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Another honoree is photographer Nick Ut of Associated Press, who is receiving a lifetime achievement award. He's responsible for taking one of the most famous photos in the world -- the shot of 9-year-old Kim Phuc running from a misdirected napalm bomb that dropped on her home during the Vietnam War.

Here's a slightly shortened SPJ press release: (The dinner's in May)

The Distinguished Journalist honorees are Paul Pringle of the Los Angeles Times, Terri Vermeulen Keith of City News Service, John Schwada of KTTV Fox 11, and Frank Stoltze of 89.3-KPCC. Kevin Roderick of LAObserved is the first recipient of the chapter's Distinguished Work in New Media Award. Thomas Newton and Jim Ewert, of the California Newspaper Publishers Association, will receive the chapter's Freedom of Information Award and Nick Ut, Pulitzer-winning photographer with the Associated Press, will receive a special Lifetime Achievement Award.

SPJ/LA presents Distinguished Journalist Awards to members of the profession who demonstrate good news judgment, a strong sense of ethics and a passion for getting the story right. Honorees are journalists who have achieved a record of accomplishments over the course of several years. For the past three decades, the chapter has recognized reporters, editors and photographers in print and broadcast journalism. In 1997, the chapter began honoring journalists in four categories: television, radio, newspapers with a circulation of less than 100,000 and newspapers with a circulation of 100,000 or more.

The Distinguished Work in New Media award is given to a journalist who uses the new media's unique characteristics and capabilities while striving to uphold traditional journalism's highest standards of honesty, accuracy, responsibility and accountability.

Newton and Ewert are being honored for their efforts in increase government transparency and improve and protect First Amendment freedoms. Ut, who is best known for his iconic photo of a naked Vietnamese girl fleeing a napalm attack, is being honored with a special award for his more than 40 years of photojournalism and his contributions to the profession.