WASHINGTON — The Scripps Howard Foundation cited McClatchy journalists for excellence on Friday for outstanding Washington reporting, feature writing and commentary.

Reporters for the McClatchy Washington Bureau received the Raymond Clapper award for Washington reporting for their groundbreaking coverage last year of the firings of nine U.S. attorneys by the Bush administration.

The foundation noted that McClatchy's reporting tied "the unexplained firings of nine U.S. attorneys to interventions by top officials in the White House and U.S. Justice Department."

Their stories led to congressional investigations and to the resignations of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and 11 others at the Justice Department and the White House.

The McClatchy reporters are Marisa Taylor, Margaret Talev and Greg Gordon.

The foundation also recognized journalists from the Anchorage Daily News and The Kansas City Star, two papers that McClatchy owns.

Julia O'Malley of Anchorage won the Ernie Pyle award for "finding untold stories in often-overlooked places — living rooms, courtrooms and homeless shelters, a Buddhist temple and a university's computer lab."

Jason Whitlock of The Star won for commentary "for his ability to seamlessly integrate sports commentary with social commentary and to challenge widely held assumptions along the racial divide."

Ana Menendez, a columnist for McClatchy's Miami Herald, was a finalist for commentary.

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Other Scripps Howard winners: http://www.scripps.com/foundation/news/releases/08march07.html