It has gone on for far too long. Great examples of journalism have been overlooked, not looked at at all and even ignored. Finally a group of concerned citizens took to the Internet to right this wrong. On Friday, their battle for fairness was lost.

Americans for Fairness in Awarding Journalism Prizes started several weeks ago with the basic premise that 8,000 Pulitzer Prizes have been awarded since 1917 and not one has been awarded to the Onion. (Atrocious.)

This, the group insisted, cannot go on.

Its message seemed to be resonating with everyday people, famous people and even a (former) Senator.

“It has come to my attention that a publication that was founded in my home state of Wisconsin, the Onion, will soon publish its 1,000th issue,” former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) says in his YouTube testimonial.

“For 18 years I served in the United States Senate. … I can tell you no media outlet covered these important matters in Washington with more flagrant inaccuracies, blatant sensationalism and just plain inappropriateness than the Onion,” he says.

“It’s been a huge disappointment.”

However, Feingold says that because the Onion started in Wisconsin, there’s no question that it deserves journalism’s highest honor.

Others who join Feingold in this mission: HOH (sadly our video will never be seen now), Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform, media personality Glenn Beck, best-selling author Neil Gaiman, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and, crucially, actor Tom Hanks.

Unfortunately, on Friday the AFAJP learned that its spokesman is being sought on embezzlement charges.

“The fight for fairness in journalism award giving is over,” the AFAJP’s website reports in a final post.

And our world, dear readers, is the poorer for it.