Hall to induct new members May 20

May 17, 2017

A Pulitzer Prize winner, a newspaper trailblazer, an innovative storyteller and columnist who moved readers to action are among the 2017 inductees of the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame.

Reporter and newspaper owner Ann Allen, columnist Dale Moss, Pulitzer winner Tim Nickens and writer/editor Eunice Trotter will be honored in the ceremony May 20 at the Columbia Club in Indianapolis.

Meet the 2017 inductees:

The late Ann Allen captured the essence of the Akron community for the Rochester Sentinel through her column, Fleeting Moments, according to her nominators. Lauded for her ability to report stories of people from all backgrounds, including war veterans, immigrants or “the guy who collected cereal box prizes,” Allen also was intrepid. She once confronted a white supremacist promoting his beliefs to Tippecanoe Valley High School students.

Dale Moss worked as a reporter, editor and columnist for the (Louisville, Kentucky) Courier-Journal after he graduated from Indiana University in 1975 until he retired in 2012. Through his column, Sunny Side of Louisville, Moss made readers think, sometimes shaking them outside their comfort zones, said his nominators. Moss lives near the Ohio River in a house built by his great-great-grandparents during the Civil War.

Tim Nickens is the editor of editorials at the Tampa Bay Times. With columnist Daniel Ruth, he shared the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for a series of editorials explaining why fluoride is critical to dental health and successfully urging county officials to restore fluoride to the water supply. He also won the 2013 Scripps Howard Foundation’s Walker Stone Award for his editorial writing during 2012.

Eunice Trotter’s passion for journalism began when she was a teen columnist for the Indianapolis Recorder, a position that led her through a series of firsts as she crossed the country working for a number of newspapers. She was the first African-American to serve as an editor at the Indianapolis Star, became owner-editor at the Recorder, then worked for newspapers in California, New York and Florida. She returned to Indiana as enterprise editor, then assistant business editor at The Star.  She now is a communications specialist for American Senior Communities and is a member of the board of the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame.

The inductees join more than 250 innovative journalists who have been honored since the Hall of Fame began in 1966.

In addition to inductees, the hall of fame will award the John P. McMeel Distinguished Service Award to Dan Byron, an attorney who has championed the First Amendment and press freedom during his long career. A graduate of the Indiana University School of Law, Byron has defended the First Amendment and journalists throughout his career, including working with the International Senior Lawyers Project to end repercussions against journalists in Ghana and Mongolia, and representing journalists pro bono with the Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society. He is president of the Indiana Debate Commission, serves on the boards of several media advocacy organizations and is general counsel for the Indiana Broadcasters Association.

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Established in 1966, the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame honors media professionals with Indiana ties in its annual induction ceremony. It is a partner of the Indiana University Media School, which houses the hall of fame’s archives and materials at Franklin Hall at IU Bloomington.

American Senior Communities is the sponsor for 52nd annual Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Attend the luncheon:

The luncheon begins with a 10:30 a.m. reception May 20 at the Columbia Club in Indianapolis, followed by lunch at 11:30 a.m. and program at 12:30 p.m.

Tickets are $50 each, $25 children 12 and younger. To reserve your spot, print out the ticket order form, complete the information and enclose your check. Deadline is May 10.

Questions?