1. tattooDad is Steve Collins, a journalist. And, as the events of the past three days has shown, he embodies the values Springsteen sings about.
2. On Christmas Eve, Steve quit his job as a reporter at The Bristol Press after the owner "stamp[ed] on the most basic rules of journalism."
3. Steve posted about what happened on Facebook.
4. Steve's post and stance went viral, getting coverage from The Washington Post among others.
5. Today Steve won the inaugural I.F. Stone Whistle-Blower Award (named after an esteemed investigative journalist) with the group behind the award citing "the courage required of Collins to resign in such difficult financial circumstances. It seemed to us an act of journalistic independence that should be memorialized."
6. At the suggestion of his many new admirers, Steve launched a GoFundMe page: "I have every intention of jumping back into the journalistic fray as soon as I can. It's important that reporters and editors protect our free press from those who would turn it the media into a tool for political causes. But it's tough to get by in the meantime because the kids and the dogs still want to eat, darn it, and you can only turn the heat down so far in Connecticut." You also can support Steve's work by supporting Youth Journalism International, a nonprofit Steve and his wife launched that mentors young journalists.
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