Denver Post reporters David Olinger and Aldo Svaldi and Rocky Mountain News reporter Gargi Chakrabarty have been awarded the Morton Margolin Prize for Distinguished Business Reporting from the University of Denver.
The prize, awarded annually for 29 years by DU’sSchool of Communication and Daniels College of Business, recognizes outstanding reporting about Colorado business or its economy. Entries were judged by DU communications and business staff and faculty members for timeliness, accuracy, quality of research and clarity of thought.
Daniels Dean Chris Riordan recognized this year’s winners at a luncheon July 31 attended by Margolin family members, newspaper executives and DU officials. Winners will share $1,000 in prize money.
Olinger and Svaldi were recognized for their story “Foreclosures send homeowners down Uneasy Street,” the first in a 10-part series exploring the causes of the foreclosure epidemic in Colorado. Chakrabarty’s winning story, “Ethanol energizes farmers,” was a look at the explosion of the ethanol industry in Yuma County.
The Margolin award was established by a group of Margolin’s friends following his death in 1978 to recognize his 35-year career as a business journalist for local publications, including the Rocky Mountain News and Colorado Business Magazine.
According to his colleagues, Margolin was a thorough, persistent and ethical reporter. They solicited funding from local business leaders to recognize reporters who would mirror the high standards set by Margolin.