Organization Names Salinas ‘Hunter S. Thompson Award’ Winner
NEW YORK (Disassociated Press) July 17, 2007 – The George Plimpton Society has named Mirthala Salinas as this year’s winner of its Hunter S. Thompson “Gonzo” Journalism Award.
The society and the award are named after two journalists who were known for putting themselves into the centers of the stories in their journalistic endeavors. Plimpton’s practices were described as “participatory journalism,” while Thompson is credited to have created the more aggressive and unscripted practice of “gonzo” journalism.
Salinas earned the award for her coverage of the recent break-up of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s marriage; Salinas, working as a reporter for Spanish Language KVEA-TV in Los Angeles, reported that the Mayor’s marital problems stemmed from his secret affair with another woman; it was later revealed that Salinas herself was in fact that other woman.
“Salinas’s journalistic accomplishments in this situation truly represent the pinnacle of what we look for when we honor someone with the Thompson Award, and it’s a proud moment for the society to do so now,” stated Plimpton Society President Buck Datrend.
Ms. Salinas was absent from the ceremony.
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