MASTERSON’S DEDICATION

Two National Headliner Awards

Three Heywood Broun Awards

Four Robert F. Kennedy Awards

Four Paul Tobenkin Awards from Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University for “writing about the plights of the underdog.”

The IRE Award for newspapers of less than 75,000 circulation

The IRE Gold Medallion for Best Investigative Reporting in the United States

The Will Rogers Humanitarian Award from National Society of Newspaper Columnists for body of work

The National Association of Black Journalists First Place Award for “Best reporting on the Black condition.”

The Congress of American Indians Congressional Achievement Award for “Excellence in the pursuit of truth and awakening the world to the excesses of the BIA.”

Three Certificates of Merit from American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Awards

Finalist for Pulitzer Prize, 1988

Finalist for Pulitzer Prize, 1989

Finalist to become First Journalist in Space

And then once again, Walter Hussman entered the scene. In 2000 he offered Masterson a columnist position originating from Northwest Arkansas for the Arkansas-Democrat Gazette. “And so began the past 23 years under my name on the Voices Page,” Masterson said. He writes three personal-opinion columns a week.

“The column has given me the opportunity to explore so many issues close to my heart like our all-important Freedom of Information Act, injustice, dangers we face and preserving our magnificent streams,” Masterson said. “And I value every reader.”

Masterson has received more than two dozen major journalism awards in his 52-year career, many of them related to his fierce advocacy for the downtrodden and disadvantaged. The highlights, as noted, were the two occasions he was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

Masterson was born in 1946 in Harrison, the son of Lt. Col. Rue B. Masterson and the former Helen Elaine Hammerschmidt (sister of the late U.S. Rep. John Paul Hammerschmidt).

His wife is Jeanetta Riddle McCroskey, also a native of Harrison. She has four children, and he has two, along with three grandchildren. “I consider Jeanetta my loving partner and greatest supporter,” Masterson said.

Masterson’s military family traveled a lot from one base to another, including two years in Okinawa. When his father retired, the family moved back to Harrison, where Masterson spent his ninth and 10th grade years. His father then bought a business in Albuquerque, where he finished high school in 1965.

Who in Arkansas would be more qualified to give advice to young journalists intent on pursuing hard-hitting and truthful investigative work?

“Always fight and speak for what you know is right,” Masterson said. “Follow and trust your instincts regardless of what others might say. If you feel something isn’t quite right, pursue that feeling. It’s present for a reason.

“Always be assertive but never uncivil or rude. Don’t be reluctant to ask tough questions even if you feel the person will resent you for asking. Remain persistent. You now have a critical role to play in the people’s right to know.

“The bedrock of what we do is access to relevant information we can share always in the public interest. Our FOIA provides legal standing to gain that information, so be sure to use – and defend – it mightily.”