Finalist: The Baltimore Sun , by Staff
For the work of Ginger Thompson and Gary Cohn that disclosed the activities of a Honduran army unit that abducted, tortured and murdered political suspects in the 1980s with the knowledge of the CIA.
Winners
Prize Winner in Public Service in 1996:
The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC)
For the work of Melanie Sill, Pat Stith and Joby Warrick on the environmental and health risks of waste disposal systems used in North Carolina's growing hog industry.
Public Service
Finalists
Nominated as finalists in Public Service in 1996:
Staff
For articles revealing questionable favors extended by a local legal publishing company to members of the federal judiciary, including several Supreme court justices.
The Jury
The Jury
Gregory Favre(chair )
executive editor
John M. Armstrong
editor
Karla Garrett Harshaw
editor
Robert H. Phelps
editor, Nieman Reports
Howell Raines*
editorial page editor
Winners in Public Service
The Virgin Islands Daily News
For its disclosure of the links between the region's rampant crime rate and corruption in the local criminal justice system. The reporting, largely the work of Melvin Claxton, initiated political reforms.
Akron Beacon Journal
For its broad examination of local racial attitudes and its subsequent effort to promote improved communication in the community.
The Miami Herald
For coverage that not only helped readers cope with Hurricane Andrew's devastation but also showed how lax zoning, inspection and building codes had contributed to the destruction.
The Sacramento (CA) Bee
For "The Sierra in Peril," reporting by Tom Knudson that examined environmental threats and damage to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California.
1996 Prize Winners
Herb Caen
For his extraordinary and continuing contribution as a voice and conscience of his city.
Bob Keeler
For his detailed portrait of a progressive local Catholic parish and its parishioners.
E.R. Shipp
For her penetrating columns on race, welfare and other social issues.