Republished April 08, 2019 - 1:36 PM
Original Publication Date April 08, 2019 - 12:51 PM
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The late Associated Press South Carolina Bureau Chief John Shurr has been inducted into the South Carolina Press Association Hall of Fame.
The association honoured Shurr at its annual meeting Saturday. He died in 2015.
Shurr was the AP's bureau chief in South Carolina from 1984 until his retirement in 2007.
Press Association Executive Director Bill Rogers says Shurr was indispensable in advancing the Freedom of Information Act in South Carolina, both creating a guide for public officials and for journalists.
Rogers says Shurr singlehandedly made sure cameras were allowed in South Carolina courtrooms and worked to abolish the state's criminal libel law and create a shield law for reporters.
Shurr's wife, Debbie, was on hand to help honour her husband.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019