A few days ago, I got this e-mail from my boss, TIME editor Rick Stengel:
Last night, Mike Grunwald and TIME won the Prize for Preventive Journalism, a $50,000 award given by the Understanding Government foundation. The award for Mike’s outstanding cover story, “Why New Orleans Still Isn’t Safe,” ran on the anniversary of Katrina last year. This new award was created to recognize the best article of the year revealing how government deals with a significant public problem. Mike’s investigation into the failure of the Army Corps of Engineers to adequately protect New Orleans was selected from among ten distinguished stories by a stellar panel made up of Charlie Peters (the president and founder of Understanding Government), Bill Kovach and Katherine Boo. His story is a clear example of the best of what we do: a deeply reported and powerfully written piece of journalism with a strong point of view. Mike surprised the audience last night when he announced that he would be donating the entire prize to a charitable cause for victims of Katrina. Congratulations to Mike and to everyone who worked on that story and that issue. — Rick
I don’t know Mike Grunwald, but I think I hate him.
Seriously, by all accounts, Mike’s a swell guy. I’m just saying. How’s it going to look when I win that award next year for my two-column explainer on diaper rash and announce I’m spending every last nickel? I mean, come on. My castle needs a new turret.
Read his brilliant cover story here. Congrats, Mike.