Alum wins major journalism award

Paul Kane

4:12 p.m., Feb. 4, 2005--Paul Kane, UD alumnus and former managing editor/columnist of The Review, has been named by the National Press Foundation as a co-recipient of the Everett McKinley Dirksen Award for Distinguished Coverage of Congress.

The prestigious award, which was created in 1980 to honor the late Republican senator from Illinois, recognizes individuals whose work shows thoughtful appraisal and insight into the workings of the U.S. Congress.

The National Press Foundation, established in 1975, is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to the professional development of working journalists.

The award will be presented Feb. 17, at the National Press Foundation’s 22nd annual awards dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Kane, who graduated in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in print journalism, was recognized for an article he wrote for Roll Call that looked at a foundation controlled by first lady Laura Bush.

A twice-weekly publication, with about 20,000 subscribers to the print edition, with another 2,000 subscribers to its online version, Roll Call covers the political inhabitants of Capitol Hill. The publication is widely read by those who work in the Washington political arena.

“I cover the Senate,” Kane said. “We are an insider publication, not geared towards a mainstream audience. Our readers are the people who work on Capitol Hill and in the administration.”

Political topics covered by Kane, during his four-plus years at Roll Call, include the inside politics of the Senate, party leadership, fund raising, ethics and legal issues.

The story for which he received the Dirksen Award, “Bush Donors Boost First Lady’s Library Foundation,” appeared in the May 28 issue of Roll Call.

“Fund-raising is a critical component of politics and has always been an interest of mine,” Kane said. “This is one side of Congress that we try to keep the spotlight on.”

While Kane noted in his article that the first lady herself does not actually solicit funds for the foundation, she has spoken at certain events designed to raise money from potential donors.

“I discovered that they had raised $25 million, and the story just grew from there,” Kane said. “We showed how this works.”

Among the list of major donors to the first lady’s foundation, Kane wrote, were CEOs from major corporations, some of whom contributed gifts in excess of $1 million.

The article also noted that while charities sponsored or endorsed by prominent political figures from both sides of the political isle aid the public good, the idea that donors may also have business with the federal government raises questions about possible conflicts of interest.

“There is a question about the level of interest these people have,” Kane said. “For us, it’s about keeping an eye on the political money line, and it is also part of a broader survey.”

For Kane, a typical day begins about 9:30 a.m., when he sets up shop in the press gallery on the third floor of the U.S. Senate Building.

“I usually put down my laptop and start working the phones to Senate aids and advisers,” Kane said. “I try to get a feel for where the week is headed, and try to stay ahead of the news.”

After attending the round of the daily press conferences held by Republicans and Democrats, where reporters may get a chance to speak to individual senators, Kane heads back to Roll Call, where it is not unusual for him to turn out a 400-word story in less than an hour.

“I do this four times a week when Congress is in session,” Kane said. “I also spend a couple of hours there on Fridays.”

Kane, whose career includes general reporting assignments at Wilmington’s News Journal and the Daily Local News in West Chester, Pa., also has worked for the China Daily in Beijing, the States News Service in Washington, D.C., and The Record, a daily newspaper in Hackensack, N.J.

Although now covering world and national politics, Kane said he counts his days at UD’s student-run newspaper, The Review, as among the most rewarding of his journalism career

“Right from the start, I was drawn to journalism. I love to tell stories,” Kane said. “I ended up with the UD administration beat, and I also covered Faculty Senate meetings. In my senior year, I became a managing editor and worked with Archie Tse and Rich Jones.”

Kane recalls his coworkers at The Review as being amazing because they were going to school and running a newspaper at the same time.

“This was an incredible group of people. They had vitality, energy and intelligence,” Kane said. “I look back at that year and a half as my glory years of journalism.”

Richard “Rich” Lezin Jones, who covers the New York Jets for The New York Times, and was editor-in-chief of The Review during Kane’s tenure, was not surprised to learn that Kane had received one of the top awards in journalism.

“The thing that comes to mind immediately about Paul is that he was someone who, from the very earliest stage of his career, understood news judgment, the elements of a good story and ethics. He just got it,” Jones said. “Paul was very solid right from the start. He is an adherent of that old adage about using journalism to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable—he is just a top-notch journalist.”

Archie Tse, who served as executive editor of The Review, recalled when he and Jones hired Kane to cover the University administration beat.

“What I remember best about Paul was that he covered the University administration with the same enthusiasm and professionalism that you would expect from a reporter covering the White House,” Tse said. “Paul’s enthusiasm was infectious, and his determination to keep the administration on its toes was inspiring.”

Dennis Jackson, professor of English, said that because the lion’s share of journalism awards go to reporters from papers like The New York Times and The Washington Post, it is especially nice when a former student wins a major prize like the Dirksen Award.

“Paul has integrity and the quality of self-examination,” Jackson said. “I think that the award is long overdue to a journalist with...talent like Paul. I’ve always known that Paul was going to get where he is.”

Jackson said that the qualities Kane displays as a person and a journalist have earned him earn the trust of the very powerful and sometimes inaccessible figures that he covers.

“Paul is earnest and he is honest, and because he tries to do the best he can, he has sources that trust him,” Jackson said. “He probably gets more stories because he is known as someone who has integrity and can be trusted.”

Ben Yagoda, professor of English and director of UD’s journalism program, said that Kane’s outstanding work at Roll Call includes not only his prize-winning series about charities set up under the names of the politically powerful, but also his incisive coverage of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s unprecedented decision to actively campaign against his Democratic counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, in 2004.

“Paul has done outstanding work at Roll Call. His work is scrupulously reported and strongly written,” Yagoda said. “The UD journalism program is awfully proud to claim him as an alum.”

Kane credits UD journalism faculty and then-political science professors James Soles, professor emeritus of political science and international relations, and Mark Huddleston, now president of Ohio Wesleyan University, as being especially helpful. In recalling the many faculty members who helped him and other students, Kane said that current students should make the most of the many educational opportunities offered at UD.

“I would recommend trying to learn as much as you can while you are here at UD. The professors are great, and it is a one-time opportunity to learn,” Kane said. “I also would recommend dedicating yourself to the school paper. It’s an opportunity to cover a community that should be covered every day.”

Article by Jerry Rhodes

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