Freedom of Information Awards

FOI in AZ

The Arizona Newspapers Association awards Arizona journalists for their dedication to freedom of information and the public's right to know. These pioneers have made an impact on freedom of information in Arizona.

Past Winners

CARI GERCHICK & EMILY POLAND
Arizona Supreme Court
Non-media Winners

Gerchick & Poland are nominated for their willingness to speak both on the record and on background to help reporters learn intricate courtroom rules, case histories and precedent.

They assisted in pouring over hundreds of legal documents, in addition to their regular workload, so that stories can get done before the deadline. They regularly volunteer significant information about a case and remain professional throughout.





REP. JONATHAN PATON
Republican, Tucson - District 30
Legislative Winner

The 2007 recipient of the Arizona Freedom of Information award for elected officials is Jonathan Paton, a member of the Arizona House of Representatives from District 30 in Tucson. He is a Republican. Since he first took his seat in the House, Rep. Paton has been interested in the public?s access to government records and meetings at all levels. He understands that the Arizona Newspapers Association seeks to keep government open for all Arizonans, because it isn?t a media issue. If a member of the public can?t see government files, then neither can a journalist from the media ? they have the same status and rights. Iraq service by Rep. Paton took up most of his time in the 2007 legislative session but he returned home ? and to his seat in the legislature ? in time to sponsor a bill honoring victims of the Virginia Tech student massacre.
CAROL ANN ALAIMO
Arizona Daily Star
Journalist Winner

Alaimo scrutinized documents regarding 11 Tucson military recruiters that were under FBI investigation for transporting cocaine.




GEORGE B. SANCHEZ
Arizona Daily Star
Journalist Winner

Sanchez used the documents he obtained to expose missing money, bid-rigging and favoritism in the Tucson?s largest school district.


BRADY McCOMBS
Arizona Daily Star
Journalist Winner

McCombs requested documents at length from the Cochise County Attorney?s office pertaining to a Border Patrol shooting. After three months of denials, he enlisted the aid of the First Amendment Coalition and subsequently received the information, which concluded that the Border Patrol agent was not legally justified in killing the migrant.


ROBERT ANGLEN
The Arizona Republic
Journalist Winner

Using information he obtained and creating a detailed database, Anglen?s public records pursuit documented financial abuse at Maricopa Community Colleges, which led directly to the firing of two college presidents and a key college administrator and a massive overhaul of college financial controls.
BOB BURNS
(D-Ariz.)
Legislative Winner

Sen. Burns agreed to sponsor a bill in the 2006 session that the association had been working on for more than five years - the Public Access Counselor.

Because Burns sponsored the original bill that created the Arizona office of Ombudsman, Burns suggested the public access office be termed the Public Access Ombudsman and placed under state Ombudsman Pat Shannahan.
DANIEL SCARPINATO
Arizona Daily Star
Journalist Winner

Daniel Scarpinato was one of the best education reporters the Star has had in years, largely due to his use of public records/FOIA requests. He was never satisfied with official answers to questions and always wanted to analyze reports and information to find the truth of the matter. He learned how to see between the lines on school board agendas and spot trends that he backed up with lots of numbers gained from records requests. One of the best stories he produced ? and, perhaps, one of the best stories in the Star ? during your timeframe was an analysis of how often area districts had moved to fire teachers during the past five years. The results showed there are major problems with process. For example, one local district let a teacher remain in the classroom for six years, even though he was accused repeatedly during that timeframe of fondling and propositioning students, and even showing one a tattoo on his buttock. Another teacher had been repeatedly accused of injuring students yet also was allowed to remain in the classroom. This story followed several others that looked at individual teachers and the problems they were having, as also documented in numerous records. Daniel also used public records to get numbers that showed serious problems with how the city?s largest district was handling its desegregation order. His story showed that nearly 600 minority students were on waiting lists for schools that had nearly 1,000 open seats.

Daniel Scarpinato has covered politics for the Arizona Daily Star since May. He joined the Star 2004 and covered education before being promoted. He is a native Tucsonan, a graduate of the University of Arizona and vice president of the Southern Arizona Society of Professional Journalists.
BECKY PALLACK
Arizona Daily Star
Journalist Winner

Hardly a day passes when Becky Pallack isn?t filing a public records or FOIA request. As our public safety reporter, she was constantly requesting police reports, reviewing court records and requesting other data that she could analyze to see what crime trends were taking root in Tucson. But she also constantly pushed herself to find more records to check, which resulted in many good stories from agencies such as the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board. It also led to her taking over our monitoring of workplace safety issues via the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health. The results of all this hard work were outstanding. One of the best records-driven stories she wrote within your timeframe was an analysis of how work sites in Southern Arizona are becoming more dangerous. This story was tremendously important because it was something that hadn?t been reported at all, but certainly was pertinent to the safety of many members of the community. Another important story she reported was the result of extensive records requests from police and courts in which she detailed the violent workings of a local meth ring. She also explained to the community how charges had been dismissed in a high-profile murder case (authorities wouldn?t explain it to her, so she tracked it down with records); how a suspect in a fatal hit-and-run had been cited just moments beforehand and how a fired officer was allowed to keep his certification.
CAROL ANN ALAIMO
Arizona Daily Star
Journalist Winner

As the military reporter, Alaimo often deals with reluctant sources that don?t want to tell her the truth. She had several great stories this year that relied on public records, stories the public may never have known about without her diligent work.

Chief among these reports was an analysis of what high schools military recruiters were targeting. There had been growing sentiment around the city (and the country, for that matter) that recruiters were targeting poor schools and those with high minority populations. So Carol Ann plastered the school districts with requests for records on what recruiters they were allowing on campus and how often they visited. The resulting analysis showed that recruiters weren?t actually targeting poor and minority-heavy schools, but rather those with strong JROTC programs and those closest to military installations, where the children of current military members were attending school.

Another example is a story she wrote about an accident at an air show practice. Turns out, a former Navy Top Gun with decades of flying experience had forgotten to put down his landing gear. She also reported on the still-rising incidents of domestic violence in the military; analyzed how many people were taking advantage of a raise in maximum recruiting age; and obtained federal reports that showed why our area installations fared as they did during the BRAC process the previous year. She never stops seeking answers.
STEPHANIE INNES
Arizona Daily Star
Journalist Winner

Stephanie Innes is a great reporter who?s always trying to find ways to improve. To that end, she challenged herself this year to incorporate more public records/FOIA reporting in her beat. While she?s always been proficient with records, from her time as a police reporter to her time covering the bankruptcy of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, she wanted to push herself to do as well while covering religion. The result has been a fabulous series called Faith & Growth. The series began with a story in which Stephanie obtained property records from seven different municipalities and analyzed what religions were building and where they were doing it. The results showed that religious groups have spent at least $32 million on construction during the past six years and most of the building was among conservative Christian churches in suburban areas. The second story in the series examined how many local churches are functioning without their own buildings, mostly through meetings at public schools, community centers, etc.

These stories have been popular with readers, not surprising given that readership surveys consistently show that people want to learn things they don?t know about their community. Stephanie also broke the first story about the "brooming" incidents at a Prescott camp that involved the state Senate president?s son, and the plea bargain that followed, and she used an abundance of court records to figure out why the city?s long-running Passion play was ending. On top of her outstanding coverage of the diocese bankruptcy, Stephanie really did a great job this year in using public records/FOIA reports in her beat.
DAVID HAWKINS
The Standard (Kingman)
Journalist Winner

One particular incident that surfaced earlier this year demonstrates Hawkins? contribution to the media utilizing the First Amendment and the Freedom of information Aty. A series of ?resign or be fired? scenarios were happening left and right within the city, all corresponding with the introductory term of a new city manager. Hawkins made repeated attempts to acquire information regarding the departures of two key city employees, and all attempts were either ignored or downright refused. Hawkins submitted Freedom of Information Act requests, and ultimately, was able to report the facts to the public.

Hawkins has upheld the standard of the people?s right to know and that he will continue to do so, making him an outstanding contributor to Freedom of Information and First Amendment issues, as well as an outstanding journalist.
GINGER RICHARDSON
The Arizona Republic
Journalist Winner

MONICA ALONSO-DUNSMOOR
The Arizona Republic
Journalist Winner

In this case, reporters Ginger D. Richardson and Monica Alonzo-Dunsmoor did what all reporters should strive to do everyday-serve as watchdog for the public. Richardson, who covers downtown Phoenix redevelopment and Sky Harbor International Airport, got a tip that a Phoenix Aviation Department employee was taking extravagant vacations on the city dime. She and Ms. Dunsmoor ended up uncovering more wrongdoing than the tipster ever expected.

Getting information wasn?t easy, however. The City of Phoenix refused to give the reporter an electronic database of employees? travel expenses. After The Republic enlisted the help of an Attorney, the city turned over a box containing more than 1,800 records.

None of the travel reimbursement forms were in order-either alphabetically, by department, or by dollar amount. Richardson had to go through each document by hand, ferreting out duplicates, and other extraneous paperwork. To keep track of it all, she and Dunsmoor, our city hall reporter, created a database of travel spending, and then went back and began requesting individual trip reports.

Again, the city fought the release of the documents, saying it would take weeks to cull the information from archives. When the new batch of records was finally provided, they too were a jumbled mess. Reporters had to cull through thousands more pages, and repeatedly go back to the city to request missing or supplemental information.

Amazingly, all of this was done in a seven-week time period. The series has prompted immediate, and comprehensive, changes to the way the city operates, and will save a countless amount of taxpayer money. Phoenix has rewritten its travel policies and has asked blatant offenders to reimburse the city for their inappropriate charges.
DENNIS WAGNER
The Arizona Republic
Journalist Winner

In late June 2005, five members of a family in Yuma were found shot to death in their home. Reporter Dennis Wagner was assigned to write a reconstruction of the homicides. To do this, he filed a public records request asking the city police department to turn over its investigative file on the incident.

Yuma police refused to release the records, saying the information was part of an ongoing homicide investigation. After obtaining information about the victims, Wagner reviewed state court records and found possible leads to pursue in Yuma Municipal Court.

On July 7 he filed a public records request with the court, asking for any information it had in connection with the case. The judge provided some requested documents, but ruled the The Republic was not entitled to the complete report-even though state law stipulated they were public records. Of more concern, though, was the judge?s shredding of the investigative documents, a clear violation of the state?s public records law and a Class 4 felony.

The Republic filed an appeal of the judge?s actions with the state Superior Court, which had administrative jurisdiction over the city court. In an attempt to mediate the dispute, the Yuma city attorney offered The Republic a complete set of records in return for withdrawing our protest. The newspaper refused the offer and took its case to Superior Court. The Republic?s editors thought the municipal judge to be in the clear violation of the law and wanted him top be reprimanded for his actions. They also wanted the records that the state law said the newspaper-and the public- was entitled to.

On October 4, The Republic was granted both its requests. The Yuma Municipal Court judge was given a reprimand for shredding the documents and the newspaper was given the complete investigative file on the murders.
ROBBIE SHERWOOD
The Arizona Republic
Journalist Winner

Robbie Sherwood?s stories on the Arizona Board of Homeopathic Medical Examiners started with a tip from a homeopathic physician and the longtime watchdog of the board who provided details of how board members had repeatedly granted licenses to felons and other doctors with severe disciplinary problems in other states. Allegations included the death of at least one patient and threats to the life or health of many others.

The board, which had not undergone a state performance audit in 20 years, was about to go before the state Legislature for its 10-year sunset review, to determine whether it could continue to exist. To verify of dismiss the claims, Sherwood first requested five years worth of the board?s official meeting minutes. Using the records as a springboard, he systematically worked to get the real story behind each of the claims and to look into other cases of interest that had caught his eye during the review.

After completing three weeks of research, he pieced together short vignettes on each of the doctors, outlining allegations and histories that had been verified through hundreds of pages of public records.

Sherwood then contacted each doctor who would be mentioned in the story, many of whom were initially reluctant to talk. He eventually persuaded all but two of the doctors to comment. The front-page story ran in the Republic on Oct. 9 included a comprehensive chart detailing what the records revealed about each of the doctors, the role the board played in licensing them and the doctors responses.

Several weeks after the story was published, a joint state House and Senate Health Committee overwhelmingly recommended a full audit of the Board. The committee also recommended that the board be renewed only for two years?rather than the full 10?while the audit is being completed. The full legislature will consider the recommendation in early 2007.
JUDI VILLA
The Arizona Republic
Journalist Winner

In late October 2005, a Phoenix fire truck was involved in a fatal accident. The Republic received reports that the engineer was driving close to 60 mph in a lane of oncoming traffic?a violation of department policy. Judi Villa, the reporter assigned to cover the Phoenix Fire Department, had covered past fire truck accidents and started asking questions about driver training. She found out it was virtually non-existent.

Villa also found out that driver training was something the firefighters union had been requesting for years- unsuccessfully. With this background, Villa requested the fire departments accident logs. Villa was able to conclude from an analysis of fire department records that two-thirds of firefighter-involved accidents were preventable. The public records requests she filed were crucial because they allowed her to attach a dollar amount to those accidents: Nearly $4 million paid in auto liability claims since 2002 and another $730,000 spent to repair damaged vehicles.

About a month after the story ran, Phoenix fire officials announced they were requesting $480,000 in additional funding for the next fiscal year for driver training. A committee also began meeting to develop a comprehensive driver training program that would include annual refresher courses, a two-year recertification process for engineers, and remedial training for drivers deemed at fault in accidents.
DEAN MARTIN
(R-Ariz.)
Legislative Winner

This is the third award for the Senator from the Phoenix area. The association?s board of directors and legislative committee said that the work that Sen. Martin continues to do to open records, and keep them open, is one of the most important jobs for a state legislator.

This past legislative session (2005) Sen. Martin introduced two pieces of legislation concerning open records.

The first, Senate Bill 1498 outlawed the growing practice of a government entity suing a member of the public simply because that person requested public records. ?That is a method of stalling or refusing to hand over public information,? said John Fearing, executive director of the Arizona Newspapers Association. The government entities claimed they need a judge to make a decision on whether the information is public as defined by the state?s Public Records Act. This forced a citizens to hire an attorney and become a defendant, Fearing said. But, thanks to Sen. Martin, we no longer have to deal with that.

Martin also introduced Senate Bill 1499, the Public Access Counselor. That bill funds a state employee to advise the public and government on whether a request is legal. Although the Public Access Counselor bill was adopted by Senate, and included study of SB 1498, it failed in the House.
CHUCK HUCKELBERRY
Pima County Administrator
Public Winner

Chuck Huckelberry has been the Pima County Administrator since 1993.

Chris Limberis with Tucson Weekly nominated the government employee, writing, ?I don?t think his hallmark Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, together with $174 million in open space bonds, would have gained such support had he (Huckelberry) and his crew not made open government a requirement.?

He continued, Chris Limberis with Tucson Weekly ?Huckelberry should be recognized for running the most open government in memory here. He opens it all, warts and all. Rarely must a reporter file a public records request under ARS 39-121.-121.03. He and his staff are responsive and thorough and they don?t play games with the records. You want, you ask, you get. He has set a proper tone for the wing of the diffuse county government under his control. The many elected officials running other county departments should, but don?t, take his lead. And finally, he stands in stark contrast to the historic practices of secrecy across the plaza at City Hall, though that will improve under Mike Hein.?
MARK SCARP
East Valley Tribune
Journalist Winner

Mark Scarp, a columnist for The Tribune in the East Valley, is the president of the Arizona First Amendment Coalition, a group that assists journalists across the state when they have records and meeting access issues.

Scarp earned the award because of his volunteer work for the coalition by serving as president for the past five years. During that time he has worked on various issues including ironing out problems reporters have in covering forest fires.
JACQUES BILLEAUD
The Associated Press
Journalist Winner

ENRIC VOLANTE
Arizona Daily Star
Journalist Winner

Jacques Billeaud of the Associated Press and Enric Volante of the Arizona Daily Star were the lead reporters on a statewide access audit of public records. Under the auspices of the Arizona Associated Press Managing Editors group, journalists from across the state visited law enforcement agencies, schools, and city or county managers to see how well our government follows the Arizona?s Public Records Law.

Jacques and Enric helped analyze the data and turn it into a series of stories that revealed wide differences in the way Arizonans are treated when they ask government employees for public records.

Jacques Billeaud covers immigration and politics for The Associated Press' bureau in Phoenix. He has worked as a reporter for 12 years. Before joining the A.P. in 2000, he reported for newspapers in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Tennessee.

Enric Volante is a senior reporter and computer assisted reporting specialist. He?s been with the Star since 1981.
CAROL ANN ALAIMO
Arizona Daily Star
Journalist Winner

Carol Ann Alaimo, military reporter for the Arizona Daily Star, used the federal FOI Act to follow-up on an incident reported worldwide when it happened. In 2003 the military said it raided a location in Afghanistan based on intelligence reports that a high-profile terrorist was in the area. The bodies of nine children were found at the site. The military apologized for the incident.

Carol Ann filed an FOI request for the investigative report. The military withheld the report but in August 2004 sent a letter saying its investigation found no misconduct. In fact, the three-paragraph letter said, a videotape of the attack found no evidence that children were at the scene while the air raid was taking place. Carol Ann was the first to report these findings.

Alaimo has more than 20 years' experience at newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.
BECKY PALLACK
Arizona Daily Star
Journalist Winner

On every beat Becky Pallack has covered, she has made Freedom of Information Act requests a part of her daily routine. She was honored last year for this award for her work uncovering workplace safety issues when she covered workplace issued for the Business Section of the Arizona Daily Star.

Perhaps her proudest use of public records in the past year was, ?Abused girl?s home prison: a bleak life,? published Feb. 11, 2005. This narrative was pieced together mostly from police reports. It shows what a great job a reporter can do even with just reports as long as he or she asks for the right ones and uses the right details.

The top story: ?As she sat alone, trapped in a small, dark room, the 14-year-old girl tried to remember her multiplication tables. She hadn?t been to school for nearly three years. Her father and his live-in girlfriend kept her locked in the room, a pink blanket covering the lone window??

Pallack also uses the Freedom of Information act routinely to request Internal Affairs reports. That has led to such stories in the past year as ?Detective demoted as case is dropped, (March 12, 2005), ?Dispatcher accused Hunt of harassment? (Jan. 5, 2005), and ?Woman claims TPD officers pressured her to have sex? (March 3, 2005).

Also, Becky and Star reporter Kim Smith nailed a story about Pima County dismissing 539 drug cases because police and prosecutors forgot about them and let them languish too long. They got this story by arguing, and not giving up, that letters from the County Attorney?s office to the Police Department are public records.

Becky Pallack has covered real estate and workplace issues for the Arizona Daily Star since October 2003. Before that she spent several months reporting for Inside Tucson Business preceded by a year covering education for the Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff.
AMANDA CRAWFORD
Arizona Republic
Journalist Winner

WARD BUSHEE
Arizona Republic
Journalist Winner

In the Fall of 2004, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) hit more than 1 million enrollees for the first time. As the state legislature scrambled to find $75 million to cover the program?s growth spike, The Arizona Republic set out to explain how the Medicaid program had grown so rapidly in the three years since voters had expanded eligibility.

As part of this effort, Republic reporter Amanda J. Crawford filed a public information request to the Department of Economic Security (DES), which processes eligibility for AHCCCS, requesting data on the employers of the working adults enrolled in the program. DES told the newspaper that the information was not public. The Republic continued pursuing the data, using the specific application form that is filled out by applicants as the basis for another public records request.

DES maintained that a federal rule prohibited the release of the information. Then they added an additional caveat: Even if the rule did not apply, getting at the information would require the work of a computer programmer and would cost the Republic $4,000. Similar requests from other news outlets and state legislators also were denied at this time.

That winter, Democratic Sen. Richard Miranda introduced legislation to counter the agency?s refusal to release the records. The bill would have made the AHCCCS employer data public. It was struck down in committee. Meanwhile, in other states, lists of employers of those on Medicaid were made public, leading some legislative efforts to address the burgeoning rolls of public health programs. Wal-Mart, Arizona?s largest employer, led the list in most states, leading to campaigns targeted at the retail giant.

The Republic continued its efforts with DES and the state Attorney General?s Office and received denial after denial. Eventually DES printed hundreds of pages of information for The Republic, even though the newspaper constantly asked for electronic records. Pressing harder, the Republic received electronic records, and learned the data about employers was spelled just as the applicants had written them. In two days of marathon work, Crawford and Republic data specialists Ryan Konig and Matt Dempsey cleaned up the data. Published on July 30, the story gave Arizona citizens information about employers. It is a $6 billion program and Wal-Mart had 10 percent of its workers on the list, alone costing taxpayers an estimated $15 million a year. The state of Arizona also had employees on the list, a blow to the government that revealed the low wages of some of its workers.

Several legislators have indicated they will use the information to draft legislation in 2006. Winning the documents not only was a victory for The Republic, but also for the public because it gave them insight and perspective on a program rapidly consuming state taxpayer resources.
DEAN MARTIN
(D-Ariz.)
Legislative Winner

Sen. Martin, a previous FOI recipient, received another FOI award because he stood up for the people of Arizona in the state legislature by being attuned to actions that would have turned the light out on public information. When schools thought it was best to stop publishing their annual financial reports, and their budgets in their local newspapers, Sen. Martin became concerned as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
JAKE FLAKE
Speaker of the House
Legislative Winner

Speaker of the House Jake Flake received his award for his keen understanding of the role newspapers play in their communities, and how businesses remain successful. In the 2004 session of the Arizona Legislature, Speaker Flake assisted newspapers by removing an amendment that would have halted newspaper publication of school finance reports and budget; information that should be accessible to the public.

The fourth of eight children, Jake learned the value of teamwork earlier in life than most. His childhood chores on the family ranch taught him that true success comes through hard work.

JANET NAPOLITANO
Governor
Legislative Winner

Gov. Janet Napolitano received an FOI award for her veto letter during the long 2004 session of the Arizona Legislature when there were debates in the House and in the Senate about bills focused on future gasoline fuel crisis. Her letter for the house bill said, "As we learned last summer after the rupture of the Kinder-Morgan petroleum pipeline, the flow of information about fuel supplies during a crisis is important for informing the public about the expected duration and implications of the crisis..."
BOB KAMMAN
Attorney and Tax Accountant
Public Winner

Kamman provides tax advice and prepares tax returns for several hundred clients. But one of his passions is scanning campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State?s Office by candidates for state offices.

He is a supporter of the Clean Elections public campaign funding system, saying that the best way to preserve the system is to keep it honest. Kamman filed numerous complaints against candidates during the 2002 election and several of these turned into enforcement actions by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission.
DARYL JAMES
East Valley Tribune
Journalist Winner

James, a reporter for the Tribune in the East Valley, wrote a story with a headline, ?Veil over school pay.? In the spring of 2004, he used freedom of information requests to tests charter schools? compliance with the Arizona Public Records act. In another story, ?School crime reports paint a blurry picture,? James challenged the accuracy of school crime reports at many East Valley schools. And for ?Reading, writing and lawsuits,? James used multiple FOI requests and court records for a third investigation in March on the amount of money East Valley school districts were spending on attorney fees and court costs.
PAUL GIBLIN
East Valley Tribune
Journalist Winner

Giblin, a reporter at the Tribune in the East Valley, wrote a story with the headline, ?E. Valley pays, W. Valley plays.? For the Aug. 10 article, he used public documents to illustrate huge funding disparities from a state agency set up to build public sports facilities, funded by public taxes. In an Oct. 26, story, ?Police official?s past open rift in force,? Giblin used a variety of records to document internal police concerns about the Scottsdale Police Department?s top civilian official, administrative services director Helen Gandara Zavala.
TOM ARVISO
Navajo Times
Journalist Winner

The Navajo Times Publishing Co. Inc. began official operation as a for-profit corporation on Jan. 1, 2004. Prior to that, since 1960, the Navajo Times was owned and operated as a division of the Navajo Nation Government. During its tenure as a Navajo tribal department, the Navajo Times was constantly under political pressure from Navajo leaders and the tribal council to present news that was slanted toward the tribal government and would put tribal leaders and officials in a positive spotlight.
TERRANCE CORRIGAN
White Mountain Independent
Journalist Winner

Corrigan used open records/meeting reporting, editorials effectively. He has continued to regularly generate opinion pieces discussing the laws that require government boards and commissions to conduct their business openly. These opinions have resulted in more openness and educated citizens on Open Records and Open Meeting law in Arizona.
BECKY PALLACK
Arizona Daily Star
Journalist Winner

Pallack, a reporter with the Arizona Daily Star, has less than two years experience in the field. But she is proving to be a champion of the First Amendment and has built for herself a passion and base of knowledge on the issue, which is rare for someone so green.
ROSA CIRIANNI
East Valley Tribune
Journalist Winner

Cirianni, reporter at the Tribune in the East Valley, frequently uses Freedom of Information requests and continually pursues her right to review public records so she can write about pertinent subjects of public interest.
JENNIFER RYAN
East Valley Tribune
Journalist Winner

Ryan, a reporter at the Tribune in the East Valley, last year worked on a project involving police pursuits. It would not have been possible without the extensive use of public records requests under the Freedom of Information Act. Ryan queried seven major law enforcement agencies in Maricopa County for hundreds of police records that became the lifeblood of the project. The reports revealed 25 pursuit-related deaths since 1989 and more than 80 injuries over the past five years.
CAROL ANN ALAIMO
Arizona Daily Star
Journalist Winner

Alaimo, a military reporter at the Arizona Daily Star, day after day faces unanswered phone calls, slamming doors and various versions on ?no comment.? Oftentimes, even for the simplest of requests, she is forced to resort to filing Freedom of Information Act requests.
ENRIC "RIC" VOLANTE
Arizona Daily Star
Journalist Winner

Volante, a reporter at the Arizona Daily Star, is a computer-assisted reporter whose job revolves almost entirely around public records. Almost every story he writes is based on public documents he diligently seeks simply by asking, by building relationships with public officials or by filing Freedom of Information Act requests. For a story with the headline, ?Leaking fuel tanks foul soil, water under our feet,? Volante used state records to produce an investigative story about how leaking fuel tanks foul the soil and water under our feet. When he downloaded the leaking underground storage tank data from the state Dept. of Environmental Quality Web site, he found it was seriously incomplete and that the public was not getting accurate information.
KELLY CROWLEY
Payson Roundup
Journalist Winner

In four separate stories, Crowley, a reporter at the Payson Roundup, recognized injustices were about to occur. Although she is a fairly new reporter, Crowley led the charge to ensure that those injustices did not happen. Through her efforts, a gag order was prevented and the public?s right to know was protected.
THE STAFF
Arizona Republic
Journalist Winner

The Arizona Republic staff aggressively used the Freedom of Information Act when Reporting on Prison Standoff. The staff dissected the nation?s longest prison standoff and the circumstances in the state corrections department that allowed it to happen.

The Republic Team, led by Pat Flannery, a senior reporter covering pubic money issues, reported on a detailed examination of lawsuits against governments and money paid to settle. The team of eight local government reporters and the county beat reporter examined lawsuits against city, state and county governments over three years. Flannery and some of the reporters waged a number of Freedom of Information battles for data and other information needed. The other reporters were: Christina Leonard, Alia Rau, Adam Klawonn, Edythe Jensen, Monica Dunsmoor, Marty Sauerzopf, Chuck Kelly, David Madrid, Stephanie Paterik and Leslie Wright.
TERRENCE CORRIGAN
White Mountain Independent
Journalist Winner

Terry was instrumental in getting the White Mountain Lake Fire District to realize they were violating the open meeting law. His coverage resulted in the fire district board admitting guilt to 19 violations of the law. Terry also wrote at least 5 editorials this past year asking/insisting on openness by public bodies.

Terry is perhaps at his best when he is insisting that public business should not be done behind closed doors. His editorial on Tuesday Nov. 26, 2002 ends with the words: ?Don?t take us wrong here, most of our local governing boards do their best to conduct business openly and we appreciate it. But for those few who continue to flaunt the law we will continue to point it out. Openness in the conduct of government is essential to a free society.? This is Terry?s second FOI award. Terry was nominated by his Publisher, Greg Tock.
DR. RICHARD A. PARKER
Northern Arizona University ~ School of Communication
Public Winner

Richard Parker is a leading and nationally recognized First Amendment scholar who has championed Freedom of Expression issues throughout his career as a university professor. Dr. Parker has just published a book entitled "Free Speech on Trial: Communication Perspectives on landmark Supreme Court Decisions." (University of Alabama Press, 2003). The book includes 19 essays that focus on landmark cases in free speech law and how these cases contribute to our democratic society.

Dr. Parker is a professor of Speech Communication in the School of Communication at Northern Arizona University. He is a lifetime member of the Freedom of Expression Interest Group of the National Communication Association where he contributes his research findings on Freedom of Expression issues each year. He has been a regular contributor and editor of the Free Speech Yearbook and has published widely in the field. Dr. Parker was nominated by Roger Lavery, Dean of the NAU School of Communication.