text: As a long-time subscriber to NCR, I am so pleased that Tom Fox received this well-deserved honor. I remember being overcome with gratitude when Bob Hoyt first announced the founding of a propaganda-less (my word, not his) Catholic newspaper that would be willing to speak up in defense of Gospel values even when it might be unpopular or inconvenient. I've seldom been disappointed in their courageous stands. Back in the 80's they were literally begging the bishops to do something about priestly sexual abuse long before many of us had even heard of it.  Unfortunately, it took the secular press forcing it into the open to get anything done about it. Coverage of the Vietnam War, School of the Americas, the rush into the Iraq War, the list goes on and on. 
  We Catholics owe NCR for helping us to grow up!