INDIANAPOLIS - The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation announces the selection of three distinguished media professionals to judge applications for the annual Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship for Editorial Writing.

Judges for the fellowship selection will be:
· Jean Otto, first female SPJ national president (1979-80) and former chairwoman of the SDX Foundation Board (1992); retired editorial writer; and founder of the former First Amendment Congress;

· Fred Fiske, senior writer at The Syracuse Newspapers, president of the National Conference of Editorial Writers and former editorial writer and editorial page editor at The Post-Standard in Syracuse, N.Y.; and

· Paul K. McMasters, SDX Foundation president, former SPJ national president (1993-94) and First Amendment ombudsman at The Freedom Forum in Arlington, Va.

"The Pulliam fellowship is one of the most prestigious and satisfying awards in journalism today," McMasters said. "Since 1977, some of the finest editorialists in the country have used these generous stipends to expand their knowledge about vital public issues. Their newspapers and their readers have benefited immensely from their fellowship work as well."

The Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship annually awards $40,000 to one outstanding mid-career editorial writer for study and research. The fellowship's goal is to help broaden the recipient's horizons and knowledge of the world. The award can be used to cover the cost of study, research and/or travel in any field. In some cases, the fellowship results in editorials and other writings, including books.

To be eligible for a Pulliam Fellowship, a candidate must hold a position as a full-time editorial writer at a news publication located in the United States; have at least three years experience as an editorial writer; demonstrate outstanding writing and analytical abilities; and secure assurances by the editor that the applicant will be allowed sufficient time to pursue the fellowship without jeopardizing employment. (Fellows do not have to leave their jobs.)

All entries for the 2002 fellowship must be postmarked by July 6, 2001, and be written in English.

Judges will review materials submitted by all the applicants and select the fellow. The winner will be notified by Sept. 1, 2001.

The Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship is a Sigma Delta Chi Foundation educational program of the Society of Professional Journalists. The Society first offered the fellowship in 1977. It is funded by a grant from Mrs. Eugene C. Pulliam honoring the memory of her husband, one of the original members of the Society, which was founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi. Eugene C. Pulliam was the publisher of The Indianapolis Star, The Indianapolis News, The Arizona Republic and The Phoenix Gazette.