Chicago WILDERNESS Snags Lisagor Journalism Award

At its annual awards banquet on April 25, the Chicago Headline Club honored Chicago WILDERNESS Magazine with a Peter Lisagor Award for Exemplary Journalism. The club, a chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, awarded Chicago WILDERNESS Editor Debra Shore its award for best magazine editorials in 2002. Commenting on editorials titled "Everyday Heroes", "First, Do No Harm", and "Vacant Land", the judges said, "These editorials have a wise and lovely voice."

The Headline Club also nominated writer David Weissman as a finalist for best feature story in a general circulation magazine, for his portrayal of activist and teacher Jim Phillips ("Farewell to the Fox," CW, Spring '02). Of that article, the judges said, "With concern for environmental issues at a peak, this story is as relevant today as it was in the subject's heyday — and it has reader interest for the local community as well as a more global readership. It was inspiring (where are more activists like this guy?) and well written."

The Chicago Headline Club established the Lisagor Awards in 1977 to honor the lifetime achievements of influential journalist Peter Lisagor. According to the club, the awards competition attracts entries from 600 individual journalists and publications each year and has "grown to become Chicago's premier local journalism contest."

Congratulations, Debra and David.

— Don Parker