2007 Missouri Honor Medal Winners

Dean Baquet is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and editor who has led newsrooms at the nation's most prestigious newspapers, including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. He became an assistant managing editor and Washington bureau chief for The New York Times in March 2007 after serving seven years at the Los Angeles Times as managing editor and editor in chief. Mr. Baquet formerly spent a decade at The New York Times, where his roles included investigative reporter, deputy metro editor and national editor. It was during his earlier tenure at the Chicago Tribune that Mr. Baquet made his mark as a chief investigative reporter and associate metropolitan editor for investigations. He won a 1988 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for leading a team in documenting corruption in the Chicago City Council. Mr. Baquet also has won the Peter Lisagor Award for Investigative Reporting, three Chicago Tribune William H. Jones Awards for Investigative Reporting and numerous local and regional awards. Mr. Baquet began his career at The Times Picayune in New Orleans after majoring in English at Columbia University.

In recognition of his uncompromising ethics and his unwavering dedication to journalism in the public service

Wayne M. Brasler, BJ '62, is a celebrated journalism teacher and adviser for the University of Chicago High School who has dedicated more than 40 years to scholastic journalism. Many of his students have achieved successful media careers, among them network presidents, international journalists and prominent writers for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. A standout student journalist at Normandy High School in St. Louis and the Missouri School of Journalism, Mr. Brasler's first job was as assistant editor of the weekly suburban Jewish Post and Opinion in St. Louis. In 1964, he was recruited to teach the fledgling journalism curriculum at the University of Chicago High School, which he turned into one of the nation's most successful journalism programs. A champion of student press rights, Mr. Brasler was on the National Scholastic Press Association board of directors for 40 years, authored dozens of articles for scholastic journalism magazines and taught summer journalism workshops throughout the country. Among his many accolades are the National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year award from the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, the Gold Key award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Pioneer Award from the National Scholastic Press Association. In 1996, NSPA established the Brasler Prize, the high school press equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize, in recognition of his services to high school journalism.

In recognition of his outstanding commitment to instill the importance of a free press in future journalists and leaders

Dirck Halstead is a pioneer in bringing photojournalism into the digital age. As editor and publisher of The Digital Journalist, a multimedia online magazine, Mr. Halstead illustrates the importance of multi-platform visual storytelling in today's media landscape. For the past eight years Mr. Halstead has conducted immersive Platypus workshops around the country to teach photojournalists the language of television documentary and convergence in the digital age. More than 250 newspaper and magazine photojournalists have graduated from these workshops and are now taking leadership roles in the industry. Mr. Halstead's career as a photojournalist spans half a century, highlighted by 29 years covering the White House for Time and a record 51 cover photographs for the magazine. His first professional assignment, at age 17, was as LIFE Magazine's combat photographer covering the Guatemalan Civil War. After attending Haverford (Pa.) College, he traveled the globe for United Press International. Now a senior fellow in photojournalism at the University of Texas' Center for American History, Mr. Halstead has won two National Press Photographers Association Picture of the Year awards, the Robert Capa Gold Medal and two Alfred Eisenstaedt Awards for Magazine Photography. He is a recipient of the lifetime achievement award from the White House News Photographers Association and the industry's highest honor, the Joseph A. Sprague Award for lifetime achievement and service to photojournalism.

In recognition of his creative spirit and his principled efforts to transform photojournalism for the digital age

Frances L. Lewine has been a leader in the struggle for women's equality in journalism during her more than 60 years in the industry. She covered six presidential administrations from Eisenhower to Carter as a White House correspondent for The Associated Press. Ms. Lewine was assigned to the White House in 1956 to cover the activities of the first ladies, but through perseverance and dedication she expanded her role to include presidential coverage. While her assignments were considered glamorous, Ms. Lewine often expressed frustration that she was relegated to social and family stories while male colleagues covered the president. As chairman of the Professional Committee of the Women's National Press Club (and later as president), she regularly helped organize protests against male-only clubs such as the National Press Club, the Gridiron Club and the White House Correspondents Association. When the Gridiron Club finally relented, Ms. Lewine was the second woman invited to join. After serving with the Carter Administration, Ms. Lewine became an assignment editor and field producer for the fledgling Cable News Network (CNN). She has been a member of the National Press Club, Executive Women in Government and the Society of Professional Journalists. Ms. Lewine has been elected to the Washington Society of Professional Journalists' Hall of Fame and to the Hunter College Hall of Fame, her alma mater.

In recognition of her path-blazing career in Washington journalism and her unflinching efforts to eliminate barriers to equality in journalism

Paula Madison, a trailblazer in the field of broadcast television, is executive vice president of diversity for NBC Universal. Named one of the 75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America by Black Enterprise magazine, she is the first senior executive in the company's history to hold a position solely devoted to diversity. As president and general manager of KNBC in Los Angeles, Ms. Madison was the first African-American woman to hold such a position in a top-five market. She joined KNBC from WNBC, the network's New York affiliate, where she had been promoted to vice president and news director in 11 years with the station. Ms. Madison has won various awards for her commitment to journalism and dedication to community, including local and regional Emmy, Golden Mike and Edward R. Murrow awards; the Walter Bremond Pioneer of African-American Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade; the Citizen of the Year Award from the City of Los Angeles Marathon; and the Anti-Defamation League's Deborah Award. She also has been named to the Hollywood Reporter's Power 100 list of female executives. A graduate of Vassar College, Ms. Madison began her career as a newspaper reporter and editor before entering broadcasting. Early in her career she worked at KHOU-TV in Houston; KOTV-TV in Tulsa, Okla.; and WFAA-TV in Dallas.

In recognition of her visionary leadership in broadcast journalism and in building community

Russ Mitchell, BJ '82, has covered the world's major news stories for the past 15 years as an award-winning correspondent, reporter and anchor for CBS News. Mr. Mitchell was named news anchor of The Early Show and the Sunday edition of CBS Evening News in 2006, and he continues to serve as a correspondent for the CBS News Sunday Morning show. From co-anchoring coverage of the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster with Dan Rather to covering the 1996 presidential election, Mr. Mitchell has been a trusted source for news in millions of homes nationwide. Mr. Mitchell also has served as a Washington, D.C., and New York correspondent, a 48 Hours contributor and Eye to Eye news magazine correspondent, where he reported from Russia, Chile, Indonesia, France and Haiti. Early in his career, Mr. Mitchell reported and anchored for television stations in St. Louis, Kansas City, Mo., and Dallas. His many professional awards include a Sigma Delta Chi Award for spot-news coverage of the Elian Gonzalez case; an Emmy Award for coverage of the TWA Flight 800 crash; a National Association of Black Journalists News Award; and two Emmys from the St. Louis Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

In recognition of his exemplary professionalism as a television reporter and anchor and of his unselfish commitment to mentor young leaders

Oh Yeon Ho is a worldwide leader in citizen journalism and founder of OhmyNews, an international media outlet operating under the motto "Every citizen is a reporter." In 2000, Mr. Oh created OhmyNews in his native South Korea as an online media experiment that began with 727 citizen reporters. Now the site boasts more than 60,000 citizen reporters worldwide and 65 full-time staff reporters. Citizen reporters work from more than 100 countries worldwide, contributing stories of local, national and international interest. His latest book, OhmyNews Story, details his journey in launching OhmyNews and earning international recognition for his unique citizen reporter concept. Mr. Oh began his career as a staff reporter for Mahl, a liberal Korean monthly magazine, after earning a degree in Korean literature from Yonsei University. He was a Washington, D.C., correspondent for Mahl and later served as the magazine's chief of staff. Mr. Oh has published numerous independent books and collections about his experiences as a South Korean journalist. He earned a master's degree in journalism from Regent University in Virginia and a doctoral degree in journalism from Sogang University.

In recognition of his pioneering work in engaging citizens as journalists for democracy

Mary Beth (Sandlin) Price, BJ '71, used her passion for strategic and innovative media solutions to build her own media marketing legacy. With only one client in 1985, Ms. Price founded Media That Works - now Empower MediaMarketing - in Cincinnati and turned it into one of the country's premier independent media management companies with more than $300 million in billings and 150 employees. She was the leading force behind successful media campaigns for well-known clients, a long list that now includes U.S. Bank, Long John Silver's, Stanley Steemer and others. Ms. Price stepped down as CEO in 1997 but remains on Empower's board of directors. She also serves as a media consultant for several major consumer companies. Ms. Price began her career as a media planner and buyer at Leo Burnett in Chicago. She held media planning and research positions at Procter & Gamble and A.C. Nielsen before founding her own company. After leaving Empower, Ms. Price was the Richard A. Forsythe Chair of Entrepreneurship at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She is an avid pilot and often flies "Angel Flights" to assist in-need medical patients. Her many awards include the McCall's/Ad Week Best Woman in Advertising Award, Cincinnati Business Person of the Year, Forbes/Advertising Age Media Maven, Ad Club of Cincinnati Silver Medalist, Leadership Cincinnati participant and YWCA Career Woman of Achievement.

In recognition of her original contributions in transforming media practices and in educating the next generation of strategic communication leaders

William C. Price, BJ '63, has employed his more than 40 years of media experience to make Cincinnati-based Empower MediaMarketing (formerly Media That Works) one of the country's premier independent media planning and buying companies. He joined Media That Works as chairman shortly after his wife, Mary Beth, founded the company in 1985. Continually focused on turning the company's vision into reality, Mr. Price has secured Empower's broad base of 25 clients, which include U.S. Bank, Long John Silver's, Dick's Sporting Goods and other national brands. In 2005, the Society of Human Resource Management ranked Empower as the fourth best small business to work for in America, a reflection of Mr. Price's dedication to his employees and clients. An account supervisor at Leo Burnett in Chicago early in his career, Mr. Price later served as a management executive at King's Island theme park in Cincinnati and executive vice president of the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. He holds degrees from Northwest Missouri State University and the Missouri School of Journalism. Mr. Price is active in several community and non-profit organizations, including Leadership Cincinnati, YMCA, the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the United Way.

In recognition of his original contributions in transforming media practices and in educating the next generation of strategic communication leaders

Ruth Reichl is at the forefront of the culinary world as a popular food writer, editor and author. Ms. Reichl began her tenure as editor in chief of Gourmet in 1999 after six years as the restaurant critic for The New York Times, where she became known for democratizing the pretentious tendencies of the fine-dining industry. Since her first book Mmmmm: A Feastiary, Ms. Reichl has authored the critically acclaimed, best-selling memoirs Tender at the Bone; Comfort Me with Apples; and Garlic and Sapphires. She is the editor of The Modern Library Food Series; Endless Feasts: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet; Remembrance of Things Paris: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet; and The Gourmet Cookbook. Ms. Reichl jumped onto the scene as a restaurant critic for New West and California magazines and the Los Angeles Times, where she was later named food editor. A frequent lecturer, Ms. Reichl has ventured into television as the executive producer of Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie and host of several Eating Out Loud specials on the Food Network. Among her many honors are four James Beard Awards, numerous Association of American Food Journalists awards and Adweek's 2007 Editor of the Year award. Ms. Reichl received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Michigan.

In recognition of her unique career as a journalistic alchemist who turned writing about food into an art form that illuminates our culture, our times and ourselves