Zweifel to be honored at first-ever WisconsinWatch.org Awards; public is invited

Dave Zweifel

Dave Zweifel, editor emeritus of The Capital Times, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Distinguished WisconsinWatch.orgdog Award in recognition of his decades-long efforts to increase public access to information about government.

Zweifel will receive the award April 20 at the first WisconsinWatch.orgdog Awards reception and dinner, presented jointly by the nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism and the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council.

“No individual has done more to advance the state’s traditions of openness than Dave Zweifel,” said Bill Lueders, president of the nonprofit council, composed of journalists, lawyers and residents. “The citizens of Wisconsin and the state as a whole have benefited greatly from his vigilance. We are pleased and proud to present him with this honor.”

Zweifel was a co-founder of the council in 1978 and served as its president for 15 years. The Wisconsin Newspaper Association recently inducted him into its Newspaper Hall of Fame in recognition of a career spanning nearly five decades.

“Thanks to Dave Zweifel, Wisconsin residents – liberals and conservatives alike – have more information about the actions of their government,” said Andy Hall, executive director of the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. “That provides the people with the power to hold governmental officials accountable.”

Lowell Bergman

The WisconsinWatch.orgdog Awards, a celebration of investigative reporting and open government, will feature a keynote address by Lowell Bergman, a Pulitzer Prize winner, UW-Madison graduate, founder of the nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting, producer for “Frontline” and former “60 Minutes” producer and New York Times reporter who teaches investigative reporting at the Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

Also at the event, winners of the council’s annual Opee Awards will be recognized for their work promoting open government.

The WisconsinWatch.orgdog Awards are open to the public, with proceeds supporting the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.

The event at the Madison Club, 5 E. Wilson St., begins with a reception at 5 p.m. April 20, followed by dinner at 6. Tickets are available for $50. Register online here.