EUGENE–A Northwest leader in broadcasting has endowed a new award for professional and student journalists who demonstrate the highest ethical practices in their work, says Tim Gleason, University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication dean.

The $106,000 endowment at the UO School of Journalism and Communication to support the cash awards is the gift of Ancil Payne, former president and chief executive officer of King Broadcasting Co. The UO journalism school will oversee the selection of journalists to receive the Ancil Payne Awards for Meritorious Journalism.

"The Payne Awards will reward the excellent work of serious journalists who are serving the public interest and will stand as a strong symbol of the enduring importance of the traditional values of public interest journalism," Gleason added.

"I was struck by the problems of ethics in the journalism world today," Payne says of his motivation for establishing the gift. "I felt that, perhaps, better ethical practices throughout the profession could be encouraged by illuminating ethical stands taken by individual journalists, especially in difficult situations. For example, a news director who decides to air a story despite potential loss of advertising would be deserving of the award," Payne explained.

The Ancil Payne Awards for Meritorious Journalism will be given to working and student journalists in print, broadcast and new media in the Northwest. Gleason and Payne are still refining the criteria for "meritorious journalism," but agree that the awards will recognize practices that help people understand complex issues and find solutions for the problems society faces. Details of the award criteria and application process will be announced later.

Payne is a native Oregonian, the recipient of the UO Pioneer Award and a member of the Journalism Advancement Council. From 1965 to 1970, Payne was the general manager of KGW-TV. He served 15 years as the president of King Broadcasting Co. of Portland and Seattle. He resides in Seattle.

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