TVW to receive Toby Nixon Award at 2023 Sunshine Breakfast
TVW, the regional television network that covers state and local government meetings and activities as well as important public interest programming, will be honored at this year’s Sunshine Breakfast and Awards program on Friday, March 17. WashCOG board members voted unanimously to present TVW the Toby Nixon Award, the highest honor bestowed by the organization, for its many years of dedication to providing access for millions of Washington citizens.
Reservations are no longer being accepted for the annual Sunshine Breakfast, which takes place on March 17 at T-Mobile Park.
TVW webcasts, broadcasts government action
Olympia-based TVW is marking its 30th year as a statewide, multiplatform media outlet that provides unedited coverage of government, politics and public policy. It has consistently promoted open government, public engagement and thoughtful policy debates.
The Toby Nixon Award, formerly the James Madison Award, recognizes individuals or organizations whose appreciation and respect for open government are demonstrated by exemplary words or deeds. The Coalition renamed the award in 2022 in honor of its former president, Toby Nixon. He remains active as WashCOG’s president emeritus.
WashCOG President Mike Fancher pointed out that the Coalition gave the 2009 Madison Award to Stan Marshburn and Denny Heck, cofounders of TVW. “That award went to them personally for their vision and creation of TVW. The 2023 award goes to TVW itself for its continuing excellence in promoting open government and public involvement,” Fancher said.
“I hope this recognition of TVW prompts Washingtonians to fully appreciate how fortunate we are to have such an outstanding advocate for transparency and accountability. It exists to serve all of us, and it deserves our support and attention,” Fancher added. Learn more about TVW’s work and its award here.
WashCOG honors contributions to Coalition
WashCOG will recognize its board member Peggy Watt with the James Andersen Award for her contributions to the Coalition and government transparency. In addition to editing the coalition’s newsletter and helping organize several events, including the recent Open Government Town Hall, she was instrumental in the 2022 launch of WashCOG’s new website.
The Andersen Award was named for the late James Andersen, a founding member of the Coalition. He was a state legislator and an appellate judge who rose to chief justice of the state Supreme Court. The award recognizes either individuals or organizations whose outstanding efforts significantly advance WashCOG’s work.
Legislators recognized
Two state lawmakers will receive the Clyde Ballard/Alan Thompson Award for their commitment to open government during the 2022 legislative session. Former state Rep. Emily Wicks and state Rep. Gerry Pollet, a WashCOG board member, played central roles in the passage of House Bill 1329 in 2022. It significantly updated the state Open Public Meetings Act.
Among other things, the new law requires governing bodies to allow public comment at or before regular meetings at which final action is taken. It also requires governing bodies to enter the reasons for executive sessions in the meeting minutes. The award is named for founding WashCOG members Clyde Ballard, the Republican former speaker of the state House, and the late Alan Thompson, a Democratic legislator who served for many years as chief clerk of the state House.
Crosscut honored with Bunting Award
The online news site Crosscut will be honored with the 2022 Kenneth F. Bunting Award for outstanding journalism that advances Washington’s open government laws. Crosscut’s ongoing series, Washington Recovery Watch, relied on government records to determine how state agencies are spending billions of dollars of federal funds on pandemic relief and infrastructure.
The journalists’ findings and the library of records they compiled are posted on the Crosscut site for the public to explore.
Oregon media entrepreneur to give keynote
Two-time Pulitzer prize finalist and noted journalist Les Zaitz will be the keynote speaker for the 2023 Sunshine Breakfast at T-Mobile Ballpark in Seattle. Zaitz has been honored five times with Oregon’s top investigative reporting award and served as editor and investigative reporter for more than four decades. A recent interview for the Poynter Institute with Poynter’s local news faculty member, Kristen Hare, reveals Les thought he would be taking it easy on his Oregon ranch by now but that’s not exactly a picture of his life these days.
“Zaitz figured that by 2018, he’d be retired, ’riding horses, checking fence and chasing a few cows on my ranch.’ Instead, he’s running the weekly Malheur Enterprise and last year launched the online site The Salem Reporter. My passion is to pass on to future generations of journalists the reporting skills and professional ethics that have guided my work for 40-plus years.”
WashCOG Executive Director Juli Bunting said having Zaitz as a keynoter will bring an added dimension to the event this year.
“We are so fortunate to have someone like Les in the Pacific Northwest and it will be a real treat to hear his musings on journalism, investigative reporting, and our right to know,” she said. “So plan to get your St. Patrick’s Day off to a great start and join us for breakfast at T-Mobile Ballpark. Doors open at 7:30 a.m., parking is free, and complimentary tours of the ballpark will be available after the breakfast. We hope to see you there.”
