Press Club of Toledo, Ohio

...promoting the advancement of ethical journalism and fostering fellowship
among representatives of the media and those they cover...




Toledo Area Parent

Toledo City Paper

Sojourner's Truth

Toledo Free Press

WTVG-TV 13abc

WUPW Fox Toledo 

WTO5  Toledo's CW

WKKO K100 Radio

WRQN 93.5

WWWM Star 105

Celebrating Excellence
in Journalism
and Community Service
at the 2011 Touchstone Awards

The 13th annual Touchstone Awards, honoring community service and excellence in journalism, were presented during ceremonies on October 6th at the Toledo Club. The awards were presented by the Press Club of Toledo.

The prestigious Lifetime Achiever Award was presented to two individuals in recognition of their long-term efforts to enhance the quality of life in northwest Ohio.

Dr. S. Amjad Hussain, a native of Pakistan, has devoted his life to Medicine, practicing in Toledo since 1976. He has taught medical students in Toledo and internationally. He is also an accomplished writer, lecturer and photographer. Dr. Hussain has published 50 papers in medical literature, invented two surgical devices and authored a dozen books. He is a trustee of the University of Toledo and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Public Broadcasting Foundation of Northwest Ohio.

John Hayward, also a recipient of the Lifetime Achiever honor, is recognized for a lifetime of volunteer work that has made a positive impact not only on Lucas County but the surrounding area as well. He is president of Mercy College of Northwest Ohio. Especially significant has been his service to the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library where he has served as the president of the Board seven times. His vision and leadership helped establish the Library Legacy Foundation in 1989. Mr. Hayward is a past president of the Toledo Bar Association and the Ohio State Bar Foundation.

The Touchstone Contributor Award for outstanding contributions to the community in the past year was presented to the Toledo Symphony. In May of this year, the 67 year old Toledo Symphony played the famed Carnegie Hall for the first time. Supporters and friends from our region beamed with pride during the performance.

The Golden Touchstone, recognizing a lifetime of achievement in the field of journalism, was presented to the retired Vice-President and Executive Editor of The Blade Ron Royhab. He played a major role in transforming the newspaper from a solid local newspaper into a publication with a national reputation for investigative reporting. Under his guidance, The Blade won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for its Tiger Force project. The Blade was named a Pulitzer finalist three times under his leadership. In 2005, Ron received the Benjamin C. Bradlee Editor of the Year Award.

The Press Club of Toledo Bernard F. Judy Scholarship was awarded to Carina Cornieles, a student at the University of Toledo studying broadcast journalism.

Excellence in journalism awards were presented to:

ToledoBlade.com in the New Media category˗ judges said the "E_Blade" is a unique and extremely valuable tool.
Kelly Kaczala and Melissa Burden of The Press ˗ judges called their reporting on a problem created outrage and the demand for action the "very essence of journalism."
Bill Hormann of 13abc in the broadcasting category˗ for political reporting the judges said reflected a commitment to provide coverage that helps viewers vote intelligently.
Nolan Renkrans of The Blade for a series of reports aimed at investigating long-term problems facing students of Toledo's public education system˗ the judges called the three-day series "well researched and well-crafted."