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Jana
Bommersbach is an acclaimed and respected journalist whose work has
encompassed every facet of the profession: she's been a reporter and
editor for both weekly and daily newspapers; she's written a book
and is a major contributor to an anthology;
she's written columns and investigative stories for magazines; she's
appeared on television with both political commentaries and
investigative stories.
And in each of those endeavors, she's
excelled.
- In 2006, Jana won four writing
awards from the Arizona Press Club, honoring her investigation
into the Kobe Bryant rape case; her probe into the entrapment of
a teenager by Sheriff Joe Arpaio for a publicity stunt; her
behind-the-scenes story on how a raped wife got Arizona's
"spousal rape" law changed, and her insightful profile into
legendary Arizona broadcaster Kent Dana.
- In 2006, Jana was inducted as an
inaugural honoree in the Order of the Silver Key, created
by the Society of Professional Journalists to recognize longtime
Arizona journalists "whose accomplishments serve as an
inspiration to the state's media community."
- In 2005, Jana was inducted as an
inaugural honoree in the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall
of Fame.
- In 2005, Jana was a major
contributor to an anthology published by a division of Random
House: "True Tales and Amazing Legends of the Old West from True
West Magazine." Jana wrote the introduction to this 26-story
compilation that included four of her original articles: "Vera
McGinnis: The Most Daring Cowgirl who ever Rode the West"; "Eating
his Weight in Democrats, the Strange Tastes of Alfred Packer";
"The Warrior who Killed Custer?", and "The Alamo." The book was
published by Clarkson Potter /Publishers.
- In 2005, she was awarded the
Cherish the Children Award from the
Great Phoenix Child Abuse Prevention Council.
- In 2004, she was awarded the
Arizona Press Club's highest honor--The Distinguished Service
Award, recognizing her lifetime achievements in journalism.
- In 2004, she won the state's
top news columnist award for her Jana's View, and the top
feature award for her Phoenix Magazine article on
mobster Sammy "The Bull" Gravano.
- In 2003, she won the annual
leadership award form the Arizona Chapter of the ACLU for her
straightforward, gutsy commentaries and columns that "speak truth
to power"
- In
2002, she won five awards in the Arizona Press Club
competition for her work in Phoenix Magazine-more than any other
single journalist in the state; she also was the first journalist
to win the top prizes in both news column writing and feature
column writing.
- In
2002, she also was honored with the "Vera Beaton Volunteer
Award" from Girls Ranch of Arizona.
- In
2002, she also received the "Distinguished Achievement Award"
from the International Association of Firefighters.
- In
2001, she won a Regional Emmy for the television services
she created for KTVK-TV entitled "Hurrah for Arizona." Her Emmy
story profiled a camp that helps children deal with the death of a
loved one.
- In
2001, she also was honored with the "Presidential Award for
Media Excellence" from the Arizona Education Association for
her commentaries on KTVK-TV in support of education.
- In
2001, she also received a "Laurel" accolade in Columbia
Journalism Review for her coverage-in both Phoenix Magazine and on
KTVK-TV-of The Carol Herriman Story: a woman serving 25 years in
prison for killing her abusive husband. Bommersbach's four-year
coverage of this story is credited with helping Herriman win her
release from prison.
- In
2000, she was honored with Phoenix Theater's "Women Who Care"
Award.
- In
1999, she received Toastmaster International's "Communication
and Leadership Award."
- In
both 1999 and 1997, Jana received the Gold Medal as the
nation's outstanding columnist for her Phoenix magazine column,
"Jana's View," presented by the National City and Regional
Magazine Association. In 1999, the Arizona Press Club also named
her Arizona's outstanding columnist.
- In
1994, Jana was honored with the first "Communicator Award"
from the YWCA's inaugural Tribute to Women program, which has
become an annual event.
- In
1993, her debut book, "The Trunk Murderess: Winnie Ruth Judd" was
nominated for the prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Award from
the Mystery Writers of America, recognizing it as one of the five
outstanding non-fiction books published in the United States in
1992. She also received Arizona's only literary prize for
the book, which has been optioned for a mini-series.
- In
both 1991 and 1988, Bommersbach won The Don Bolles Award
for Investigative Reporting from the Arizona Press Club-the
state's most acclaimed reporting award named in honor of the
journalist who was assassinated in broad daylight in 1976. In
1988, the award recognized her investigation into the state's
medical malpractice insurance company for New Times, which led to
an $18 million rebate to Arizona doctors. In 1991, the award was
given for a series of articles in New Times on Winnie Ruth Judd.
- In the
late 1980s, Bommersbach won two national awards for her
commentaries on KAET-TV, Arizona's largest public television
station. One came from the National Commission on Working Women,
the other from American Women in Radio and Television.
- In
1987, she won a Silver Gavel Award for "Outstanding Public
Service" from the American Bar Association for her stories in New
Times about tort reform.
- In
1983, The Arizona Press Club named Jana Arizona's Journalist of
the Year.
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