Maglio, Scruggs, Turner inducted into Journalism Hall of Fame; Betchkal receives Heaton Award
The Press Club of Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame welcomed its newest members during a lunch program Nov. 14.
Lou Maglio of Fox 8, Afi Scruggs, The Plain Dealer and other outlets, and Karl Turner, Spectrum 1 News, are the members of the class of 2024.
John Betchkal, a longtime member of the Press Club of Cleveland Board of Directors who died in June, received the Chuck Heaton Award posthumously. He was the founder of the award.
Family, friends and colleagues of the honorees gathered at Cibreo Privato for the induction ceremony.
Carol Kovach, Hall of Fame Committee chairperson, welcomed guests to the program. Kevin Adelstein, Press Club first vice president, introduced the Hall of Fame inductees and presented them with their plaques.
Mark “Munch” Bishop, 2019 Chuck Heaton Award recipient, spoke about what the honor meant to him before bestowing the 2024 award to John’s widow Kathleen Betchkal and other family members. Bishop recalled how Betchkal met with him and carefully explained the importance of the honor, which recognizes the print, radio, online or television journalist who best exemplifies the sensitivity, humility and journalistic talent exhibited by Heaton during his 50-year career as a sports writer at The Plain Dealer. Betchkal, who worked at The Cleveland Press before embarking on a long career with GE Lighting, was a friend of Heaton.
Each of the newly inducted Hall of Famers made brief remarks expressing their appreciation for joining the ranks of fellow journalists recognized for their achievements in their profession.
Maglio, who has spent 30 years at Fox 8, has covered countless major news stories. He began his career in Cleveland in 1981 at WEWS, where he fulfilled many roles. In addition, he is an Emmy Award winner and a member of the NATAS Silver Circle.
Scruggs began her journalism career as a freelance music reviewer. She also worked at a community newspaper and then moved on to daily newspapers in Mississippi and Dayton, Ohio, before landing at The Plain Dealer where she spent three decades. At the PD, Scruggs worked as a suburban reporter before becoming a metro columnist. Later, she was an author, an independent multi-platform journalist and a college journalism instructor. Her work has been honored by Ohio SPJ, the Press Club of Cleveland, regional affiliates of the National Association of Black’s Journalists and the RTDNA.
Turner, who is news director at Spectrum 1 News, is an award-winning media executive with more than 25 years of experience. He began his journalism career at The Plain Dealer after earning a master’s degree in journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University. He spent 15 years at the PD as a bureau reporter. Turner also covered the police beat and Cuyahoga County courts before being named assistant metro editor, metro editor and finally news editor, where he oversaw the front page and copy desk. He later focused on digital journalism at cleveland.com before joining Spectrum 1. He is also an Emmy Award winner.
