Posted on Wed, Dec. 06, 2006

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Greenwood executive editorial editor gets state's highest award

Associated Press

GREENWOOD, S.C. - The executive editorial editor of The (Greenwood) Index-Journal has been awarded the state's highest civilian honor.

William A. "Bill" Collins was given the Order of the Palmetto at the newspaper's Christmas party Tuesday.

State Rep. Mike Pitts presented Collins with the award because he said the newspaperman has protected the First Amendment throughout his career and that amendment in turn protects many other constitutional rights.

"Freedom of the press is very important because it keeps the public informed of what we in government are doing for them, to them," said Pitts, R-Laurens.

On more than one occasion, Collins has written editorials he has disagreed with, Pitts said.

But Collins also let Pitts' opinions and the viewpoints of others to run on the Index-Journal's editorial page, always presenting balanced and reasoned commentary on the issues, Pitts said.

Pitts and Collins' longtime friend Emmett Davis also presented Collins with a National Rifle Association bronzed statue of "The Paratrooper," to represent Collins' defense of the country as a U.S. Army veteran and his protection of the first and second amendments as soldier and journalist.

In a letter to go along with the award, Gov. Mark Sanford said Collins' reputation for fairness has followed him throughout his career. "You have an outstanding record as an unbiased journalist who reports the facts on all sides of an issue and lets the reader reach his own conclusion," Sanford wrote.

Collins is a University of South Carolina graduate and worked with newspapers in Greenwood, Columbia and Richmond, Va.

He has served The Index-Journal as editor, executive editor, general manager and executive editorial editor for 28 years.

"I'm not sure I deserve such recognition, but I'm absolutely positive that all the people I've worked with and for over the years do," Collins said. "Although I have been fortunate to work on great newspapers, none rates higher than The Index-Journal."