The Daily Herald receives Democracy in Action award
Published 1:30 am Sunday, February 13, 2022
EVERETT — The Daily Herald received the 2022 Democracy in Action award Saturday from the League of Women Voters of Snohomish County.
Issued annually, it recognizes outstanding achievement or long-term commitment to enhancing democracy in Snohomish County. It was presented during a virtual luncheon celebrating the League’s 102nd birthday.
Karen Crowley, a member of the board, nominated the newspaper for promoting civic participation with coverage that informs voters about ballot measures and candidates running for local office.
“We have read fresh stories, heard new perspectives and quite simply learned more about what is happening in our own backyard,” she wrote in the nomination. “This reporting helped voters understand each candidate’s experience and positions — ‘who believed what and why.’ As we know, a healthy democracy requires a healthy press. It is critically important that we recognize and applaud their work.”
She also cited The Herald’s teaming with the League on election forums for local and state offices in the county, an effort that even during the pandemic continued with online presentations.
Herald Editorial Page Editor Jon Bauer, who has moderated many of those forums, accepted the award.
“We appreciate that the League of Women Voters is using its Democracy in Action Award to recognize the importance of community journalism,” he said.
“The League has been a valued partner in The Herald’s coverage of elections and issues that matter to Snohomish County,” Bauer added. “We’ve relied on that partnership with its members and others in the community to encourage participation in local government and elections.”
The League launched the award in 2010, bestowing the initial honor on a venerable civic leader, Connie Niva, and a cadre of fifth-graders at View Ridge Elementary.
In 2021, there were two honorees, Washington Family Engagement’s Parent Leadership Training Institute and the Snohomish County Complete Count Committee, which sought an accurate tally of historically hard-to-count populations for the U.S. Census.
Jerry Cornfield:
