2009 Joanie Winner

Mark Roth

2009: Mark Roth, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Mark Roth of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was awarded this year’s “Joanie Award” for the June 2009 articles “Does lung cancer get short shrift?” and “Lung cancer patient takes aggressive tack. Responds to new therapy, comes to grips with outlook.” The Joanie Committee noted the overall high quality of this year’s submissions, which is an encouraging sign of progress in coverage of the disease. Mr. Roth’s articles were chosen because of the new elements about the disease, the funding environment, and the reasons lung cancer deserves more attention.

Mark Roth has been on staff at the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette for over 25 years in the roles of both writer and editor. As the paper’s first full-time science editor, Roth had significant impact in shaping that area of the paper. Currently devoting all of his time to writing, Roth primarily focuses on health and science issues, including a monthly series called “The Thinkers” and a daily blog highlighting provocative ideas titled “That’s Fascinating.”