Bill Wippert / Buffalo News file photo Buffalo News sportswriter Tom Borrelli died Nov. 20 of injuries sustained in a fall at All-High Stadium two weeks earlier.
Updated: 03/30/09 03:29 PM
Sportswriter Borrelli's name added to memorial at journalism museum
News Washington Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON —Some 62 journalists worldwide died in the line of duty in 2008 — including Tom Borrelli of The Buffalo News.
And thanks to the Newseum, the capital's massive tribute to the journalism profession, they will not be forgotten.
The names of Borrelli and dozens of his colleagues were added to the Newseum Journalists Memorial this morning as it was rededicated.
Many of the late journalists died in war zones, or in retribution for their coverage, but some, like Borrelli, died in accidents while covering stories.
Those journalists all have one thing in common, said Alberto Ibarguen, chairman of the Newseum.
"Their communities and we are all poorer because of the work these storytellers have left undone," he said.
The Newseum also honored 15 journalists who died in earlier years, bringing the number of names on the massive frosted-glass wall that honors such journalists to 1,913.
The memorial also includes a separate mosaic, about 10 feet square, that includes a picture of every journalist who has died doing his or her job in the past 171 years.
And at the bottom of that wall there's a series of larger pictures and written summaries about the wall's latest additions.
Karen Borrelli, the widow of the late Buffalo News sportswriter, stared wistfully at his picture and recalled a man who covered the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse team with distinction and whose wit and spirit made the Buffalo News sports department come alive.
"There he is," she said. "He's my man."
She met Borrelli when he hired her to work for him in the sports department at a paper in Bluefield, W.Va., in the 1980s. Their first date consisted of a minor-league baseball game and dinner at McDonald's.
"We made $147 [a week] so that was a pretty good date," she said.
The couple married in 1990 and, for years afterwards, "we did everything together," Karen Borrelli said.
"He loved his job, he loved sports," she said. "And I don't know if you can tell by looking at his picture, but he was a great guy."
Left unsaid this morning was the horror of Borrelli's death.
Assigned to cover a high school football game at All-High Stadium, he hit his head on a steel girder while climbing the steep set of metal stairs leading to the press box. He then fell down the stairs, landing on his head. He died of his injuries two weeks later, on Nov. 20.
State labor investigators later cited the Buffalo City Schools for the hazardous condition of the stairs, which resembled a ship's ladder.
In addition, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has said it will fine The Buffalo News $31,000 for sending Borrelli to a dangerous work location. Lawrence Bayerl, director of human resources and legal counsel for the News, said the paper is exploring its options for appealing the proposed fine. Other American journalists who were honored this morning included David Garrett, a television cameraman who died in a helicopter crash while covering a story, and Misty Ann Spurgeon, a photographer for the Northwest Signal in Ohio who died while driving to cover a football game.
Overseas honorees included 11 journalists who died covering violence in Iraq, five who were killed in retaliation for their coverage of drugs and crime in Mexico, and four journalists who were killed in similar circumstances in Thailand.
"These 77 individuals were brought together in a fellowship that none of them would have chosen, a fellowship created by their commitment, their courage and, ultimately, their sacrifice," said Chris Wells, senior vice president of the Freedom Forum, which runs the Newseum.
For the late Borrelli, the son of longtime Buffalo News political reporter George Borrelli, the ceremony marked an important honor, his wife said.
"I hate more than anything that it had to come to this, but it did come to this," she said. "And the honor is just tremendous. He would say he didn't deserve it, but he did."
jzremski@buffnews.com
The names of 77 reporters, photographers and broadcasters were added to a memorial to honor slain journalists in the  in Washington, D.C..

"These 77 individuals were brought together in a fellowship that none of them would have chosen, a fellowship created by their commitment, their courage and, ultimately, their sacrifice," said Chris Wells, vice president of the , which runs the Newseum.

The Newseum Journalist's Memorial contains the names of 1,913 journalists dating back to 1837. Thirteen of the names added Monday were journalists killed in Iraq in 2008, which has been the most dangerous country for journalists since the Iraq War began in 2003.

Mexico was the second deadliest country for journalists last year, with five journalists being killed due to drug violence. According to Newseum records, Mexico had not been so dangerous for journalists in at least five years.

Among the slain journalists in Mexico was Armando Rodriguez, a reporter who covered crime along the border of El Paso, Texas, for 10 years. He was shot to death in his driveway while sitting in his car with his eight-year-old daughter.

"These murders strike at the heart of democracy by silencing speech and by depriving a community of the information it needs to conduct its affairs," said Newseum chairman Alberto Ibarguen.

The , a journalism museum in Washington, D.C..Another was , who ran the independent Russian news site , which the Russian government tried to shut down. Yevloyev was shot while in police custody; authorities said he tried to take an officer's weapon.

Some of the journalists added to the memorial were killed in accidents, rather than murders or war zones. Tom Borrelli, a sports writer for '''', died after falling down a set of metal stairs at a high school football stadium and landing on his head.

"I hate more than anything that it had to come to this, but it did come to this," said Borelli's widow, Karen. "And the honor is just tremendous. He would say he didn't deserve it, but he did."

Steven Shoob, a broadcaster with '''' in Georgia, was also added to the memorial. Shoob was struck by a car while covering an accident story in  in July 2008.

Among the new names, 62 journalists were killed in 2008 and 15 were killed in prior years, including '''' reporter Sarah Park, who died in 1957 in a small plane crash while covering a tsunami.

The name of the youngest journalist on the memorial was added Monday. Ryan Rendleman, 22, of the ''Daily Egyptian'' of  who died in April 2008 when a tractor-trailer hit his parked car while he was on assignment.