Thank you. That (video) was an outrageous use of company resources, but very nice.
When I was first told that I’d won this award, I have to admit I was surprised; first by the delightful unexpectedness of it (Thank you, Bernie Judge.) and then because it made me realize, that somewhere along the line, I’d lost track of the time.
It is true that when I started reporting, we called in our stories on pay phones. We wrote on manual typewriters. We spliced audio tape and shot film. We put our cigarettes out on the newsroom floor. And all of our bosses were men.
So a lot has changed since I started. And despite our crumbling business models, many things are actually getting better. Our newsrooms have become far more diverse. Our equipment is much faster and more forgiving. And most of us have stopped smoking.
Tonight as we celebrate the best of Chicago journalism, it’s also important to remember what hasn’t changed over all those years. And that, of course, is good reporting.
In this business, our best work is always done as part of a team. So I’d like to thank all of my colleagues, particularly those I work with now at “Chicago Tonight.” They make going to work every day a joy.
Thank you, also, to the Chicago Headline club and congratulations to Phil Kadner. To my husband, Tim, thank you for spending a lifetime with me.
Most of us in this business love what we do. To have worked in news in Chicago for more than 30 years is great privilege. And I wish the same good fortune on all of you whose careers are still ahead. Thank you very much.
Lifetime Award winner Phil Kadner writes about how work is all he wanted as a lifetime award in his column in the SouthtownStar.