Society Of Professional Journalists Pulls Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award

by Alex Alvarez | 10:34 am, January 18th, 2011

» 6 comments

Helen Thomas may be writing again – she’s resumed her column for the Falls Church News-Press – but that doesn’t mean the Society of Professional Journalists are keen on having her name associated with their honorees after her much-discussed comments regarding Jewish people.

Late last week, the SPJ quietly announced that it would “retire” its Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award, effectively doing away with a lifetime achievement award altogether. Not that the organization is against free speech of anything, it’s just, uh. Complicated:

A prominent objection to taking any action was that of Helen Thomas’ free speech rights. SPJ staunchly believes Helen Thomas and all people in the United States have a right to free speech. The Society defends that fundamental legal right as a core organizational mission, even when the speech is unpopular, vile or considered offensive.

However, the controversy surrounding this award has overshadowed the reason it exists. To continue offering the award would reignite the controversy each year and take away from its purpose: honoring a lifetime of work in journalism. No individual worthy of such honor should have to face this controversy. No honoree should have to decide if the possible backlash is worth being recognized for his or her contribution to journalism.

The award was created in 2000, with Thomas herself as its first recipient. Previously, Wayne State University decided to suspend its Helen Thomas Diversity Award in the wake of her comments.

Big Eddie

No one tell Scoop Christopher .
BatBoy

Stay out of Tommy’s way today, he will be all twitterpated about the news today concerning Helen.

Most likely will fly into a rage and hurt someone….to calm down, he will just have to write an article somehow slamming Sarah Palin…that will make him feel better – always does!
Dem4Ever

I saw her rant against Jews. Her Palastinian parents and upbring must have had a profound influence on her. She really resents the fact that Jews live in Israel. She harbors a mountain of hostility. Just look at her picture.
http://gordonbloyershow.com gordonbloyershow

Helen Thomas is a liberal icon. She represents the lib ideaology. Why would anyone want to be associated with her or any lib? The lib gene is the answer. They all have the same mental condition. Just read Tommy Christopher.
aidenlambert

Nice job there. Cave in to any bunch of gobshites who can organise a “controversy” and then patronise the subject of the same by stating it’s all been done to save them from having “to face this contoversy”. Who are these spineless amoeba?
X-3

I was speaking with my daughter today about her journal. She asked if keeping a jouranal was like being a reporter. We examined the differences between reporting and keeping a journal, so I asked her to tell me what she thought those differences might be.

She thought and said: A reporter tells people about things that happen and the things a reporter writes are Who, What, When, Where, and How. A reporter doesn’t offer Why, because that requires the reporter to offer an analysis based on their opinion. She went on to say that a reporter should report all the facts that are known because to not report all the facts leaves the reader with an incomplete picture concerning an event.

In Helen Thomas, we have a woman who has, many times, stated that all reporters should be liberals, and that it was her job, as a reporter, to shape the opinions of her readers.

My daughter is only 11, but in thinking about what she said–assuming reporting and language skills were equal–I believe I would rather read an article written by her than one written by Helen Thomas any day. At least I know I would get the truth from my daughter.