The Society of Professional Journalists has renamed its national award for ethics in journalism in recognition of our departed friend Fred Brown, a veteran Colorado journalist, educator and analyst; champion of high ethical standards for journalism; and a longtime state and national SPJ leader who died April 1.

Also, SPJ’s Colorado Pro Chapter is joining with the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition and the Denver Press Club in organizing a celebration of Fred’s life on the evening of May 7. Details to come.

Fred Brown addresses the Colorado General Assembly in 2002 as he stepped away from covering the legislature for The Denver Post. Lawmakers designated Jan. 11, 2002, as “Fred Day.” Legislature photo: KUSA-9NEWS. Inset portrait: The Denver Post.

The National SPJ’s Board of Directors on April 10 approved a resolution “renaming the ‘SPJ Ethics in Journalism Award’ as the ‘Fred Brown SPJ Ethics in Journalism Award,’ [and] supports continuing to annually award this honor to recipients who, like Fred Brown, embody the SPJ Ethics Code’s highest ideals.”

The board also said it “expresses its heartfelt condolences to Fred’s friends and family, including his widow, Mary Brown, and the countless people enriched by Fred’s example, guidance, and steadfast dedication to public service.”

Read the SPJ board resolution in full at the end of this post.

The resolution was drafted by Dan Axelrod, current chair of national SPJ’s ethics committee. SPJ Colorado Pro thanks Dan for his efforts in honoring our friend.

Fred – often known as “Ethical Fred” – served as national SPJ president in 1997-98, and at times was SPJ’s Rocky Mountain Region 9 director and president of our Colorado chapter. He was a former chair of the SPJ ethics committee, helped rewrite its Code of Ethics for journalists, and wrote and edited SPJ’s ethics book.

Fred spent decades covering government and politics on the staff of The Denver Post, was a longtime political analyst at Denver’s KUSA-9NEWS, and taught journalism ethics at the University of Denver.

Read more about Fred’s life and legacy here.

The SPJ board tribute to Fred comes with the approach of SPJ Ethics Week (April 27-May 1), with the focus on the society’s ongoing initiative to revise its Code of Ethics, which Fred helped draft. A series of online panels is planned. Fred first proposed the idea for SPJ’s Ethics Week nearly three decades ago.

More details on the May 7 celebration of life for Fred, and how to RSVP, will be posted in coming days online, via email, and on Facebook, LinkedIn, Bluesky and Instagram. SPJ Colorado Pro will also pause to pay tribute to Fred on April 25 at the 2026 Top of the Rockies Awards Reception.

Fred Brown (right) with SPJ Colorado Pro leaders Cara DeGette and Doug Bell at the SPJ Top of the Rockies Awards Reception in 2022.

SPJ Board of Directors proclamation:

WHEREAS Fred Brown dedicated his career to journalism, including being one of Colorado State University’s first technical journalism majors, editing CSU’s Rocky Mountain Collegian, and working for the Bent County Democrat and the Boulder Daily Camera before earning a master’s degree from Northwestern University in 1963 and joining The Denver Post, where he spent 39 years covering politics before retiring and serving as a columnist for The Post and the Society of Professional Journalists’ Quill Magazine, and as a legal analyst for Denver’s 9NEWS TV station;

WHEREAS Fred Brown taught journalism, especially media ethics, including part-time as a University of Denver instructor from 2006 to 2021, led the SPJ Ethics Committee’s efforts to write and revise multiple editions of the Society’s bestselling guidebook, Media Ethics: A Guide For Professional Conduct, spent years staffing the national SPJ Ethics Hotline, organized and participated in countless discussions, panels, classes and events regarding journalism and media ethics for SPJ, ordinary citizens and PR practitioners;

WHEREAS Fred Brown was a much-decorated servant leader as a journalist and a journalism advocate, including serving as SPJ’s national president during the 1997-98 term, an SPJ Foundation board member, SPJ Region 9 director, the SPJ Colorado Pro chapter’s president, chairman of the SPJ Ethics Committee, a key member of multiple SPJ Ethics Code revision committees, and a board member of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, in addition to receiving SPJ’s Wells Key in 2006, the Society’s highest honor for service, being named the SPJ Colorado Pro chapter’s Journalist of the Year and the state of Colorado’s Newspaperperson of the Year, being inducted into the halls of fame of the Colorado Journalism Association, Colorado State University and the Denver Press Club, and being honored when the Colorado State Legislature designated Jan. 11, 2002 as “Fred Day”;

WHEREAS over the years, journalists, journalism educators, and current and the former leaders of SPJ and journalism-related nonprofits described Fred Brown in news reports and online as an “indefatigable advocate for media ethics and open government access,” the “conscience of SPJ,” the “true north on the compass” of media ethics, “an institution” as a Colorado journalist, “Ethical Fred,” “Mr. SPJ” and “Mr. Ethics,” never cynical, a man with a much-loved “dry wit,” “well-centered,” “grounded,” compassionate, a “gentlemen,” “warm, polished in dress and character, and determined to do good,” “gentle and gracious,” and a person who “fundamentally saw his job as a public service”;

WHEREAS Fred Brown died at age 85 on April 1, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, love, devotion to his family and friends, and a zest for life and adventure, from swimming and cycling to volunteering at the Denver Zoo and traveling on African safaris;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Board of Directors of the Society of Professional Journalists expresses its heartfelt condolences to Fred’s friends and family, including his widow, Mary Brown, and the countless people enriched by Fred’s example, guidance, and steadfast dedication to public service;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Directors endorses renaming the “SPJ Ethics in Journalism Award” as the “Fred Brown SPJ Ethics in Journalism Award,” supports continuing to annually award this honor to recipients who, like Fred Brown, embody the SPJ Ethics Code’s highest ideals, and directs SPJ to give embossed copies of this resolution to Mary Brown, the Denver Post, 9NEWS, the SPJ Colorado Pro chapter, the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, the University of Denver and the Denver Zoo.

Approved by the Society of Professional Journalists Board of Directors on April 10, 2026.

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Learn more about Fred and his work:

“Longtime Denver Post political journalist Fred Brown, an ethics and open government advocate, dies at 85” (news obituary by Elliott Wenzler) — Denver Post, April 2, 2026.

“Fred Brown, longtime Denver journalist, left a legacy of respect, kindness and fair play” (remebrance by Kevin Vaughan) – KUSA-9NEWS, April 6, 2026.

“Fifty years ago, voter approval of the Sunshine Law ushered in a new era of government transparency in Colorado. It also meant no more beer for the state Capitol press corps” (remembrance by Jeffrey A. Roberts)— CFOIC, October 6, 2022.

“Denver’s Fred Brown is an instrumental figure in SPJ’s Code of Ethics” (Q&A interview by Ed Otte) – SPJ Colorado Pro, April 14, 2015.

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