Journalist
Bob Fitrakis is Executive Director of the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism (CICJ)/CICJ Books as well as the Editor of The Free Press (freepress.org) since 1993. He wrote monthly investigative news articles, including articles on Klan activities in Ohio. He both participated in, and wrote about a controversial plan by Columbus' NAACP to "out" Klan leaders in Ohio. Dr. Fitrakis produced an interactive educational CDROM on hate groups in Ohio and published the journal article with Dr. Judy Gentry "High Tech Hate" for the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges. In 1997, the CICJ received a grant from the Drug Policy Foundation for polling in Franklin County, Ohio on the issue of medical use of marijuana and industrial hemp.
Dr. Fitrakis is an investigative journalist, has won eleven major investigative journalism awards including "Best Coverage of Politics in Ohio" from the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists. He was a columnist and investigative reporter for Columbus Alive from 1996-2002, a local alternative weekly newspaper, and was awarded First Place for Best Coverage of Government for the article "The V File" investigative report on Sen. George Voinovich and Second Place for "Spook Air" about Southern Air Transport's ties to the CIA and drug-running at Rickenbacker Air Base in central Ohio from the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists (OSPJ). "Spook Air" was also awarded a Second Place in Investigative Reporting from the Press Club of Cleveland. In 1999, the OSPJ awarded him Second Place in two categories: Best Coverage of Government for his coverage of corruption in the bail bond industry "Money for Nothing" and Best Investigative Reporting for "The Shapiro Murder File" linking several of Columbus' prominent citizens to organized crime. "The Shapiro Murder File" also won an Honorable Mention nationally from the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. In 1998, he won an investigative reporting award from the Central Ohio Chapter of the SPJ for his article "Striking it rich in the bail bond industry." He has also written for other national and local publications.
His articles have appeared on other national and local websites and publications including Huffington Post, Common Dreams, motherjones.com, thenation.com, Z magazine, RagBlog, Scoop.co, Bradblog, Salon.com, OpEdNews, Counterpunch, Truthout, tompaine.com, Hustler, larryflynt.com, Alternet, Buzzflash, progressive.org, and smirkingchimp.
In 2002, Fitrakis was awarded the Golden Ruler Award from the Columbus School Board for his journalism in behalf of the Columbus schoolchildren. In 2003, the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio (NAICCO) honored him with their Selma Walker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Human Rights Activism. He currently serves as the NAICCO Board President. He served on the Africentric School Advisory Board for the Columbus Public Schools and worked with the West High School College Preparation Program.
From 1990-2000, Dr. Fitrakis co-hosted a regular public access news/public affairs program, "From the Democratic Left," offering analysis of political events and social issues, locally and nationally. This program chronicled the activism of the progressive community in Central Ohio, from Gulf War demonstrations to anti-Klan protests. From June 1996-2006, he co-hosted, and hosted a weekly public affairs call-in talk radio program, "Fight Back!" first on WSMZ103.1FM and on WVKO 1580 AM 11:30am-12:30pm Saturdays. He also appeared with Charles Traylor on "The Fitrakis Files" 8-9am Thursdays. He was the drive-time weekday radio host for Columbus' Air America station in 2008. He currently has a live talk radio program on Talktainmentradio.com on Wednesday nights from 7-8pm eastern time and on the local broadcast community radio station WCRS-FM 102.1/98.3.
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Famous quotes containing the word journalist:
“I well recall my horror when I heard for the first time, of a journalist who had laid in a pair of what were then called bicycle pants and taken to golf; it was as if I had encountered a studhorse with his hair done up in frizzes, and pink bowknots peeking out of them. It seemed, in some vague way, ignominious, and even a bit indelicate.”
—H.L. (Henry Lewis)
“If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to “a semi-official statement”; if they have fallen into conversation with a stranger at a bar, they can conscientiously describe him as “a source that has hitherto proved unimpeachable.” It is only when the journalist is reporting a whim of his own, and one to which he attaches minor importance, that he defines it as the opinion of “well-informed circles.””
—Evelyn Waugh (1903–1966)
“A statesman is an easy man,
He tells his lies by rote;
A journalist makes up his lies
And takes you by the throat;
So stay at home and drink your beer
And let the neighbours vote.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)