This award could have only been introduced by the Fountainhead's Ellsworth Toohey, who said: "Don't set out to raze all shrines—you'll frighten men. Enshrine mediocrity, and the shrines are razed."

Turns out, Society of Professional Journalists (improving and protecting journalism since 1909) has this -

Helen Thomas Award
for Lifetime Achievement

Here's the list of recipients:

2009 Honoree
Robert Churchwell
Read press release

Past Honorees
2008Caryl Rivers
2007 Chuck Stone
2006 Stan Chambers
2005 Alan Walden, WBAL Baltimore
2004 Tom Brokaw, NBC News
2003 Ed Barber, The Independent Florida Alligator
2002 Tom and Pat Gish, publishers and owners of The Mountain Eagle in Whitesburg, Ky.
2001 No award given
2000 Helen Thomas, former senior UPI White House correspondent


In the words of Ayn Rand, "Mediocrity doesn't mean average intelligence, it means an average intelligence that resents and envies its betters." It's the best definition of liberalism I've ever seen.

Just in case the Society decides to scrap or rename the award after another mediocrity, here's what their page currently displays:

Awards
Helen Thomas Award
for Lifetime Achievement

Each year, the Society may present the Helen Thomas Award to an individual or individuals for a lifetime of contribution to the journalism profession.

Click here to download the entry form.

The Award is named after longtime White House correspondent Helen Thomas, a living icon of journalism for her dogged pursuit of the truth in a career that has spanned almost 60 years. Thomas received the first award in 2000.

Eligibility
Nominations are open.

Nominations
Nomination form should be accompanied by letter(s) of recommendation which addresses why the nominee is deserving of this national recognition. Additional supporting materials are welcomed.

Winner Announcement and Presentation
Winner will be announced and honored at the President's Installation Banquet at the SPJ National Convention. Winners are presented with a sculpture.

Deadlines

Nominations must be postmarked on or before March 18. Nominations should be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:

Helen Thomas Award
Society of Professional Journalists
3909 N. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46208

Fax: 317/920-4789
[email protected]

Hey, I have a perfect candidate for the 2010 award -


SUBMIT YOUR ENTRIES BELOW. YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO FORWARD THEM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS AT SPJ.

Oh, and since the site says that "Winners are presented with a sculpture" but isn't showing what sculpture exactly, another assignment for our People's Media Watchdogs would be to locate (or make up) the image and post it here.

Glorious Director Red Square!

I of hope to humbly submit an ideal progressive candidate for this award.
One worthy of great Collective, and possessing all attributes of grand media and educational benefit of our State!

Ward Churchill!

While refusing to belong to any media publication, as one he would be part of is elevated over others, Ward "speaks truth to power", and rightly deserves to be considered!

Boris Badanoff wrote:Ward Churchill!

You may have noticed that the year of 2001 had no honorees. It is my suspicion that Ward Churchill has been a secret recipient of the Award for that memorable year when the AmeriKKKan imperialism was dealt a death blow by the useful Islamic freedom-fighters. Come to think of it, Ward Churchill may as well have shared it with Noam Chomsky.

My Comrades

I hereby nominate Myself!

I am the Beloved Tyrant and Dear Leader of the People's Utopia of Zimbabwe.

All honours and accolades that humankind can bestow on a human being belong to me!

"Dogged pursuit of the truth": I am the Truth!
If it is about reporting the news: I am the News!

Of course, anyone who nominates someone else will be sent for immediate End-Of-Life -Counseling.

Amandla!

Obamugabe

Comrade Red Square......

I as simple prole have no knowledge of such priviledged information of secret awards!
This is reserved for those Commisar(ka)s and Politburo members with necessary power to mold and shape the Collective!

If this be so, then I humbly accept that either Ward or Noam is most deserving recipients of high journalistic award!

May I then suggest the Dan Rather as substitute. Him having been on leading edge of discovering the BusHilter's derilection of duties and overall anti-progressive behaviors, and also, like our Award Named Helen Thomas, required to inspect undercarriage of the glorious Collective Journalists' bus?

Comrade R Square

It would be of great travesty if Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan did not have honor bestowed upon him. Comrade Buchanan has made great effort in setting records straight with regards to the misunderstandings of Hitler.

Pat condemns British invasion of Germany


V D Sphincter

VictorDerSphincter wrote:Comrade R Square

It would be of great travesty if Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan did not have honor bestowed upon him. Comrade Buchanan has made great effort in setting records straight with regards to the misunderstandings of Hitler.

Pat condemns British invasion of Germany


V D Sphincter

Some words in close proximity to other words will not be allowed by The Party.

For example:
"Hitler" may not reside within five words of "good".

To illustrate:
"Hitler was good at speaking" is strictly verboten. Counting to the right of Hitler we clearly are under the five word minimum.

Likewise, "Hitler spoke often concerning the good of Germany" would be nicht erlaubt for it also is under the minimum.

Conversely, "Hitler spoke often and loudly concerning the good of Germany" would be allowable but is ill advised due to its offensive potential.

Therefore, for safety and sensibility the Party advises that the words "Hitler" and "good" be in separate paragraphs or separate chapters.
¹ Joseph Stalin, Approved Word Proximity (Moscow: Red Press, 1947), 113.

Boris Badanoff wrote:Glorious Director Red Square!

I of hope to humbly submit an ideal progressive candidate for this award.
One worthy of great Collective, and possessing all attributes of grand media and educational benefit of our State!

Ward Churchill!

picture-400.png

While refusing to belong to any media publication, as one he would be part of is elevated over others, Ward "speaks truth to power", and rightly deserves to be considered!

That's some scary dental work in Ward's mouth, glad to know he's had time while denouncing Amerikka to take full advantage of his medical plan. So is is the 'journalist' definition being used loosely here, as in The One's definition of 'Taxes'? While Ward is certainly a gemstone of the collective crown, I always considered him an 'educator'.

General Mousey-Tongue wrote:

Boris Badanoff wrote:Glorious Director Red Square!

I of hope to humbly submit an ideal progressive candidate for this award.
One worthy of great Collective, and possessing all attributes of grand media and educational benefit of our State!

Ward Churchill!

picture-400.png

While refusing to belong to any media publication, as one he would be part of is elevated over others, Ward "speaks truth to power", and rightly deserves to be considered!

That's some scary dental work in Ward's mouth, glad to know he's had time while denouncing Amerikka to take full advantage of his medical plan. So is is the 'journalist' definition being used loosely here, as in The One's definition of 'Taxes'? While Ward is certainly a gemstone of the collective crown, I always considered him an 'educator'.

To General Mousey-Tongue:
Permission to speak candidly, Sir?
[In the Chicago Way, I presume the answer is "Yes"]


You seem to have forgotten a vital Truth of the Party:

"'Education' IS 'Journalism' and vice-versa."

The Peoples' Heroine Hero, Helen Thomas, always exhibited recognition of, and always dilligently applied the fusion of "education" of the masses into, the role of "journalists" in "informing" the masses in educational ways. She never let a "teaching opportunity" to go by in her posture as a "journalist."

Thus, the namesake of this award was, as is the faux descendant of the Indigenous-Pre-Columbian/Post-Pangeans, "Ward Churchill," an "educator." Thus, his and her roles for the Party are virtually indistinguishable. Of course the same could be said for the Erudite William Ayers.

Indeed, there are so many who geniuinely deserve the Helen Thomas Award that perhaps we must grant awards to the top 1,000 nominees (or whatever is the total number of employees at ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, NYT, WaPo, LaTimes, NPR, etc.-- indeed, perhaps the number should be 10,000).

We've also recently learned another important Truth about you: That your success as a General is Morally Identical to, and the Moral Equivalent of, the Moral Authority alleged to have been possess by Mother Teresa.

--Thought-Crime Warden