Fitzpatrick wins award

Ex-Beacon Journal editor wins award

By Marilyn Miller
Beacon Journal staff writer
CLEVELAND - Pulitzer Prize-winning editor Al Fitzpatrick, formerly of the Akron Beacon Journal, is the winner of the 2004 American Journalism Historians Association local journalist award.

Fitzpatrick, who worked for 29 years at the Beacon Journal, was its first black reporter. He was news editor in 1970 when he supervised the newspaper's coverage of the May 4 Kent State University shootings. In 1977 he was executive editor.

In 1979, Fitzpatrick became coordinator of minority affairs for the Knight Ridder chain, owner of the Beacon Journal. He later moved to corporate headquarters, then in Miami, where he rose to assistant vice president.

He retired from Knight Ridder in 1994.

Fitzpatrick reminded journalists Thursday not to forget their fundamental responsibility -- to investigate and tell both sides of the story. He said people have easier access to information because of technology, but that doesn't ensure instant credibility. It's the journalist's job to sort through information and bring credibility to the table, he said.

Fitzpatrick was interim dean of journalism at Howard University in Washington, D.C., for a year and occasionally teaches a journalism course called Managing Diversity at his alma mater, Kent State.

His award was given during the AJHA convention held this week in Cleveland. The 23-year-old organization fosters research and teaching of journalism history.
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or 800-777-7232 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com

[Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio, Friday, October 22, 2004, page B7, col. 1]