Jane Pauley, host of “CBS Sunday Morning,” and Ann Pistone, an investigative journalist with ABC 7 Chicago, received awards from DePaul University’s Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence on April 19, 2018. DePaul honored Pauley and Pistone for work that embodies the highest principles of journalism, including truth, accuracy, fairness and context.
Both journalists have connections to Chicago. Early in her career, Pauley joined NBC station WMAQ-TV and was one of the first women to anchor major evening newscasts in Chicago. Pistone has spent her career in the city after earning her bachelor’s degree in communication from DePaul.
Center co-directors Carol Marin and Don Moseley presented the awards at an invitation-only event. Previous recipients of the awards are Lester Holt of “NBC Nightly News” and data journalist and DePaul alumnus Ben Welsh of the L.A. Times.
“DePaul is committed to the highest standards of journalism through the Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence,” said Salma Ghanem, dean of the College of Communication. “Journalists like Jane Pauley and Ann Pistone exemplify these standards and are wonderful role models for all journalists.”
Video: Jane Pauley Speaks at the 2018 Center Awards
Video: Ann Pistone Speaks at the 2018 Center Awards
Pauley brings ‘grace, integrity’ to profession
Jane Pauley, Recipient of the Distinguished Journalist Award
One of broadcasting’s most respected journalists, Pauley began her network career as co-host of the “Today” show. She anchored “Dateline NBC” for more than a decade and hosted her own daytime program, “The Jane Pauley Show.”
Jane Pauley received the Distinguished Journalist Award from DePaul University's Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence in 2018. (Photo courtesy of CBS News)
“Grace is not often a word associated with journalists, but Jane Pauley is the personification of grace, dignity and immense integrity,” said Marin. “Jane represents the best practices of our profession and teaches our students by her example.”
Pauley has written two New York Times bestsellers: the 2004 memoir “Skywriting: A Life Out of the Blue” and 2014’s “Your Life Calling: Reimagining the Rest of Your Life.”
Pauley is the recipient of multiple Emmy Awards, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism and the Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding achievement. Pauley is a member of the Broadcast and Cable Hall of Fame.
A longtime advocate in children’s health and education, Pauley is on the board of directors of Children's Health Fund and The Mind Trust. A highly regarded spokesperson in mental health, Pauley is a member of the Leadership Board of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT. She and her husband, Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau, are the parents of three grown children.
Pistone digs for truth in Chicago
Ann Pistone, Recipient of the Distinguished Alumna Award
“Ann Pistone is a superb investigative producer,” said Moseley. “Ann uncovers the truth in hard-to-find places, and she is relentless. But as she has told our students, the ethics of producing a story are as important as the story itself.”
Ann Pistone of ABC 7 Chicago received the Distinguished Alumna Award from DePaul University's Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence in 2018. (Photo by Jazmin Golucki)
Since 1999, Pistone has teamed up with veteran investigative reporters Chuck Goudie and Jason Knowles at ABC 7, producing a body of work that is at the forefront of breaking news in Chicago.
Pistone thrives on getting to the bottom of a story and then making that discovery public. Her investigations have exposed governmental waste, national security flaws, corporate corruption and organized crime. In 2004, she received a National Emmy Award for “Worst Case Scenario,” which exposed how government agencies and chemical companies were unprotected against a deadly terrorist attack.
From 1993 to 1999, Pistone was the investigative producer for Fox 32 Chicago, where she worked with reporter Larry Yellen and anchor Walter Jacobson. There she received an Associated Press award for “High Price of Fashion,” which uncovered child labor and sweatshop conditions in Guatemalan textile factories resulting in major retailers changing their production policies. She also won a Midwest Emmy for “Walter Jacobson’s Perspective.” During her career she also worked as a producer for the CNN and CNBC Midwest bureaus and as a political commentary producer at WGN.
The Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence
A longtime investigative reporting and producing team, Marin and Moseley have been teaching at DePaul since 2003. They have mentored more than 50 interns, showing them the ropes of investigative journalism. In 2016, DePaul launched the Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence in the College of Communication to provide students with more opportunities to gain real-world experience.
Visit The Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence for more information.
Header image: Jeff Carrion/©DePaul University