Law Center. The Better Government Association received the award in 2017 for its work that led Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to acknowledge he circumvented open records laws by using personal email accounts to conduct public business.
The award will be presented in late September at the Society of Professional Journalists national convention in Baltimore.
“This is well-deserved recognition for a team of reporters and editors who worked tirelessly in service of the public interest,” said Mike Fannin, The Star’s editor. “The stories are real, and so is the change coming behind them.”
The six-part series, which revealed how Kansas’ state government had become one of the least transparent and most secretive in the nation, has won numerous national awards and led to change in Kansas. The Legislature passed four measures designed to improve transparency and Gov. Jeff Colyer signed executive orders to open up government records such as official correspondence and data.
One story in the series highlighted a local family who wasn’t able to see police body camera footage from the day their loved one, Antonio Garcia Jr., was shot and killed by a Leavenworth police officer. At the time, Kansas had one of the most restrictive body camera laws in the country, which kept footage away from the public and families.
After the series, that changed.
On July 1, a new law went into effect that allows family members to view video 20 days after a request is made. Attorneys for Garcia’s family requested the video since then and have viewed it at the police department. Relatives are waiting to view the video until they can see it at a neutral location, attorneys said. The officer involved in that shooting was charged this week.
In its nomination letter, The Kansas Press Association said The Star played a crucial role in Kansas’ new push toward government openness.
“Public servants are starting to be held accountable for the lack of transparency to the very people they serve — the people of Kansas,” the Press Association said. “While it is still not perfect, the state of Kansas is making progress and The Kansas City Star helped light the way.”
“Why so secret, Kansas? was a finalist for a Pulitzer in public service, the prize’s most coveted category. The project also received first-place honors in the National Headliner Awards (public service), the Scripps Howard Awards (First Amendment), the Associated Press Media Editors Awards (First Amendment) and the McClatchy President’s Awards, as well as finalist honors from the American Society of News Editors and the Investigative Reporters and Editors Awards.
The series was reported and written by Laura Bauer, Judy L. Thomas, Max Londberg, Kelsey Ryan, Bryan Lowry, Andy Marso, Steve Vockrodt and Hunter Woodall. Photojournalist Jill Toyoshiba, growth editor Leah Becerra and artist/designer Neil Nakahodo also worked on the project. It was edited by projects editor Chick Howland.