Detroit Press Club Foundation Gives 'Golden Wheel' Award to Newsweek, ABC News

    DETROIT, Jan. 7 Journalists from Newsweek magazine and ABC
News/Good Morning America took top awards in the Detroit Press Club
Foundation's 36th annual International Wheel Awards announced in ceremonies at
Cobo Center Sunday night during the North American International Auto Show in
Detroit.
    Judged best of the best from among all entries and winning the coveted
Golden Wheel Award were the Reporting -- Special Interest Magazine entry "Ford
vs. Firestone," submitted by Keith Naughton and Mark Hosenball of Newsweek
magazine, and the Reporting -- Television entry, "Airbag or Murder," submitted
by Greg Hunter and Andrew Paparella of ABC News/Good Morning America.
    Judges said the Newsweek article was "an insightful investigation of what
Firestone and Ford knew about faulty tires and when they knew it.  It starts
with an excellent anecdote and continues with significant interview, insider
information and document analyses."
    Regarding the broadcast entry, judges said, "When technology holds a
possible answer as to the matter of murder or accident, it captures an
audience's attention.  This report is balanced and thorough."
    The Foundation also presented a special citation to Wayne Klein,
Foundation secretary, who for more than 35 years has furthered the
Foundation's Wheel and Excellence in Journalism awards programs.  In
appreciation of his years of service, Foundation President Edward Lapham
announced a new prize to begin in 2002, the Wayne Klein Excellence in
Journalism Award.
    The International Wheel Awards honors the best in coverage of the
automotive industry.  Cash prizes including separate $2,500 Golden Wheel
awards are presented to the print and broadcast journalists whose work is
judged the best among all entries.  The competition was established by the
36-year-old Detroit Press Club Foundation in line with its charter to reward
and encourage excellence in journalism, and in recognition of Detroit's and
Michigan's global significance in the auto industry.

    Other categories and winners in the 36th annual International Wheel Awards
were:

                                  REPORTING
    NEWSPAPER
    First Place: "Tire Recalls, Tragedies Tax Ford, Firestone and Publics,"
    The Detroit News Staff.
    Second Place: "Taken for a Ride - How Daimler Snared an American Icon,"
    Bill Vlasic, Bradley A. Stertz, The Detroit News.
    Third Place: "GM & Ford Fight for Korean Foothold," David Phillips, The
    Detroit News.
    Honorable Mentions:  "Ah, The Aroma of Just-Baked Sedans," Tim Moran, New
    York Times; "When Secrecy Explodes," David Zemon, Janet Fix, The Detroit
    Free Press.

    GENERAL INTEREST MAGAZINES
    First Place: "Ford vs. Firestone," Keith Naughton, Mark Hosenball,
    Newsweek.
    Second Place: "Running Rings Around Saturn," David Welch, Business Week.
    Third Place: "The ECO-Cars," David Welch, Lorraine Woellert, Paul Raeburn,
    Business Week.
    Honorable Mention: "Digital Wheels," Emily Thornton, Larry Armstrong,
    Matthew Karnitschnig, Kathleen Kerwin, Kate Carlisle, Business Week.

    SPECIAL INTEREST MAGAZINES
    First Place: "Fake Sales Mar Mitsubishi Total," Mark Rechtin, Jim Crate,
    Automotive News.
    Second Place: "Making the 5-Day Car," Gerry Kobe, Automotive Industries.
    Third Place: "By Design," Drew Winter, Katherine Zachary, Ward's
    AutoWorld.

    INTERNET
    First Place: "Firestone Series," Michael Strong, Bengt Halvorson, Paul A.
    Eisenstein, Jim Burt, thecarconnection.com.
    Second Place: "Iceland's Hydrogen Future," Paul A. Eisenstein,
    thecarconnection.com.
    Third Place: "GM's Blue Macaw," Paul A. Eisenstein, thecarconnection.com.
    Honorable Mentions: "Life with Insight," Lindsay Brooke, Dale Jewett, Gail
    Kachadourian, Gerry Kobe, John Peter, Lisa Wilson, ai-online.com; "When
    Good Cars Go Bad: Emergency Roadside Primer," Brent Romans, edumunds.com;
    "Cult of Speed," Marty Padgett, thecarconnection.com.

    TELEVISION
    First Place: "Airbag or Murder," Greg Hunter/Andrew Paparella, ABC
    News/Good Morning America.

    EDITORIAL/COLUMN - (PRINT ONLY)
    First Place: "Dubious Pump Price Jump a Pain in the Gas," Jim Mateja,
    Chicago Tribune.
    Second Place: "Environmental Architect to Lead Rouge Makeover," Jon
    Pepper, The Detroit News
    Third Place: "Inside the GM Matrix," Drew Winter in Ward's AutoWorld
    Honorable Mentions: "GM Tries to Woo Skeptics," Alex Taylor III, Fortune;
    "Plymouth Dies - A Good Move; Your Turn GM," Charles Child, Automotive
    News; "Ford Works 5-year SUV Plan for more PR," Jim Mateja, Chicago
    Tribune.

    NEWS PROGRAMMING / DOCUMENTARY - BROADCAST MEDIA
    First Place: "Ford Windstar Head Gasket Trouble," Roderick Meloni, WDIV-TV
    / NBC-TV Detroit.
    Honorable Mention: "Car Theft," Richard Wright, Canadian Broadcasting
    Corporation CBC-TV Toronto.

    PRODUCT REVIEW - PRINT MEDIA
    First Place: "It's Thumbs Up for the PT Cruiser; New Town and Country
    Measures up," Paul and Anita Lienert,  The Detroit News.
    Second Place: "Luxury Cars Get Even More So," David Welch, Larry
    Armstrong, Kathleen Kerwin, Joann Muller, William Glasgall, Business Week.
    Third Place: "It's Phat," Gail Kachadourian, John Pete, Automotive
    Industries.
    Honorable Mention: "Fanzy Panzers," Tony Swan, Car and Driver

    PHOTOGRAPHY
    Honorable Mention: "A Day Inside the Global Automotive Industry," Dave
    Versical, Automotive News.