Friday’s 54th Annual Journalism Banquet produced about 30 NIU students as recipients of scholarships and awards, as well as two new Illinois Journalists of the year.

Ken Armstrong and Steve Mills, reporters for the Chicago Tribune, were named the 2001 Illinois Journalists of the Year for their five-part investigative serious, “Failure of the death penalty in Illinois.” Mills spoke for the pair in Armstrong’s absence, saying he was honored to receive the award, and he hoped their work gives direction to future journalists.

“You may not be able to get into investigative reporting right away,” Mills said, “but I encourage you to get into it and look at the criminal justice system. People that need help in this country are the poorest people in our country. It’s a journalist’s job to help these people out. Our highest honor is to help them.”

Mills noted that Illinois Gov. George Ryan placed a moratorium on the death penalty in January 2000 and that many legislative changes have taken place in states such as Texas.

Additional awards presented at the banquet came from the NIU Public Relations Student Society of America, Northern Television Center, the Northern Star and memorial scholarships within the journalism department.