Two Republic reporters win national ethics award

• Daniel Gonzalez and Bob Ortega win 2015 Ancil Payne Ethics in Journalism Award
• Award recognizes courageous reporting and ethical decision making
• Reporters honored for coverage of surge of Central American children and families into U.S.

Arizona Republic reporters Daniel Gonzalez and Bob Ortega are recipients of the 15th annual Ancil Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism.

The award, administered by the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication, honors journalists and news organizations "whose work and ethical decision-making demonstrate courage and a commitment to the highest values of journalism."

Gonzalez and Ortega will be honored for leading The Republic's series "A Pipeline of Children," which explored the surge of children and families fleeing from Central America across the southern U.S. border in 2014.

The series "involved many ethical considerations that were handled commendably and courageously by the reporters and their newspaper," said Mike Fancher, a Payne Award judge and the interim executive director of the university's George S. Turnbull Portland Center/Agora Journalism Center. "Even as they put their own personal safety at risk to get the story, the journalists were careful to protect the safety of their sources, including children. They told the story straightforwardly, despite knowing that some people in their community might not want to know the complexity of the situation."

The Republic was one of three winners. Other recipients included the editors of the Neshaminy High School newspaper, The Playwickian, in Langhorne, Pa.; and Chicago Tribune reporters David Jackson, Gary Marx and Duaa Eldeib.

Gonzalez has covered immigration, the border and minority communities for The Arizona Republic since 1999. Last year, he was a finalist for the American Society of News Editors Award for Distinguished Writing on Diversity. In October, 2014, he spoke at the United Nations for the inaugural World Cities Day. In 2010, Gonzalez was named the Arizona Press Club's Journalist of the Year.

Ortega joined the paper in 2011. He primarily covers the border. Last year, he was named the Arizona Press Club's Journalist of the Year and received the Don Bolles Investigative Reporting Award, among others, for an investigation with reporter Rob O'Dell into the use of deadly force by the Border Patrol. In 2013, Ortega received a monthly Sidney Award for social-justice reporting from the Sidney Hillman Foundation.

Established in 1999, the Ancil Payne award is named for the chief executive of King Broadcasting Co., of Seattle. Payne, who died in 2004, said he created the award intending to reward journalists acting with integrity and character, restore public trust in the media, and inspire people to do good work.