Foundation’s Journalism Award Winners

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (May 20, 2012) — The Stuttering Foundation, www.StutteringHelp.org, announced its 2012 Awards for Excellence in Journalism today to celebrate stuttering awareness.

“Journalists in a variety of settings have done an outstanding job of focusing on stuttering during the past year,” said Jane Fraser, president of the 65-year-old nonprofit foundation. “We are seeing a significant shift in how we reach people - not only through newspapers and columnists but also through websites and blogs. We are particularly excited about increased outreach in Canada and within the Spanish speaking community.”

Category: Internet Blog
First Place: Bob Greene of CNN for his Feb. 20, 2012 article, “John Glenn’s true hero,” featuring former National Stuttering Awareness Week spokesperson, Annie Glenn. One judge wrote, “Emotionally, my absolute favorite was the CNN piece on John and Annie Glenn. It choked me up.”

Category: Website
First Place: Dennis Thompson of HealthDay for his May 27, 2011 article, “Early Intervention Holds Hope for Those Who Stutter.” This objective article addresses the physical, mental and emotional components of speech while at the same time offering hope to parents.

Category: Daily Newspapers
First Place (tie):
- Kathleen Mitchell of Business West for her May 10, 2011 article, “In Manner of Speaking.” The article looks at the causes of stuttering, what adults can do to help children who stutter, and why unrealistic expectations and a fast-paced lifestyle can make the situation worse.

- Aldo Santin of Winnipeg Free Press for his August 6, 2011 article, “Randy Bachman’s You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet singled out by The Stuttering Foundation.” The article focuses on the stuttering connection in the story behind the Bachman-Turner Overdrive classic that hit the top of the charts over 25 years ago and opened up an extraordinary new audience to the Foundation.

Category: Spanish Newspaper
First Place: Pedro F. Frisneda of El Diario for his October 21, 2011 article, “El tartamudeo se puede vencer.” This powerful article introduced accurate information on stuttering to the Spanish speaking community, while offering helpful tips to parents.

Category: Syndicated Columnists
First Place: Dr. Paul Donohue for his national column on May 3, 2011, “Evaluate child early for stuttering.” This widely read column encourages parents to seek early intervention and to gather accurate information and obtain professional help for children who have begun to stutter. Dr. Donohue’s column is well-known for its reliability; therefore, it is particularly exciting that he focused on stuttering.

The Stuttering Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Memphis, Tenn., that has worked toward the prevention and improved treatment of stuttering since 1947. For more information, call 800-992-9392 or visit www.StutteringHelp.org

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Ken Venturi

As much of the nation watches the U.S. Open Golf Championship, it is impossible not to think about our late friend Ken Venturi. Ken overcame many challenges to win the Open at Congressional in 1964 and go on to become the voice of golf for more than three decades.

However, Ken faced no bigger obstacle than stuttering. Ken Venturi was a champion to those who stutter, going out of his way to share his personal experience when consulted by a colleague, friend, or child who stutters.

King George

In November 2010, worldwide movie audiences were presented with a most interesting and unusual movie release with The King’s Speech, starring Colin Firth as King George VI and Helena Bonham Carter as his wife Elizabeth.

Unfortunately, history may have forgotten the courageous and inspiring story of Prince Albert who stuttered badly and never dreamed that he would ever be king when his older brother, King Edward VIII, abruptly abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.

Carly Simon

Carly Simon began stuttering severely when she was eight years old.

Marilyn Monroe

From Edward S. Herrington's letter to Southcoasttoday.com

I am writing in response to "The importance of voice" (May 29), which mentioned that famous actor James Earl Jones struggled with stuttering. Another famous voice that you cited was the trademark breathy voice of Marilyn Monroe; however, you did not make mention of the fact that Marilyn Monroe also struggled with stuttering at various points in her life, sometimes very painfully.

Bruce Willis

While the world knows Bruce Willis as an A-list actor, few know that he struggled with stuttering throughout his first 20 years.

Walter Bruce Willis was born in 1955 in West Germany to his German mother, Marlene, and his American GI father, David Willis. The family settled in David’s hometown of Penns Grove, New Jersey in 1957, and the couple has three other children.