IJHF announces its 2020 inductees

Feb. 19, 2020

Update (April 28, 2020): The induction ceremony, originally scheduled for May 16, has been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

A mentor, nicknamed “newsroom mother,” who helped to diversify her news staffs, a photojournalist who caught the moment the bat met the ball for Pete Rose’s 3,000th hit an empathetic reporter whose work revealed the culture of sexual abuse at USA Gymnastics, and two editors who directed newsrooms through decades of “wrenching” change are among the 2020 inductees to the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame.

Leisa Richardson, the Executive Editor of the State Journal Register in Springfield, Ill.; Tim Evans, investigative and consumer reporter for the Indianapolis Star; the late Ed Reinke, photojournalist for The Associated Press; Tim Harmon, retired Editor of the South Bend Tribune and currently editorial writer for the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, and Bob Zaltsberg, who recently retired after 33 years as Editor of the Bloomington Herald-Times, will be honored in the ceremony May 16 at the Marriott at Keystone, Indianapolis.

Meet the inductees:

Tim Evans has been celebrated for his work exposing the culture and policies at USA Gymnastics that resulted in hundreds of gymnasts being abused. Colleagues and bosses credit his work ethic, never-ending mentoring and ability to be a team player. He was the first reporter to confront USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar about sexual abuse allegations. In addition to his investigative reporting, Evans brings the same thorough, compassionate approach to his work as a consumer reporter with “his baby” — the Hoosier Call to Action consumer hotline. The program allows people in Indiana to reach out to volunteers who help solve their problems, be they as small as a $25 gift card never received to thousands of dollars in insurance payments never paid. So far, the program has saved Hoosiers more than $1.5 million. In addition, it has kept people from eviction, restored water service and helped resolve a dispute among neighbors. In the process Evans has changed state and federal laws for the benefit of the people of Indiana.

Tim Harmon, a Kentucky transplant and an Indiana University graduate, is described as a compassionate, patient mentor who “never lost enthusiasm for a story well told.” He worked as Managing Editor of the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, the Managing Editor of the Times of NW Indiana and the Editor of the South Bend Tribune. He led the Tribune through the transition from afternoon to morning publication, shoring up the bureau system, and developed convergence relationships with sister radio stations, all with tightening resources. After he “retired,” Harmon returned to the Journal-Gazette, on an interim basis, as an editorial writer. Interim turned into permanent and he continues writing award-winning editorials. Although he could confine his research to phone interviews and Internet searches, colleagues say, he often chooses to attend city council meetings or community forums and listen to debates firsthand.

Ed Reinke was a visual storyteller who worked for the Cincinnati Enquirer before joining the Associated Press. Colleagues say “he saw what others didn’t,” often capturing decisive moments. With his signature red plaid jacket, he was equally as comfortable at local football games as he was at national and international sports events, from the Olympics and World Series to the Kentucky Derby and the Masters golf tournament. He covered the Ronald Reagan administration and the Bill Clinton inauguration. Reinke died in 2011 after suffering a fatal head injury during a fall while covering an auto race. He is remembered with a scholarship at IU, where he learned photojournalism from Will Counts, and with the Reinke Grant for Storytelling. He is also remembered today with a red plaid sticker with his name that is displayed on the cameras of many photographers who knew him.

Leisa Richardson, a graduate of Ball State, has helped diversify news staffs, hiring dozens of people of color and women, as she has worked in newsrooms from the Anderson Herald-Bulletin and the Cincinnati Enquirer. She also worked 17 years at the Indianapolis Star in a variety of jobs from Metro/ Region editor to Regional Planning Director. She is currently Executive Editor of the Springfield, Ill., State Journal Register. Colleagues say her “impact has been wide and deep” over her 40-year career. She was the first African American to lead a mainstream daily newsroom in Indiana and has led organizations for journalists of color for decades. One of those is the UNITY Journalists of Color, which represents several other organizations.

Bob Zaltsberg, the son of a department store owner, had plans to follow a mentor to Louisville after a few years at the Bloomington Herald Telephone. But after working several years, half the time as a news reporter and half as a sports reporter, he got the signal that his bosses considered him editor material. He stayed in that position for 33 years, retiring as Editor of what became the Herald-Times. He led the newspaper through the transition from afternoon to morning circulation, through the addition of a Sunday edition, into the digital age and, along the way, collected two Blue Ribbon Newspaper honors. He was involved in the Bloomington community as well as state and national journalism organizations. Colleagues say his respectful, steady hand allowed him to “run the newspaper the way a top-notch conductor runs a symphony.”

About us:

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 its archives and materials. The Hall strives to preserve the history and stories of journalism in Indiana.