News: Industry

Center for Public Interest Journalism establishes Larry Weiss Award for Investigative Journalism

The Temple University Center for Public Interest Journalism (CPIJ), with the generous support of local business leader Larry Weiss, has established an award to recognize the best investigative journalism in the Delaware Valley.

The Larry Weiss Award for Investigative Journalism, open to journalism of any medium (print, broadcast or online) produced in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, South Jersey or Delaware, will include one top prize of $10,000 and two “special recognition” prizes of $2,500.

“In a democracy, agreement is not essential; participation is. Good journalism raises issues and cries out for participation,” says Weiss, an entrepreneur focusing his efforts in the graphic arts. “I am hopeful that this award will recognize the important work of the investigative journalist.”

The award is intended to encourage original, enterprising, deeply reported and revelatory news coverage that has significant impact on the Philadelphia, South Jersey and Delaware communities, particularly stories that generate an increased public awareness about an under recognized social problem; malfeasance in local or state government; waste, fraud and abuse in government agencies or business; or other issues related to advancing the public good.

“The Larry Weiss Award for Investigative Journalism will foster and recognize important and impactful watchdog reporting of government, business and other social institutions, to improve the lives of all citizens,” says Andrew Mendelson, chair of the Department of Journalism and associate director of CPIJ. “There has been an unfortunate decline in spending on such reporting nationwide in favor of lighter fare. Through this award, we hope to inspire reporters working in the tradition of the great muckrakers Lincoln Steffens and Ida Tarbell.”

The awards will be presented at a televised luncheon at WHYY studios in Philadelphia April 19, 2012.

Entries must be investigative journalism -- not advocacy, editorials or opinion. Entries can be in any medium, i.e. print (dailies, weeklies, magazines, etc.), broadcast (TV, radio) or online. Single stories or series are eligible (a story may include text, photos, audio, video and/or graphics). Single authors or reporting teams are eligible. Eligible stories should have been published and/or aired during 2011. The submission deadline is Feb. 15, 2012.

Launched in 2011 with the support of a grant from the William Penn Foundation, CPIJ is working toward the growth of public interest reporting in the Delaware Valley.

“The Larry Weiss Award fits perfectly with the mission of the Center for Public Interest Journalism, which is to address the national crisis in journalism through solutions carefully tailored to address local needs. Larry Weiss proposed recognizing and granting an award to a local reporter for excellence in investigative journalism and CPIJ is pleased to be able to partner with him in realizing this goal. His support for this work is as visionary as it is generous, and is very much appreciated here at Temple,” says Thomas L. Jacobson, interim dean of the School of Communications and Theater and director of the Center for Public Interest Journalism.

Weiss and his wife, Harriet, a Temple University graduate, live in Rydal, Pa. He is the president of Hippographics Inc., a venture capital firm primarily investing in graphic arts companies. His prior positions include CEO of Spectra Graphics, a direct mail printer for major U.S. banks, and vice president of Safeguard Industries, a publicly held company trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Weiss funded the Chess-in-the-Schools program in Philadelphia and provided the original funding for United Way’s Early to Learn program, created in 2000, which works to raise the quality of early childhood education and encourage the healthy development of children while providing support and resources to parents in order to promote school readiness and a love of learning. He currently serves as a trustee of Federal Housing Inc., a director at WHYY, a member of the board of directors of the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation.

While in his 20s, Weiss worked as a weekend proofreader at the Philadelphia Inquirer. He maintains his connection with journalism by starting each day reading the newspaper.

For full contest and submission guidelines, see http://cpijournalism.org/LarryWeissAward.