Victor Joecks, an opinion writer for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, won two national awards in the Carmage Walls Commentary Writing Prize competition. He placed third in the Focused Editorials category and second in the Signed Political and Social Commentary category.
Joecks earned third place for two editorials that highlighted Clark County’s refusal to release public records and a district court ruling that found the county in violation of the Nevada Public Records Act. The pieces were prompted by a conflict‑of‑interest investigation that revealed a $10 million construction management contract awarded to a firm with ties to a county official who was later fired.
He received second place for a series of columns that criticized Nevada’s film tax credit program, arguing the proposal would cost taxpayers billions and ultimately failed by a single vote. The foundation noted that his reporting “helped save Nevada taxpayers around $1.5 billion over 15 years.”
“The Review‑Journal’s strong editorial leadership demonstrated the newspaper’s unwavering commitment to fighting for transparency in government,” said America’s Newspapers Foundation, adding “It also showed other local officials that hiding public records would be a futile endeavor.” Publisher Keith Moyer praised Joecks, saying “Victor is a powerful voice for accountability in government and the public interest… He is very deserving of this recognition.” Joecks said, “It was an honor to receive Carmage Walls awards for both my columns and editorial writing,” and added, “Thank you for your readership and feedback — positive and negative.”
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
English (US)·