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John Hanchette, a Pulitzer Prize-winning national reporter in Washington for the last two decades, and now a weekly columnist for the Niagara Falls Reporter, last week was named one of the Top 10 reporters nationwide in the Gannett Company over the last 25 years.
The prestigious Silver Anniversary Outstanding Achievement Award of Excellence commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Best of Gannett program's establishment in 1977.
Hanchette, who retired at the end of 2001 as senior national correspondent for Gannett News Service, was one of only 10 journalists selected out of approximately 50,000 employees who worked for the company during that period.
Hanchette previously received Best of Gannett awards in 1985 and 1996, and he was a key writer on several group projects that earned awards in other years -- including President Clinton's impeachment and acquittal, and coverage of the war on terrorism.
He is now a professor of journalism at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure University, near Olean, N.Y. Hanchette joined the Niagara Falls Gazette after graduating in 1964, later worked for the Buffalo Evening News, then returned as Gazette managing editor in 1974.
He was named Gannett News Service's Florida bureau chief in 1977 and a Washington correspondent in 1980, the same year he won the Pulitzer for his part in an investigative series uncovering the financial dealings of the Pauline Fathers, which involved misuse of funds and a cover-up by the Catholic Church.
Besides winning it, he has been nominated for the Pulitzer eight additional times.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | August 20 2002 |