Announcing Founders’ Day 2026 award winners!

Posted on Posted in Chapter News

Our annual Founders’ Day event is fast approaching, and we want you to join us! Tickets are available here for our celebration, which will take place at 5:30 p.m., April 15 at the Columbus Center for Architecture and Design. An open bar and hors d’oeuvres are included, along with a silent auction, with proceeds benefiting student scholarships.

Additionally, we will be honoring Chapter award winners at the event. The Chapter is pleased to announce this year’s award winners, who can be found below.

Award winners

First Amendment Award: The Columbus Dispatch, for its legal efforts to secure the release of public information withheld by law enforcement entities under Marsy’s Law.

Appreciation Awards:

  • Eric Lyttle (posthumous), a longtime journalist and former SPJ Central Ohio Chapter president who died in April 2025.
  • USA Today Network, for coverage of vicious dog attacks, which culminated in lawmakers’ enactment of “Avery’s Law.”
  • Colleen Marshall, NBC4, for coverage of Ohio State University in relation to Les Wexner and Richard Strauss.
  • Garth Bishop, outgoing SPJ Central Ohio board member, treasurer, and former Chapter president.

Lifetime Achievement Award:

  • Ann B. Walker (posthumous), who was the first female and African-American journalist to cover Columbus City Hall and the State of Ohio.
  • Kent Cahlander, who retired as editor of Gongwer News Service in 2025 after 30+ years in journalism.
  • Jim Provance, who retired in 2025 as Columbus bureau chief for the Toledo Blade after a 40-year career with the paper.

Ohio Journalism Historic Site Award: The Lima News, which was founded as the Daily Democratic Times in 1884.

The Brick Wall Award, a dubious distinction for individuals or organizations violating the spirit of the First Amendment, will be announced at the event.