FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- March 17, 2009

CONTACT: Ashton Applewhite, applewhite@earthlink.net, 646-644-4040

A 2009 Award for Print Coverage of Family Issues goes to Neil Swidey, Staff Writer for the Boston Globe for "Spying on the Text Generation," a cover story in the Boston Globe Magazine. The article describes how, when it comes to watching over their tech-obsessed teenagers, parents are learning the dangers of too much information. Clinicians on the jury found the article immensely relevant to concerns they're encountering about security and privacy. Others commended Swidey's solid research and lively writing, and the balance struck between kids' and parents' points of view.

A second 2009 Award for Print Coverage of Family Issues will be presented to Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje, Staff Writer for the San Antonio Express-News, for four articles. "Hollywood's new family values?" discusses the omission of abortion as a reasonable choice in a spate of recent films; "Party of One" describes contentment and self-sufficiency among older women living alone; "Fostering Success" profiles three Texan foster-care families; and "Housework Divided" explores the link between sharing housework and marital well-being. The jury praised Stoeltje's in-depth coverage of a broad range of topics, attention to socioeconomic issues, and nonpartisan tone.

The 2009 Award for Outstanding Broadcast Coverage of Family Issues will be awarded to Patricia Nazario of KPCC (Southern California Public Radio) for "Her Three Sons," a three-part series about a single mother raising three special-needs sons in Los Angeles. Moving and informative, the series describes Cathy Harvey's daily life and her navigation of the public school system for services. The jury appreciated the way the stories challenge stereotypes about parents of children with disabilities and contribute to the debate around spectrum disorders.

About the CCF Media Awards: The CCF media awards were established in 2002 as part of the Council's commitment to enhancing the public understanding of trends in American family life. "All too often, changes in U.S. family patterns are painted in stark, better-or-worse terms that ignore the nuanced and complex realities of family life today. The Awards Committee looked for articles that put individual family issues in larger social context. This kind of coverage offers the public a balanced picture of the trade-offs, strengths and weaknesses in many different family arrangements and structures," explained Stephanie Coontz, CCF's Director of Research and Publicity. The CCF media awards committee will call for nominations for the 2010 awards in the fall. Please visit www.contemporaryfamilies.org for information.