Investigative biz journalism awards named after Barlett & Steele

The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism will begin awarding two investigative business journalism awards named after famed business reporters Don Barlett and Jim Steele, the center announced Tuesday.

The center, based at Arizona State University, will give out The Barlett and Steele Awards, named for the two-time Pulitzer Prize winning investigative business journalist team,  annually and award a first-place prize of $5,000 and runner-up prize of $2,000.

“Intensified by corporate scandal, investigative business journalism has become a major part of our training workshops for journalists,” said Andrew Leckey, director of the Reynolds Center at ASU. “Since Barlett and Steele represent the highest standard of the field, we are delighted this award will carry their names.”

Barlett and Steele, who won two Pulitzers with The Philadelphia Inquirer and two National Magazine Awards at Time, have worked together more than three decades. They are contributing editors to Vanity Fair.

“Don Barlett and I are deeply honored that the Reynolds Center has established this award in our name,” said Jim Steele. “But, more importantly, we are gratified that it is providing leadership to recognize and encourage in-depth reporting of business.”

Entries must have appeared between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007. Submission deadline is August 1, 2007.

Read here. Disclosure: I have run a number of the Reynolds Center workshops in the past three years, including the investigative seminars.