Public Service Journalism Defending Kids’ Interests Highlights Second-Quarter Awards of Excellence
Gannett
journalists used increasingly sophisticated digital tools to illuminate
problems, encourage a public dialogue and partner with groups to help devise
solutions in their communities. The second-quarter Awards of Excellence winners
share a common thread of using traditional as well as inventive ways to tell
stories and share content with new audiences.
In the
innovation category, a new app helped guide readers to the Cincinnati
Enquirer’s coverage of the Reds, videos were created to help get users
activated to the Green Bay Press-Gazette’s digital offerings and residents could
track their healthy efforts to “Get Moving” on the Tallahassee Democrat’s web
site.
With
the launch of native tablet applications under way, we are now operating yet
another platform for which readers have specific expectations. For that reason,
making deliberate content choices by time block and device experience is
increasingly important. The two content programming categories, newly added
this year, showed Gannett newsrooms have taken this goal to heart and are making
strides every day. For background, here are content programming training
discussions for editors
and reporters.
Our
newsrooms, as they consistently do, contributed vital public services that
helped support the greater good in their communities. In Des Moines, the
Register outlined both problems and potential solutions in the state’s
declining education system, and spurred the state legislature to move more
aggressively to turn things around for hundreds of thousands of Iowa students.
The Springfield News-Leader, which earned many awards over the last year for
its public service work defending the interests of children in the Ozarks, kept
up the pressure by partnering with a broadcast competitor to drive better
solutions for early childhood learning. And The News-Star at Monroe used an
array of digital storytelling tools to prepare its community for, and help it
get through, a crippling bridge closure that fundamentally altered life in that
town.
The
Awards of Excellence evolve every year and even each quarter to keep pace with
changes in our industry and in our company’s objectives. One thing that became
clear in the judging this quarter is how the awards, as designed right now, do
not adequately recognize the smart sharing and collaboration across sites. For
example, when four North Jersey sites and the Asbury Park Design Studio
collaborate on the award-worthy Table features sections, how do all the
deserving parties share in the credit? What category does that go in? What
division? Our main goal is to honor the best journalism and the great
journalists behind it, so we’re open to any suggestions about how to do that in
the best and most fair way possible. Call Mackenzie Warren with any thoughts.
Top
performing sites were:
– Division I:
Phoenix (9), Des Moines (5)
– Division
II: Palm Springs and Tallahassee (5 each)
– Division
III: Jackson TN and Staunton (4 each)
– Design
Studios: Asbury Park and Des Moines (2 each)
Judges
Judges
for the first quarter were: Kristen DelGuzzi (director, News Publishing Center
at The Arizona Republic), Jim Fitzhenry (Information Center manager at Oshkosh
Northwestern Media), Bob Gabordi (executive editor of the Tallahassee Democrat),
Paul Grzella (general manager/editor at the Courier News/Home News Tribune in
Central New Jersey), Robert Huschka (assistant managing editor for presentation
and news desks at the Detroit Free Press), Dennis Lyons (managing editor/Gannett
newspaper partnerships at USA TODAY), Liz Nelson (assistant managing
editor/digital at The Desert Sun in Palm Springs) and Bethany White (deputy
director at the Asbury Park Design Studio).
Prize money
First
Place winners receive the following prizes: For a First Place award where the
newsroom is cited, the newsroom gets $250, through intracompany deposit. If an
individual is named in the First Place award, that individual gets $250 through
a payroll deposit. Up to four individuals may be cited and they will split the
$250 prize. For winning entries that cite five or more staffers, the $250 will
go to the newsroom.
If
you’d like to nominate a judge for future quarters, call Mackenzie Warren, who
administers the awards programs.
Public Service Journalism
DIVISION I
First Place
The Des Moines Register
Mary Stegmeir, Jason Noble, Bill
Petroski and Jens Krogstad, reporters
For
“Iowa Kids.” The entry included a comprehensive, well-executed and highly
engaging public service campaign that described the problem of declining
performance of Iowa schools, outlined the causes and solutions and
energetically pushed for action in the Iowa Legislature as part of a yearlong
focus on Iowa Kids.
Judges
said: “Three things set this entry apart: 1. Exceptional storytelling in print
and digital, which drives home the problem from the perspective of real people
in their own words. 2. The presentation in the pages of the Register and the
web special section are easy to follow, break down information in small chunks
to help to digest information without overwhelming the reader. 3. It included a
diverse range of perspectives from Iowans to allow a multitude of voices to be
heard and an urgent and unequivocal call to action from the Register.”
To
see this work: https://www.DesMoinesRegister.com/IowaKids
Finalists
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Staff
For
its continuing “Unite Rochester,” a comprehensive and courageous look at one of
the most complex and divisive issues in America: race. This leg of the Unite
Rochester project examines the underlying economic roots of the problem and
charts ambitious, but attainable goals for progress as well as making inroads
with youth in fostering real change.
Judges
said: “This groundbreaking campaign showed no signs of slowing down in the
second quarter. In fact, the quality of the reporting, storytelling and
community conversation only gained momentum and helped create a strong sense of
urgency about the need for change. The accompanying blog is especially
well-done and helps keep the conversation active and top of mind. Columns from
editor Karen Magnuson helped tie together the many parts of the series. Concise
summaries of the Democrat and Chronicle’s editorial positions are handy, reader
friendly tools. Staff writer’s Brian Sharp, Matthew Daneman and Megan DeMarco
poignant and powerful writing on minority-owned businesses helped capture the
essence of bias in the workplace.”
To
see this work: https://www.democratandchronicle.com/section/unite01
The Arizona Republic at Phoenix
Staff
For
“Education Nation” which examined the problems and barriers to improving public
schools in Arizona that included an ambitious community outreach and crowd
sourcing to build support for solving the problem and provide highly
individualized results for readers through social media.
Judges
said: “What really makes this submission stand out is the scale of the community
outreach through town hall meetings. The forums not only allowed the public to
learn about the issues and express their opinions, but helped hold public
officials accountable and produce a climate for action. The digital components
are particularly strong with broadcast partner coverage of the town hall
meetings and wonderfully produced tablet versions that allow readers to
interact with the content. The social media crowd sourcing is a unique way to
connect readers with sources who can help solve problems on a micro level.”
To
see this work: https://www.azcentral.com/news/education-nation/
DIVISION II
First Place
Springfield News-Leader
Claudette Riley and Valerie Mosley,
reporter
For
“Ready to Learn,” which is a textbook example of a news organization providing
leadership on an issue of critical importance to its community (early childhood
learning) and partnering with other organizations (a broadcast competitor) to
tell the story more powerfully, focus attention on the issue and create the
conditions for action.
Judges
said: “Early childhood education was in the national spotlight in the
president’s State of the Union address in January and Springfield brought the
topic home for its community in a series of stories and town hall meetings held
in partnership with a competing television station to expand its reach. It is a
great example of serving the greater good through journalism, strong editorials
and working with rivals for the good of the community. Claudette Riley’s piece
“Churches play big role in providing preschool” was a good example of
high quality weekday reporting that advanced the series and provided a great
story to greet readers on a Tuesday morning.”
To
see this work: https://www.news-leader.com/readytolearn
Finalists
Tallahassee Democrat
Jennifer Portman and Jordan Culver, reporters
For
“Healthy Babies,” a five-year follow-up to a community outreach initiative by
the Tallahassee Democrat to reduce the infant mortality rate in its community;
this report holds no punches in describing the progress and the failure to
bring down a stubborn gap in racial disparities. The series features
authoritative reporting, easy to digest bits of information and compelling
video.
Judges
said: “The success of Healthy Babies is a strong testament to the ability of a
news organization to work for the greater good in its community, which in this
case literally means saving lives. Executive Editor Bob Gabordi’s column helps
frame the series and explains to readers why it is important news for the
Democrat to cover. Reporter Jennifer Portman’s command of the subject matter
allows her to clearly and concisely explain the facts and figures which allows
for compelling story telling for Portman and Jordan Culver.”
To
see this work: https://www.tallahassee.com/healthybabies
Montgomery Advertiser
Staff
The
Advertiser took an unflinching look at gun violence in its community with deep
reporting, compelling storytelling that turned the victims from statistics into
people and demanded that public officials take strong action to treat the
problem as more than a statistical fluke. The headlines and presentation demand
attention; the deep data help readers understand the problem and search for
answers.
Judges
said: “This three-part series is a bold response to a problem that could easily
be ignored. Instead, the Advertiser describes the gun violence hitting the city
with depth and clarity, examines the root causes and outlines a series of steps
to help put an end to the bloodshed. A map and videos on a special web page add
interactivity and depth to the print coverage.”
To
see this work: https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/violence
DIVISION III
First Place
The News-Star at Monroe
Staff
For
coverage of Monroe’s #bridgeapocalypse, the closing of one of this community’s
key arteries, the Lea Joyner Bridge, for eight weeks.
Judges
said: “Leading up to the bridge’s closure, the News-Star offered comprehensive
coverage of the reasons for the repairs and examined how the shutdown would
affect residents and businesses. The coverage directed readers to resources —
including a web chat with state police — that helped them plan ahead for the
upcoming traffic nightmare. Once the closure began, The News-Star used Facebook
and Twitter to warn readers of traffic problems. They also used Facebook to spur conversation
among drivers about issues they were seeing on the roads. The News-Star even
offered a web cam where commuters could check on the traffic around the area before
beginning their journeys.”
To
see this work: https://www.thenewsstar.com/bridge
Finalists
Chillicothe Gazette
Staff
For
coverage of the Chillicothe municipal pool this summerand for the
Gazette’s role in campaign to get it reopened.
Judges
said: “Asa Gazetteeditorial made clear, for more than 10 years the
city has engaged in a nearly-annual debate over whether it can afford to open
its pool. So, this year, when the mayor announced the pool wouldn’t open, the
Gazette dove in with Matthew Kent’s coverage of the debate. A local man then
donated his timerepairing the pool’s pump. And,theeditorial
board kept the pressure on pushing for astable private-public partnership
to keep the pool funded into the future. As a result, the pool is scheduled to
be re-open — and Gazette general manager/managing editorMike
Thronehas agreed to chair a committee to develop a long term solution to
thefunding problem.
The Jackson Sun at Jackson, Tenn.
Nichole Manna, reporter
For
coverage of a graffiti-damaged public park. The coverage spurred efforts to
clean up the park and make it safer for
the community.
Judges
said: “After spotting complaints on Facebook, reporter Nichole Manna looked
into a graffiti problems at a local public park. At first, the city refused to
clean it up, saying the damage wasn’t major and didn’t contain any vulgarities.
But after the Sun’s report, the city cleaned up the graffiti and announced
extra police patrols. The city also promised new security cameras. The Sun
showed off its results with before-and-after photos of the scene.”
Watchdog Journalism
DIVISION I
First Place
The Des Moines Register
Clark Kauffman, reporter
For
The Des Moines Register’s revealing analysis of Iowa’s broken EMT and EMS
systems, which place Iowans in danger by failing to guarantee consistent,
competent and timely emergency response services.
Judges
said: Shame on Iowa if it doesn’t fix problems within its emergency response
system after reporter Clark Kauffman so carefully and precisely laid out issues
that put lives at risks. He examined hundreds of public documents and some 450
Iowa EMS providers had been disciplined. He found that, depending on chance, an
emergency responder could be a high school student pulled out of class. He
found no background check on nearly 10,000 volunteers meant that responders
could be someone with a criminal history or a drug abuser. He found a system
devoid of accountability, especially in rural areas. The work was powerful
across platforms, with an interactive database andtelling void. This is
as good as journalism gets.
To
see this work: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=news&keyword=emt
Finalists
The Indianapolis Star
Tony Cook and Mary Beth Schneider,
reporters
For
the Star’s dogged pursuit of small-town corruption that led to millions of
dollars in jobs development money being swindled away from those who needed it
most.
Judges
said: “Reporters Tony Cook and Mary Beth Schneider did what good watchdog
reporters do best: They followed the money. With $10 million per year in
government money from a casino to dole out for economic development and little
oversight, small-town politicians did what you might expect: use it to benefit
themselves, friends and close supporters and their families. Cook and Schneider
exposed them, showing that the money wasn’t being used to support startup
companies and expand badly needed jobs. Best of all: They effected change in
the system.”
To
see this work: https://www.indystar.com/article/20130517/NEWS05/305170076/Millions-casino-cash-spent-where-jobs-
Detroit Free Press
Joe Guillen, reporter
As
Detroit was pushed to the point of bankruptcy, Detroit Free Press reporter Joe
Guillen went after city pension fund trustees who were spending $22,000 on a
lavish trip to Hawaii for a pension conference.
Judges
said: “Joe Guillen’s work exposed wrong-doing by a group of city pension fund
trustees who, instead of helping to keepDetroit from plunging in to
bankruptcy, did their level best to push the city over the brink. The story he
tells exposes the details of their malfeasance, down to the last first-class
plane ticket, and resulted in an investigation. And there’s a twist at the end:
A follow-up detailing the promotion of two of the trustees to manage one of the
city’s largestpension fund boards.
Division II
First Place
Pensacola News Journal
Erin Kourkounis, reporter; Shannon
Nickinson, columnist; Mike Suchcicki, community conversation editor; Richard
Schneider, executive editor
Quality
of the state’s pre-kindergarten classes and their effectiveness in getting children
ready to learn in school.
Judges
said: “This is classic watchdog reporting by reporter Erin Kourkounis tied
closely to an important passion topic and key audience in the Pensacola market,
coupling good engagement and information parents need to have to make good
choices for their children. The project made use of a database that evaluated
programs and included a strong editorial and column by Shannon Nickinson. Mike
Suchciki kept the conversation going with the Sunday Convo column that included
digital storychat comments and social media posts. This is primer on how to do
watchdog journalism across platforms.”
To
see this work: https://www.pnj.com/interactive/article/99999999/EDUCATION/130503016/VPK-map
Finalists
Argus Leader at Sioux Falls
Jonathan Ellis, reporter
For
an investigation into fraudulent insurance practices and a cover-up by state
government.
Judges
said: “This is impactful work that digs deep into a practice by an insurer that
prevented families from getting long-term care for aging parents. But Jonathan
Ellis did not stop there. He continued to dig into why the state did not
protect elderly policy holders and the result was an immediate order for
official review by the governor and recommendations for improved oversight. This
was a difference maker for South Dakota families.
To
see this work: https://www.argusleader.com/article/20130623/NEWS/306230038/Bargain-S-D-farm-land
Poughkeepsie Journal
Mary Beth Pfeiffer, reporter
Lyme
disease: Is it real?
Judges
said: “Revelatory and groundbreaking only begin to describe the work by Mary
Beth Pfeiffer in this project that has implications well beyond upstate New
York. What started as a backhand comment by one health official exploded when
Pfeiffer showed through examination of thousands of government emails, and many
interviews that the government had taken sides in the debate over Lyme disease
to the exclusion of the other side. Just how far-reaching are the public health
implications of this is shown by the involvement of the nation’s top health
official on Lyme disease who write an op-ed on the newspaper’s opinion page.”
To
see this work: https://www.PoughkeepsieJournal.com/lyme
and https://pojonews.co/14llWaN
Division III
First Place
Home News Tribune at East Brunswick
Keith Sargeant, reporter
After
the Rutgers’ basketball coach video scandal, aHome News Tribune reporter
jumps in tothe national story unfolding in his back yard and prompts the
university to take definitive action against one of its own.
Judges
said: “Keith Sargeant’s reporting on Rutgers’ less-than-perfecthandling
ofthe video scandal that led to the eventual dismissal of basketball
coach Mike Rice is the very definition of watchdog journalism. Sargeant pressed
Rutgers officials to give precise answers about steps they were taking to hold
university administrators responsible. And, when they gave those answers, it
became clear that they were shielding — and still paying a hefty salary — to
the man who recommended against firing Rice. As a result of this reporting that
man, John Wolf, resigned.”
Finalists
The Jackson Sun at Jackson, Tenn.
Nichole Manna, reporter
When
reporter Nichole Manna began investigating the case of a teacher fired after a
crime conviction, she found a much bigger story: the school system and police
force weren’t requiring IDs when fingerprinting job candidates — meaning
anyone (especially anyone with a clean criminal record) could show up and
submit prints.
Judges
said: “Nichole Manna set out to report a story about a fired teacher. When she
found out he had a criminal record that was somehow missed at hire, she started
to dig. She uncovered a background check system so lax, it was easy for someone
with a questionable past to game the system and gain admittance to the local
school system. As a result of her dogged reporting, the school system and
police revised their fingerprinting policy to ensure they were getting legit
prints. The work also led to a criminal investigation into the former teacher.”
The News-Messenger at Fremont
Kristina Smith, reporter
Kristina
Smith, while investigating a shooting death that was labeled a suicide,
discovered there’s a world of difference between a coroner and a medical
examiner. She also shows, through her tightly written story, that while her
county has a coroner, what it really needs is a medical examiner.
Judges
said: “In Lucas County, coroners aren’t held to the same exacting standards as
medical examiners in neighboring regions. A coroner, for instance, isn’t
required to even show up at the scene of a gun shot fatality if a sheriff
describes it as “self-inflicted.” As a result of her reporting, a
petition has been started and some Ohio lawmakers are considering changing
requirements statewide to require medical examiners, not coroners, are
dispatched to the scene of every violent or suspicious death. Well done!”
Innovation
Division I
First Place
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Staff
The
Cincinnati Enquirer created an app for Reds fans that provides real-time
coverage of games, photos, video and reporter tweets.
Judges
said: “Innovation is hard enough on its own. The Enquirer’s staff hit it out of
the park with the introduction of their Reds iPadapp. With more than
100,000 downloads and 3 million page views per month in season, the app — and
the Enquirer’s rich coverage — has captured readers attention and made the
Enquirer an indispensible part of the fan experience.
This
is a model for all markets of how to engage readers and keep their attention.
We would welcome a road-show from the Cincy team to explain the development
that went into this product and lessons learned since launch.”
To
see this work: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cincinnati.com-reds-baseball/id390537231?mt=8
Finalists
The Arizona Republic at Phoenix
Debora Britz, content manager; Karen
Fernau and Jennifer McClellan, reporters; Howard Seftel, columnist
Multimedia
and multi-platform cooking contest
Judges
said: “Food editor Debora Britz, food writer Karen Fernau, dining news reporter
Jennifer McClellan and restaurant critic Howard Seftel created an innovative —
and tasty — approach to coverage of food, a passion topic. They solicited
entries online, print, TV and social media for a Top Chef Contest and received
about 90 submissions. They got the contest down to three finalists and then the
foursome joined the finalists at their home for a meal, documenting the process
for reality-TV like package that included print, TV and tablet elements.
To
see this work: https://www.azcentral.com/food/articles/20130529top-home-chef-win-thomas-recipes.html
https://www.azcentral.com/food/articles/20130604tom-home-chef-shereen-thomas-chandler.html
https://www.azcentral.com/food/articles/20130611top-home-chef-finalist-anthony-coury-phoenix.html
The Courier-Journal at Louisville
Chris Feldmann, digital content producer/graphic
artist
The
Courier-Journal takes graphics to the next level with the help of digital
graphic artist Chris Feldmann, whose work has added new life to editorial
cartoons, sports coverage and even reader desktops.
Judges
said: “As attention spans shorten, we are increasingly called on tell stories
in new ways that are easily digestible. The trick is to make sure we’re also
communicating the depth and breadth of our news products. The Courier-Journal
has leveraged the talents of digital graphic
artist Chris Feldmann to animate editorial cartoons, create quick fan-centric
sports videos and illustrate complex stories with animated explainers. All
provide new entry points into the great journalism being done by the Louisville
team.”
To
see this work: https://www.courier-journal.com/section/VIDEONETWORK?bctid=2291777090001
https://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130623/OPINION/306230028/Marc-Murphy-Slight-fed-slowdown
https://www.courier-journal.com/section/VIDEONETWORK?bctid=2423926231001
https://www.courier-journal.com/section/VIDEONETWORK?bctid=2275044640001
Division II
First Place
Tallahassee Democrat
Staff
For
the Tallahassee Democrat’s digital effort to tap into the growing number of
people interested in health and fitness with the site Move.Tallahassee.com.
Judges
said: “Move.Tallahassee.com is an ambitious effort to regularly engage users on
the passion topic of health and fitness and to give them the benefit of
critical information about their health. This site clearly creates new value
for subscribers. It encourages the
walking, running, biking, swimming, etc. communities to interact with the site
and with each other. Since its formal launch in June, thousands have joined and
more than 500 have become active participants.
The site includes all sorts of health and fitness news and information,
a mileage tracker for users to keep track, and opportunities for users to give
tips, share experiences about trails and other fitness areas. The site is
attracting new audiences and has been promoted actively by Executive Editor Bob
Gabordi in his columns and blog. Elements of the site are also used in print.
To
see this work: https://move.tallahassee.com/
Finalists
Green Bay Press-Gazette
Joe Heller, artist/cartoonist
For
an animated video that walks users through the process of activating their Full
Access subscriptions.
Judges
said: “To help subscribers navigate Full Access, Joe Heller took the language
that had been provided to subscribers and made it the script for a football coach
— he knows his audience in Green Bay — in a locker room. As the
“coach” talks, his animated chalkboard guides viewers through the
steps of registering. The two-minute video is fun, useful and engaging — so
much so that the nine other Wisconsin dailies wanted their own versions, which
Joe provided. He also created a version for St. Cloud. The video also created
value, especially for subscribers and improved a process. It had been viewed
1,000 times across the Wisconsin sites in two months and will continue to be
relevant through the rest of the year.”
To
see this work: https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/videonetwork/2346464374001
The Desert Sun at Palm Springs
Staff
For
The Desert Sun’s creation of a free outdoor concert, Tachevah, to fill the
Wednesday between the Coachella Valley Music Festival weekends.
Judges
said: “For two weekends in the spring, The Desert Sun has a huge audience for
the Coachella Valley Music Festival. This year, The Desert Sun took the
innovative step of creating and adding its own concert to the lineup on the
Wednesday between the two Coachella weekends. To ensure the event was a
success, The Desert Sun worked with a concert promoter and took full advantage
of social media to tout the event and get people engaged. They asked people to
vote for local bands they would like to see onstage and created an @Tachevah
Twitter handle. On the day of the event, the staff provided live updates, photo
galleries, video, Tweets and a live-stream of the opening acts. The event
introduced The Desert Sun and MyDesert to a younger audience, many of whom have
stuck around since Tachevah.”
To
see this work: https://mycoachella.mydesert.com/category/tachevah/
https://www.facebook.com/Tachevah
Division III
First Place
The News Leader at Staunton
Deona Houff, community conversation
editor; Jennie Coughlin, data editor; and the editorial board of The News
Leader
For
video editorials that resonate with digital readers.
Judges
said: “Staunton’s editorial board experimented with adding video to editorials
that well beyond the expected talking heads approach, in one case using a
singer and original song to make a point to a hesitant political candidate and
in another recording statements of students and teachers to support funding for
the arts in schools.”
To
see this work: https://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?Dato=20130504&Kategori=OPINION01&Lopenr=107100002&Ref=AR
Beat Coverage
DIVISION I
First Place
Detroit Free Press
Keith Matheny, reporter
A
wide-range of well-written, in-depth stories on key environmental topics that
impact the health, safety, recreation and economic development of Michigan and
the Great Lakes, coupled with some smart graphics and photos to hook social
media users.
Judges
said: “Reporter Keith Matheny’s stories demonstrate a mastery of the complex
topics when public policy and threats to health and safety intersect. He also
shows an ability to capture the voices of the people impacted by the decisions
of government and business. His work is an example of how good beat work is at
the heart of our mission to hold institutions accountable, to alert the public
to threats to their health, how to take action and to celebrate successes that
return places to pristine states.”
To
see this work: https://www.freep.com/matheny_contest2013
Finalists
The Tennessean at Nashville
Duane Gang, reporter
For
beat coverage that covered a lot of ground on issues important to readers
including airport expansion, fracking, natural gas drilling on university-owned
land, traffic congestion and pollution that approach the topics from the
perspectives and concerns of readers.
Judges
said: “Reporter Duane Gang has a broad beat description that he uses to his
advantage to cut through silos to get to the heart of issues for readers and
expertly answering questions such as: What will that highway project mean for my
morning commute? How does fracking word and is it safe? Is that junk yard
polluting my water? An impressive body of work, particularly his excellent
explanation of the fracking process.”
To
see this work: https://www.tennessean.com/section/projects68
https://www.tennessean.com/videonetwork/2327300326001/What-is-fracking-and-how-does-it-work-
The Indianapolis Star
Tim Evans, reporter
For
beat stories with a genesis from the court system that scrupulously avoid
legalese and instead get to the human dramas — tragic, humorous, outrageous —
that play out in the system as it referees a wide range of issues.
Judges
said: “It is clear that Tim Evans approaches his beat from the perspective of
people in the system rather than the system because his stories break down
legal disputes in easy-to-comprehend terms and spend most of their time
examining the human dimension. His coverage helps hold people accountable, it
makes for riveting storytelling.
Division II
First Place
Poughkeepsie Journal
Sarah Bradshaw, reporter
For
Sarah Bradshaw’s work as Poughkeepsie’s government-accountability reporter.
Judges
said: “Sarah Bradshaw’s work used public documents, database analysis and
old-fashioned sources to ferret out government wrong-doing and mismanagement.
In one story, she dug up documents showing that elections commissioners were
spending thousands of dollars suing each other in court. In another, she uncovered
a grand jury probe into the elections board. And, she compiled records to
reveal health code violations at school cafeteria. Her outstanding watchdog
work held leaders accountable and led to several policy changes.
To
see this work: https://www.PoughkeepsieJournal.com/awardsbeat
Finalists
The Greenville News
Lyn Riddle and Anna Lee, reporters
For
coverage by Lyn Riddle and Anna Lee of Greenville’s recent history of growth,
as part of a beat that focuses on a passion topic.
Judges
said: “Lyn Riddles and Anna Lee’s work about Greenville’s growth moves beyond
the usual development coverage with stories on a huge variety of topics — from
aging sewer lines to downtown bar spats to how a changing city preserve its
history. The writing often includes tales from residents, not just perfunctory
quotes from them or from bureaucrats.”
To
see this work: https://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20130407/DOWNTOWN/304070004/Repairs-cracked-crumbling-sewer-lines-cost-Greenville-18-million
Saving
our past: https://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20130428/DOWNTOWN/304280002/Though-treasures-been-lost-downtown-finds-value-history
The Daily Times at Salisbury
Jennifer Shutt, reporter
For
government reporter Jennifer Shutt’s coverage of issues focus on issued
concerning key segments of Salisbury’s readership: homeowners, farmers and
senior citizens.
Judges
said: “Jennifer Shutt’s work showed how budget cuts hit airline passengers and
meals for the elderly. She dug into a story about residential water
contamination, disputing the government’s contention that farmers were to
blame. In all of her stories, she highlighted the real effects government can
have in her community.”
Division III
First Place
The News Leader at Staunton
Calvin Trice, reporter
For a series of probing stories off the
government beat examining reimbursement policies for day care providers, urban
revival, low-income housing and live blogging of a budget hearing.
Judges said: “Good beat reporting
provides context, depth and clarity to the day’s news. The best, as shown in
Calvin Trice’s work, leads to strong enterprise reporting that provides
essential information that shines a light on problems and can lead to change.
Live-blogging from a budget hearing and answering 150 reader questions is not
only a great tool for boosting interaction with readers, it is an opportunity
to showcase our local expertise.”
To
see this work: https://www.newsleader.com/article/20130629/NEWS01/306290027/Waynesboro-s-Urban-Revival–
https://www.newsleader.com/article/20130518/NEWS01/305180020/Pushed-limit-child-care
Finalists
Battle Creek Enquirer
Justin Hinkley, reporter
For
a series of in-depth stories on critical, and complex, issues in K-12 education
including funding, race, facilities and the delivery of services with excellent
sourcing, analysis and display of information.
Judge
said: “When writing about potentially explosive issues such as race in
education, it is easy to simply avoid the topics. Justin Hinkley took the
opposite approach and provided thoughtful, hard-hitting and depth stories with
data, interviews and context that gave readers tools and information to make
intelligent decisions about school closures, policies and academic performance.”
To
see this work: https://topics.battlecreekenquirer.com/wholechild
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wholechild/
Oshkosh Northwestern
Jeff Bollier, content provider
For
reporter Jeff Bollier’s coverage of business and development highlights new
openings and new events in the city and reveals a government agency’s decision
that affects Oshkosh’s largest and best-known event.
Judges
said: “Jeff Bollier’s development and business stories that appeal to real
people’s lives. One takes you inside a rennovated hotel on the waterfront.
Another explains how businesses are using peeps — yes, those little sugar
candies — to bring people in the door. Yet another breaks news, revealing a
huge payment that FAA is requiring from the annual air show. This coverage
intersects with Oshkosh’s “Event City” passion topic that focuses on
the tourism industry and things to do. Bollier also tells each of these stories
with video shot and edited on his iPhone.
To
see this work: https://www.thenorthwestern.com/videonetwork/2280410323001
https://www.thenorthwestern.com/videonetwork/2424180260001
https://www.thenorthwestern.com/videonetwork/2421745733001
https://www.thenorthwestern.com/videonetwork/2425957173001
https://www.thenorthwestern.com/videonetwork/2330990871001
https://www.thenorthwestern.com/videonetwork/2347116500001
Content Programming: Breaking News
DIVISION I
First Place
The Arizona Republic at Phoenix
Staff
For coverage of the verdict in the
months-long Jodi Arias murder trial.
The Arizona Republic was well-prepared
for the verdict, with content ready to go on all platforms and a well-organized
plan for after the verdict. Their coverage was comprehensive across all
platforms, using all the tools at their disposal. And of course, even with all
the planning, there is always the unexpected, such as when Arias, late in the
day, told a TV reporter she’d rather die than accept a life sentence. The
Republic reacted quickly for digital and print to make that part of its
coverage. When the court announced a verdict was reached and would be announced
in two hours, they were ready to go with iPhone push alerts and text alerts.
Their full team — combined with reporters from TV affiliate12 NEWS
— began tweeting from the courthouse. Once the guilty verdict was
announced, they used Cover-it-live to pull in tweets, video and photos. A
verdict story immediately want up on all platforms, and the coverage expanded
throughout the day and night. The Republic team captured the reaction of the
hundreds gathered outside the courthouse and from the family and friends of
Arias and the victim. Their digital coverage paid off for print readers, who
got great detail in six pages.
Finalists
The Courier-Journal at Louisville
Staff
For staff coverage of a school bus
crash that injured 30 local high school students as well as five others.
The Courier-Journal used every weapon
in its arsenal to cover this developing story, from initial Twitter postings
and Facebook source solicitation to constant digital updates that included a
reporter using his iPhone to broadcast live on their website a press conference
by a hospital surgeon.
Video of the crash was uncovered by a
video producer from the dashboard cam of a passing truck on a video syndication
website. The developing story was told incrementally across digital platforms
with time stamps for each update, with lots of photos, video, tweets, etc. All
of that was subsequently the basis for a well-detailed main story and sidebars.
Beyond the obvious reporting on the
crash and the status of the injured students, the Courier-Journal staff also
knew the crash would be impacting rush hour traffic. So they used push alerts,
the website and social media to alert commuters.
The team also used social media to
track down students who had been on the bus, and developed the story that the
bus was not one operated by the district, but by a private company. Their
reporting showed the company had previously had a clean record.
This reporting touched all the bases
and kept readers informed with critical information throughout the day.
The Des Moines Register
Kathy Bolten and Lucas Grundmeier,
editors; Emily Schettler and Sharyn Jackson, reporters; Katherine Klingseis,
intern
For coverage of the discovery of a body
police said was likely that ofmissing kidnapped teenager Kaithlynn
Shepard.
Two girls were kidnapped on May 20. One
escaped, but the second Katherine Sheppard, had been missing ever since. The
Register’s news team had been providing comprehensive coverage of the
kidnapping and the investigation ever since. Then, on Friday night, June 7,
they learned investigators were going to have a press conference about the
case. The Register first published news of the planned news conference at 10
p.m. on Twitter, and quickly moved to digital. platforms with updates, while the
print deadline clock ticked. The press conference finally started at 12:07 a.m.
Reporters live-tweeted the news conference, with an editor back in the newsroom
handling rewrite for the digital and late print edition stories. By 12:31,
there was a story on all platforms, beating the competition, and a story made
the final print edition.
Updates continued throughout the night,
including live coverage of a middle of the night press conference that got
nearly 2,800 page views. They also blogged community reaction and continued to
post video over the next 24 hours.
The Register did a terrific job
handling this development in this emotional story story across all platforms at
a late hour.
Division II
First Place
The Desert Sun at Palm Springs
Staff
For The Desert Sun’s instantaneous,
multi-platform and comprehensive coverage of the Supreme Court’s Prop 8 and
DOMA decisions.
When the U.S. Supreme Court issued its
rulings on Prop 8 and DOMA — decisions that overturned California’s ban on
same-sex marriage and gutted the Defense of Marriage Act — The Desert Sun
quickly swung into action. They immediately Tweeted the news, sent push alerts,
posted it on The Desert Sun Facebook page and MyDesert app and stripped an
item, with a breaking-news headline, across the top of the homepage. Within an
hour, the team had filled the top of the homepage with a video, story,
livestream and links to the court’s decisions. The depth of online coverage
kept growing throughout the day, as live content was added as well as background
— notably a timeline — on Prop 8.
The next day’s print edition was just as impressive, with a smart package of A1
stories that looked at the reaction to the rulings and the potential business
impact on the region. More than two pages of inside content added depth and
context, with a quote rail, a box on where to apply for marriage licenses, a
graphic on where same-sex marriage is legal and a story on what opponents of
gay marriage will do next.
Finalists
Reno Gazette-Journal
Martha Bellisle, reporter
For Martha Bellisle’s coverage of the
high-profile trial and especially the verdict in the case of longtime lobbyist
Harvey Whittemore.
Martha Bellisle faced numerous
challenges in covering the much-watched trial of Harvey Whittemore, a Nevada powerbroker
accused of excessive political donations to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:
There was no Internet access in the courtroom, and cameras weren’t allowed. She
also couldn’t leave the courtroom unless there was a break. That made it
difficult to deliver content on many platforms.
To address the challenges, Martha
delivered twice-daily video reports in which she addressed reader questions and
either previewed or recapped the day. Tweets were curated and positioned on the
home page and print stories focused on an angle of the day’s trial. A splash
page also was created to feature all the content.
All the coverage resulted in more than
100,000 page views, more than half of which were for Martha’s daily video
recaps.
Argus Leader at Sioux Falls
Staff
For the Argus Leader’s coverage of a
late-winter ice storm that knocked out power for days and led to a state of
emergency in Sioux Falls.
Judges said: In a time of crisis, the
Argus Leader was a terrific and solid resource for its community on all platforms.
Division III
First Place
Iowa City Press-Citizen
Staff
For the Iowa City Press-Citizen’s staff
coverage of major flooding that hit the area and threatened to worsen.
The staff of the Iowa City
Press-Citizen came through with flying colors on coverage of this episode of
major flooding, with a strong combination of developing news coverage and lots
of helpful coping information for readers.
A Google map showed evacuations and
road closures and worked on all platforms. Twitter feeds with the hashtag
#icflood caught on quickly with the community. Photographers posted a steady
flow of photos to the Press-Citizen Facebook page via Instagram. Mobile push
alerts were used to communicate the most important updates. They went to the
skies and developed a narrated aerial video tour and photo gallery of the floodwaters
and embedded it into different stories to increase easy access. The website
homefront provided sophisticated ready access to all of this coverage.
In print, stories focused on real people
and looking ahead were equally impressive. The process continued the next day.
The Press-Citizen staff was more than up to the challenge of this story and
produced coverage across all platforms at a level that would have made much
larger news teamsproud.
Finalists
The Advocate at Newark and Media
Network of Central Ohio
Kurt Snyder, Dave Weidig and Tom Wilson,
reporters
For Kurt Snyder, Dave Weidig and Tom
Wilson of the Advocate of Newark and the Media Network of Central Ohio and
their coverage and their coverage of a wild weekend of high school state
championships, which involved two baseball teams, a softball team and many
individuals competing in track and field events.
This was an impressive example of programmed
breaking news content by a small but organized and well-trained team. These
events were all of high interest to local readers and users and obviously a big
local deal to have these many local athletes competing for state titles. The
sports team here produced continual digital updates, used Twitter to report
incremental progress, produced good video and ended up with strong 1A and
Sports section presentations. The coverage was chock full of emotion and color,
as well as the historical perspective of how unusual this multiple state title
games in such a small area really was. It is sure to fill many scrapbooks.
Content Programming: Planned Content
DIVISION I
First Place
Detroit Free Press
Staff
In
May, the Detroit Free Press editorial staffre-branded and re-imagined its
Opinion section as A Better Michigan, and involved readers in new ways in
ongoing, forward-movingconversations. This new brand houses all opinion
content in a single, effective portal that also puts readers first.
Strategically, the team also formed new partnerships with similar organizations
with like-minded missions, and thereby broadened reach and impact.
What impressive work. In a single,
well-planned swoop, the Detroit Free Press editorial team re-imagined what
could be done in their editorial space. The landing page is dynamic and
beautiful and engages the reader right away. The planning for this work is
simply outstanding, but so is the execution, which relentlessly pairs staff
work with works provided by readers and mission partners. The launch of this
planned content was strategic as well, timed to an event that reflects the
rebranded page and mission. But was it most impressive is that two months into
it, the page looks as fresh and involving as it did on the first day. And hats
off, too, for the growth of your Twitter followers — 1,000 new pickups in
such a short time speaks volumes about the effectiveness and execution of this
programming strategy.
Finalists
The Tennessean at Nashville
Staff
The members of the Tennessean staff
took its music passion topic strategic cover of the music scene and transformed
how they work with back-to-back coverage of the CMA Music Festival and the
Bonnaroo festival. The Tennessean’s print platform is replete with extensive
pre and post coverage of the events, as one would expect. But this entry also
focuses on how coverage was strategically planned and executed for other
platforms, through blogs, videos, photo galleries andsocial media.
This Tennessean’s festival coverage in
June rocked the platforms. One would expect this teamto get it right, but
in this instance, they got it very right in very exciting new
ways.Stragetic use of Instagram and Twitter, along with Facebook, allowed
the team to further broaden its impact and reach. What really works here is how
the teams, in each case, thought about how and when to program work by the hour
for maximum impact. This included hourly updates, videos and a livestream
broadcast.This type of programming is a model for how big events can be
smartly covered, so that our readers keep coming back for more detailed,
exclusive and smart coverage.
The Des Moines Register
Kyle Munson, columnist; Jason Clayworth
and Perry Beeman, reporters; Mary Chind, Rodney White and Andrea Melendez, photographers;
Craig Johnson and Katie Kunert, digital artists.
Floods scarred the Iowa landscape over
the course of a few daysin June 2008. Five years later, a reporting,
photography and digital team from the Des Moines Register took a three-week
look back at what this catastrophic event meant and still means for the
residents of Iowa. The presentation weaves together watchdog pieces with unique
digital tools, reader stories of the event and their still-ongoing recovery,
and a final analysis about why this flooding event could reoccur. The presentation
uses a variety of tools, including storytelling, videos, then-and-now photos (a
great newfeature) and other digital-first tools to presentthis
flood anniversary package.
We all have big anniversary events in
our markets. Sometimes they manage to creep up on us and we scramble to retell
and push forward the story. But this didn’t happen in Des Moines.
Reporters Kyle Munson, Jason Clayworth
and Perry Beeman, working with photographers Mary Chind, Rodney White and
Andrea Melendez and digital team members Craig Johnson and Katie Kunert created
a marvelous template on how to strategically plan and present key anniversary
coverage for any size market. The print platform coverage is stunning, with
wonderful execution of storytelling and photo. The digital coverage is equally
stunning but in a different way, with engaging graphics that allow readers to
explore and learn fascinating details about what happened and why it still
matters five years later. (Repurposing video and pages from the actual coverage
also was very smart.) What is so impressive is how the team tailored this work
for its audience, effectively tailoring the presentation for different
audiences. In doing so, they produced revealing journalism and provoked
discussion among community members.
Division II
First Place
The Burlington Free Press
Staff
The Boston Marathon bombing gave added
impetus to evaluate the Burlington Free Press’ coverage of the annual Vermont
City Marathon a month later. Their platform-specific coverage included engagement
of runners through email blasts, strategically programmed stories for the weeks
and days prior to the race, race-day coverage on multiple digital and social
platforms, and a 24-page special print section after the fact.
Any year, the Vermont City Marathon is
a big deal for the Burlington Free Press market. But given that this was the
first big marathon to occur in New England following the Boston Marathon
bombing, the Burlington staff had a big challenge to face. And they faced it
with professionalism, expanding on existing plans to give runners and local
readers additional information about what was planned and how the event was
impacted by what happened in Boston. The team used different and strategic
partners to expand their work, and then programmed stories expertly, involving
readers in an evolving story. The day-of execution was outstanding, using
different media to provide ongoing updates, and the day-after special, while
basic, is an impressive example of an immersive reading experience for lovers
of the print platform. Overall, sound yet nimbleplanning paid off with
strategic execution.
Finalists
Poughkeepsie Journal
Irwin Goldberg, digital desk editor
Data points drove Poughkeepsie digital
editor Irwin Goldberg to create News@Night,
which is directed at tablet users as well as video users who are commuters who
haven’t had time to check the digital platforms throughout the day. This
strategic initiative allows readers to catch up with a news summary while also
delivering the passion topic coverage that Poughkeepsie readers have come to
expect on watchdog, environment and food subjects. This new feature includes a
NewsWrap video for local news, an expanded text version of the summary that
direct readers to the full stories on different
platforms,andsections for local videos and VPC videos.
We all get lots of data: Kudos to
Poughkeepsie digital editor Irwin Goldberg to look at the data and devise a
strategy to meet the needs of his community. The News@Night
initiative is a very smart way of translating data into action, and repurposing
existing content in a smart way for different platforms. Goldberg also adroitly
exploits the possibilities of each platform, optimizing content resources as
appropriate. He is taking the best local and national work and giving harried
readers an easy-to-use and fun and fast way of consuming news and information
they want to know, giving readers the news they want, when and how they want it.
And this is an initiative that can easily be adapted for use at other sites, which
can make it their own.
St. Cloud Times
Staff
Participation in the Frozen Four
tournament was a big deal for the St. Cloud State hockey team. The staff of the
St. Cloud Times knew this and created an immersive print and digital experience
for its readers, before, during and after the event. This includes online
chats, social media, conversations, videos, photos, info-graphics and 57
stories, editorials and columns. This content was strategically planned and
programmed, and reflects the passion topic which is hockey for the St. Cloud
market.
This coverage made me go,
“Wow.” I don’t care a lick about hockey but after reading St. Cloud’s
platform-perfect coverage, I understood why and how it mattered to
St.Cloud readers. The staff is to be commended for its fine work that got
readers ready for the tournament and then involved them in the entire process.
This is deep and immersive coverage of a passion topic, whichwas obviously
wellthought out and planned. (And St.Cloud was ready to go
all the way with this, with plans for an additional special section if
the team won, as another example of just how on the ball — or should I say,
puck? — the team was for thispassion topic coverage.And how
involved wasthe audience with the coverage? Very involved. The 29 percent
open rate on an emailblast from the publisher speaks volumesabout
howthe community reached to the engage experience the St. Cloud staff
provided to its community.
Division III
First Place
The News-Star at Monroe
Sarah Eddington, writer
Reporter Sarah Eddington and the staff
of The News-Star in Monroe, LA, leveraged their coverage of the 50th
anniversary of the Miss Louisiana Pageant to take advantage of audience
interaction andmulti-platform appeal.
The Miss Louisiana Pageant is held in
Monroe, and while it is a big event each year, the 50th anniversary of this
event called for a multi-platform planning approach. Lead reporter Sarah
Eddington and the staff of The News-Star in Monroe, LA, delivered. The coverage
was clearly driven by an up-front content delivery strategy, and included
special sections, daily online coverage (photo galleries and video), and
audience interaction via Facebook and Twitter.
The News-Star focused this coverage
around the passion topic of “upliftingour community” — readers
and viewers were able to enjoy coverage of the history of the pageant as well
as stay up-to-date on the live event as it happened. This cross-platform approach
was planned to give readers an in-depth analysis of the anniversary year, live
coverage of the event itself,and the opportunity tointeract —
allon several different appropriate platforms.
Finalists
Courier News at Bridgewater
Staff
The staff of the Courier News in
Bridgewater, NJ, approached graduation season with a planned coverage strategy
for 45 high school and college graduations in order to reflect the paper’s
caring community passion topic.
Every community has graduations; every
newspaper reflects this rite of passage in a different way. The challenge is to
decide how to cover these events in a way that brings the moment home to the
community. In their coverage of local high school and college graduations, the
staff of the Courier News in Bridgewater, NJ, succeeded in connecting with
graduates and their families in both print and online coverage.
In the time span of about a month (late
May and June), 45 high school and college graduations were covered in photo
galleries and placed online. This content waseasy to find, bundled into a
high-profilebanner both online and print.Readers were encouraged to
submit their own galleries as well, and social media was used to reach out to
the community. As an indication to how this effort reached the community, one
gallery for a local high school received over 29,000 views and eight additional
high school galleries received over 10,000 views. The online component was
complemented with print stories and social media efforts as well, including
Facebook and Twitter.
This depth and span of coverage could
not have happened without strategic content planning. The staff of the Courier
News knew what they wanted to do, when they wanted to do it, and made it their
mission to reach out to connect with their community during this time of
achievement for thousands of high school and college graduates.
The Jackson Sun at Jackson, Tenn.
Staff
The Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant
is an annual event for Jackson, Tennessee — this year, the staff of the Jackson
Sun focused on cross-platform presentation in order to bring multiple aspects
of the event to readers.
Events for the Miss Tennessee
Scholarship Pageant span a full week, and the staff of The Jackson Sun in
Jackson, TN, used strategic planning in order to cover the event across a
variety of targeted platforms.
Short introductory videos for each of
the 36 contestants led the coverage, which was hosted on a devoted page on the
paper’s website. Viewers were able to vote for their favorite contestant online,
and print stories focused on longer-form complementary stories about the
pageant, including coverage of the volunteers behind the scenes and the
importanct of scholarships to contestants. Videos, photo galleries and an
online polladded to the online coverage, gaining both page views and
audience interaction.
Social media was also used to reach
target audiences, especially during the evening, to update readers on the event
and includedonline chats, Twitter and Facebook. The overall outreach to
the community is noted in the increase in page views — in total, over 460,000
on jacksonsun.com.
Narrative Writing/Voice
DIVISION I
First Place
The News-Press at Fort Myers
Cristela Guerra, writer
For Cristela Guerra’s story about Gavin Lawrey, a 5-year-old boy
who has experienced seizures and early onset dementia, is a powerful window
into a family in crisis. Through a rich narrative, Guerra paints a picture of
both how to live, and cope with, what is most parents’ worst nightmare: an
incurablysick child.
For a story that could have been a
chronicle of a family sinking under the weight of a crisis, Cristela Guerra has
woven a story of hope found in the most unexpected of places.
It is clear that Guerra spent much time
with the Lawrey family, absorbing their rhythms and dynamic while at the same
time doing her research to learn about mitochondrial disease. What emerges is
the perfect blend of story-telling: the reader learns something, but is also
able to feel we’ve lived a little bit of the stress the family has been
experiencing for almost four years.
Her sensitivity is commendable and the
tone evoked in her narrative is carried over into equally rich online
components, including videos and a photo gallery.
A quote from Gavin Lawrey’s mother, Brandi,
sums up their life and Guerra’s story:
“We have tragic moments. But it’s
not a tragic story.”
Finalists
The Arizona Republic at Phoenix
Kristina Goetz, reporter
A
powerful real-life mystery story that reveals how two lives were connected by
how they ended.
Kristina
Goetz’s powerful storytelling voice was enhanced by the detail born of dogged
investigative reporting and the fighting for access to open records. She
reviewed more than 1,000 records to unveil a story than reads like a mystery
novel. Details, details and details. She drew the reader in with little moments
andstrong pacing,quitehonestlymaking you read on and on
until the end; even though you knew the who-done-it, her marvelous storytelling
made you need to understand how and why and how. These people were made very
real by her words.
The Arizona Republic at Phoenix
Daniel Gonzalez, reporter; Nick Oza,
photo/video
The immigration debate is made real
through the work of Daniel Gonzalez and photographer Nick Oza, who take us
inside the lives of a family trying to keep their family dynamic intact even
though they live on opposite sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Daniel Gonzalez brings us face-to-face
with the repercussions of immigration policy by taking us inside the lives of
the Gils, a family divided by theU.S. immigration laws that keep mother
Ivonne in Mexico, across the border from her husband and teenaged son. The
writing — along with the rich photography and video by Nick Oza — shows why
narrative reporting about real people impacted by laws can be much more
powerful than simply reporting on policy.
Division II
First Place
The Desert Sun at Palm Springs
Tatiana Sanchez
In an area with one of the highest
concentrations of Latino immigrants in the country, reporter Tatiana Sanchez
goes behind the statistics to paint a picture of the very real people
struggling to make a living and raise families in a new country.
Tatiana Sanchez’s 6-day series stood
out from the rest of the entries by its very audacity and breadth. In Faces of
Immigration,Sanchez and The Desert Sun took on a topic that is vital to
the region’s — and the country’s future. Not only did the series make sense of
census numbers and immigration statistics, but also introduced us to the people
— many of them undocumented migrant farm workers — who deserve more from our
system.
Finalists
Wausau Daily Herald
Shereen Skola
Reporter Shereen tells the story of
aserial bigamist and con artist who brought one woman’s life to the brink
of ruin.
Readers love a good mystery and that is
exactly what Shereen Skola delivered in her tightly written investigation into
scam artist and serial bigamist Tim Swinea. The pacing of the story, told over
three days, keeps the reader moving through the plot while delivering amazing
character sketches of the main players. It’s clear from reading this work that
Skola is a born storyteller.
Tallahassee Democrat
Jennifer Portman
Oysters were once a way of life in
ApalachicolaBay. Reporter Jennifer Portman explains the area’s oyster
crop downturn and what one local business is doing that might just save the
industry.
Jennifer Portman’simpeccable
story is awell-paced read, rich with detail that places readers
bothout on the water as oysters are harvested and in the restaurant as diners
gobble up the briny delicacy. What we learn in between is integral to
understanding her region’s economy, ecology, culture and history. Brava!
Division III
First Place
The Jackson Sun at Jackson, Tenn.
David Thomas, writer
For A Child in Heaven: A Mother’s Day
story that celebrates being a mom about women who lost a child.
David Thomas’ powerful storytelling
turned what could have been a disaster — a Mother’s Day story about moms who
lost a child — into an uplifting gift to all readers. His story focuses on the
joy, purpose and pride of motherhood, whether it is experienced for just
afew minutes, a handful of hours or a lifetime. This works because the
women in his story were filled with passion and love and trusted Thomas
toconvey that. He did so ever so well.
Finalist
Daily Record at Morristown
Lorraine Ash, reporter
For a two day look at hoarding and its impact. In the wake of superstorm Sandy, many previously unknown hoarding problems came to light as families cleaned up after the hurricane.
This is not your everyday topic or story. But who knew that when FEMA and other emergency workers had to look inside homes in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy they would discover the sad story of hoarders, people who complusively collect stuff for decades. The story defines the difference between collectors and hoarders, and is helped by an insightful video.
The News Leader at Staunton
Brad Zinn, reporter
For collection of work on the public
safety beat, especially “Missing Ann”
Brad Zinn has an authoriative voice
writing about issues he has covered for more than a decade. His story about a
woman who disappeared 25 years ago reads like a murder mystery story, leaving
behind a 2 1/2 year old and a bewildered family. An awesome read.
Short Form Writing/Voice
DIVISION I
First Place
The Arizona Republic at Phoenix
Michael Kiefer, reporter
For Michael Kiefer and his use of short
form writing/voice, using Twitter to tell the story of the Jodi Arias trial in
real time.
Kiefer, who also covered the trial with
stories for digital and print platforms and contributed video and numerous
appearances on The Republic’s affiliated TV station, Channel 12, satisfied
readers’ demand for up to the minute coverage of this salacious trial.
Kiefer used his tweets for a variety of
purposes, ranging from step-by-step developments to conveying humorous and
surprising moments to even answering reader questions about the trial.
His Tweets were a mixture of good
reporting, some commentary and some interaction. He made a compelling trial
that captured the nation more interesting to follow than just watching it on
TV. His knowledge of the case, which he had covered from the beginning, allowed
him to write with authority, in an effective, and when appropriate, humorous
voice.
When one of the attorneys made a
comparison to Snow White and the judge allowed it, Mike tweeted: “Someone
hand me a poison apple.”
Some of his tweets were up to the
minute descriptions of what was happening, such as: “Court security took
juror 5 on elevator and blocked everyone else, then spirited her away. We gave
chase but he took her out a secret exit”
And some were simple, poignant
commentary: “No one living happily ever after here.”
When the trial ended with a guilty verdict,
Mike tweeted that he would have an interview with Arias in two hours. Many followers
criticized him. But they also came back to read more.
Finalists
The Courier-Journal at Louisville
Jason Riley
For Jason Riley’s use of short,
informative and sometimes humorous tweets in his coverage of the “body in
the basement” murder trial, in which two men — boyfriends — accused each
other of killing a third.
Jason used Twitter most effectively to
tell the story of this bizarre trial, alternating from minute-by-minute updates
to humorous commentary as things progressed.
From the step-by-step side, this was a
good example of his work:
“#Banis recently told prosecutors
he would not honor a deal and testify against #Mundt. Judge has ordered him to.
We’ll see what he does.”
On the humorous side:
“Woman sitting next to me in court
has been mumbling loudly. Turned back to give her a look and realized she is
wearing a gun. Mumble away m’am.”
His tweets added clarity and fun to the
coverage of the case.
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Jeff Spevak, reporter
For Jeff Spevak’s coverage of the Xerox
Rochester International Jazz Festival, using Twitter and blogs to bring readers
news, behind the scenes notes and commentary on the festival.
Jeff used tweets effectively to
describe and comment on more than 300-plus shows over nine days.
“Not one square inch of asphalt
visible in a sea of humans watching Dr. John,” read one.
“Four songs in, and Youn Sun Nah
already gets a standing ovation. Where’s she supposed to go next?” read
another.
He also used haikus to comment on some
of the performers.
About Ravi Coltrane, son of the
legendary John Coltrane, he wrote:
“Waiting for the ‘Trane
gracious legacy to mind
spirit in the sax.”
Jeff showed across print and digital
platforms that he knows his music, and gave readers and concert attendees much
added value. Jeff also grew his Twitter following by 6 percent during the
festival.
Division II
First Place
Tallahassee Democrat
Travis Pillow, reporter
For Travis Pillow’slive Twitter
coverage of a Senate Education Committtee hearing.
Pillow took what could have been
run-of-the-mill, play-by-play Tweets from a committee hearing and turned them
into standout coverage in two ways: He provided context to the testimony, and
he did it all in Haiku, in honor of National Poetry Month.
His tweets, about the debate over a
measure that would have let parents with students at F-rated schools to
petition their school boards to select a state-mandated turnaround option,
included gems such as:
— Now, Wayne Blanton speaks.
“There is nothing broken here.” We don’t need this bill.
— The crux of the bill? Senator
Simmons finds it. School boards get a say.
— Gifted networks says: “Pull the
bill, not the trigger.” Parent groups opposed.
He had followers (and contest judges)
interacting and counting syllables to ensure he didn’t exceed Haiku’s 17.
The Haiku, which easily could become
gimmicky if overdone, worked in this instance because of the hearing topic (had
it been a budget or public-safety committee, it likely would have been less
successful). And the fact that he did it all on deadline and incorporated
quotes is all the more impressive.
Finalists
The Desert Sun at Palm Springs
Staff
For The Desert Sun’s comprehensive and
engaging use of social media to promote and cover Tachevah, a free outdoor
concert it launched that is likely to become an annual event.
The
Desert Sun’s innovative approach to Tachevah was as lively as the concert
itself. They called on users to nominate favorite bands, created a competition
and then used a series of imaginitive tweets to announce winners — and
generate buzz. Concert coverage was engaging andyouthful and –even
in the short bursts of Twitter and brief snippets on a splash page — thorough,delivering
a “you were there” feel even months later.
Reno Gazette-Journal
Ray Hagar, reporter
For Ray Hagar’s Tweets of the final two days of
the Nevada Legislature, including a surprise special session at 5 a.m.
Ray Hagar delivers just the right mix of humor,
observations and news in his prolific Tweets from the Legislature’s marathon
final two days. Followers who stayed with him through it all got to see what he
saw (“Body language from @SenMRoberson not encouraging. #NVLeg), hear what
he heard (“Sen. @Ben_Kieckhefer urges his senatorial colleagues to ‘fight
a little more!” #NevLeg”) and understand what he was thinking
(“Starting to feel a little goofy. I started this day at 5 a.m. yesterday
for NV Newsmakers. Going on 24 hours. #NVLeg”).
Division III
First Place
The Leaf-Chronicle at Clarksville
Lester Black, reporter
For Lester Black’s aggressive and witty
Twitter coverage of Clarksville City Hall.
Lester Black’s Tweets from City Hall
are a delight to read. He skillfully mixes news and impact while taking
followers behind the scenes. He also weaves in humor and details of the scene
to avoid becoming just a play-by-play of events. His work has lured several key
city employees to Twitter, where they now interact with him, ultimately strengthening
his source relationships. His successwith Twitter also has
helpedinspire other staff members.
Finalist
The Daily Advertiser at Lafayette, La.
Amanda McElfresh, reporter
For Amanda McElfresh’s use of Twitter
and Storify to provide step-by-step coverage of a contentious school board
meeting as a letter of reprimand was considered for the superintendent.
Amanda tweeted 212 times during this
meeting, interacted with the readers, was re-tweeted 68 times and gained 20 new
followers as she provided step-by-step coverage of this 7-hour
meetingattended by more than 100.
The contentionwas over whether
the superintendent should be reprimanded for hiring a maintenance, facilities
and grounds special assistant who did not have the required high school diploma.
Both the superintendent – Pat Cooper —
and his supporters saw the reprimand as politically motivated.
Amanda tweeted photos, a copy of
Cooper’s statement and also informed readers about a few more routine items as
the meeting progressed.
She quoted the participants along the
way, and when approriate, added some observation of her own, including:
“Message so far tonight from the
community to the board: Let Cooper do his job.”
And this:
“Cooper looks like he’s starting
to get a little emoitional hearing all these statements of support.”
The tweets were organized into a
Storify and 300 viewed it there the next day.
Photojournalism< DIVISION I
First Place
Detroit Free Press
Diane Weiss, photographer
For a gritty, in-motion series of
photos from an abandoned lot converted into a BMX bike paradise smack dab in
the middle of Detroit with views of the city’s skyline in the distance.
The choice of tools distinguishes thisentry and provides a fine example of using new channels to push out content. Not only did photographer Diane Weiss use an iPhone to take the images, she and the Free Press team also made good use of Instagram to connect with readers in a non-traditional way that helped boost the reach of the content. Facebook posts also boosted the impact and interactivity of the photos.
Finalists
The Des Moines Register
Mary Chind, photographer
For a series of photos taken during a
medical mission trip to Haiti by a team from the University of Iowa that
powerfully captured the poverty, humanity and healing taking place.
Mary Chind’s photos can’t help but stop
you in your tracks. They help transport the reader with her to Haiti. The
presentation and choices are particularly effective both in print and digital
to showcase her work and blend perfectly with the story content to combine for
exceptional visual storytelling.
The Arizona Republic at Phoenix
Nick Oza, photo/video
A close-up look at a family stretched
to the breaking point by living in two countries with the father living and working
in the U.S. and mother in Mexico and their teenage son struggling when
splitting time between parents.
You sense that Photojournalist Nick Oza
has been embedded with the family who is portrayed in the story that is part of
the Arizona Republic’s on-going coverage of immigration. His poignant, personal
and richly detailed photos help put the reader at the border and transform
political rhetoric into real people struggling with complex issues.
Division II
First Place
The Burlington Free Press
Maddie McGarvey, photographer
Jenn McNary has two sons with the same
fatal genetic disease, but only one has access to a potential life saving
treatment. Her younger son is improving after gaining access to trial drug
program, but her older boy didn’t qualify.
Maddie McGarvey’s photos tell this
story. You feel the mother’s love for both her children — and her pain
watching just one son improve. The use of black and white photography draws us
to the subjects. We see both moments of joy and of struggle on the children’s
faces.
Finalists
The Clarion-Ledger at Jackson, Miss.
Joe Ellis, photographer
An international slalom skiing
competition came to the small town of Canton.
Sometimes, you look at a picture and just say, “Wow, that’s
cool.” Joe Ellis’ image of a skier on a practice run makes you do just
that. Played brilliantly across the top of the Clarion-Leger’s Page 1, the
photo grabs you. A 40-picture photo gallery shows off the rest of his great
work from the event.
The Desert Sun at Palm Springs
Staff
Desert Sun photographers blanketed the
hugethree-day Coachella Arts and Music Festival in Indio, Calif.
From the concerts, the parades and a
bit of general weirdness, it’s clear that this isa Super-Bowl like event
for this community. The venue practically becomes its own city. And, this
fantastic photography gives you a front-row seat to the excitement. In print,
each photo serves a purpose offering updifferent slices of the event.
Online, the Desert Sun offered up a destination website, MyCoachella.com, that
showcased their huge photo galleries.
Division III
First Place
The Advocate at Newark
Jessica Phelps, photographer
For a well-framed series of photos
captured life inside a trailer park of tight-know families tucked out of view
in an affluent community who will be forced to move at the end of the year.
Photographer
Jessica Phelps captures the essence and energy of the young families living in
a trailer park and takes the story telling to a higher level in a very well
produced slideshow with narration that added another dimension to the photos.
The selection of photos is well-rounded and powerfully
displayed.
Finalists
The Daily News Journal at Murfreesboro
Mealand Ragland-Hudgins, reporter; Helen
Comer, photographer
Photos capture the life of a teen-aged
mother who gave birth on the first day of her senior year in high school; ranging from doing
laundry and playing with her baby to prom pictures showing her holding her
infant son.
The photos by Helen Comer provide a
window into the world of a teen mother and the trials of juggling motherhood
and high school. The images of her in her prom dress holding
her son paint an especially contrast of the young mother and child.
(Note: This was originally submitted under Content Programming: Planned Content
The Californian at Salinas
Jay Dunn, reporter
Migrant farm workers, the engine of
farming in the area, make up much of the population of east Salinas. They face
unique challenges raising their families, yet are aided by an energetic coalition
of civic organizations, non-profits, educators and volunteers determined that
no one should go without food.
What sets this entry apart is the
incredible audio slideshow. Combining great photography with the voices of the
residents and volunteers, Jay Dunn’s presentation tells you the story of this
community. You’ll hear from migrant workers and local volunteers– while
seeing their faces and scenes from their lives. The slideshow takes on a video quality
while also preserving the power of still photography.
Video Journalism
DIVISION I
First Place
The Arizona Republic at Phoenix
Pat Shannahan, photo/video
Several decades ago, a group of young men set out on a journey
from Arizona to Canada. As their journey as mountain men progressed, they
learned a lot about the country and themselves. Recently, two of these men
reunited to talk about their journey. Photojournalist Pat Shanahan interviewed
these men and rebuilt their journey in a 4-minute, nearly cinematic video which combines old photos and the most up-to-date
digital techniques with beautiful images and grand storytelling.
Two guys talking about something they
did three decades ago sounds like it might be a boring exercise in memory- and
myth-making. Photojournalist Pat Shannahan turned this into an immersive,
movie-like experience of survival, beauty and learning.
Shanahan rebuilt the story of two men’s
trip from Arizona to Canada using a variety of techniques and objects, from old
photos to special 3-d graphics. Their story jumps from the page as you watch it
– but it is also movingly told. There is great storytelling here, visually
certainly, but also in the words used. This is simply a masterful job and
great work.
Finalists
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Carrie Cochran, photographer
The story of grief
and coping with death is told in a package by visual journalist Carrie Cochran. Cochran leads off the package with a powerful, moving
video featuring a young man who lost both parents. The larger package is
accompanied by a series of shooter, “sidebar” features with each
young man holding an object — a picture or a necklace — connected to their
deceased loved one and then simply talking about what it symbolizes and means
to them.
Simple, elegant, moving storytelling,
stripped down to its essentials. This is what is displayedby the package
of workscreated byvideo journalist Carrie Cochran. Her main video
gets to the guts of the story of losing one’s parents at an early age in a
moving way. But one doesn’t feel like she invaded this person’s personal grief.
Instead, one feels that she has enabled the viewer to identify with it in an
empathetic way. Similarly, her shorter vignettes make the viewer think about
deceased loves ones and what they would pick to symbolize that person’s life. While
her work had the positive impact of having community members
reach out to help one of the young men, it also has the moving impact of
sharingin a universal emotion. Wonderful job.
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Marie De Jesus, photographer
For aselection of work by photographer
Maria De Jesus focuses on big community topics — dedication of signs to
firefighters killed by snipers; a band member from Foreigner talking about the
gestation for “Rev on the Red Line;” and a young man who met his hero,
Spider-Man, as “Spider-Man 2” was being filmed in Rochester.
The videos produced by photographer
Maria De Jesus are beautifully composed stories. Her deep visual knowledge and
expertise are on display in each video, as she catches tender moments as people
talk during events, and fun angles as subjects tell their stores. But a good
photographer/videographer is also a good storyteller, and her powerful visuals
are edited in such a way as to allow the viewer to fully experience the power
of each topic. I was moved by the simplicity of thesign dedication video,
smiled as I watched the music story video, and was reminded of the power of myth-making in the Spider-Man video.
Division II
First Place
Tallahassee Democrat
Jordan Culver, reporter
Staff writer Jordan Culver’s submitted
videos cover a range of community events — runners at a meet right after the
Boston Marathon bombing, the celebrations of residents after the gay marriage
Supreme Court ruling, and volunteers being honored at an annual ceremony. He
also took on the challenge of producing nine videos, including a 10-minute
documentary-type piece, for the Democrat’s Healthy Baby series.
The video work of staff writer Jordan
Culver is clean, direct and powerful. Weaving together images, clips from
subjects and his own crisply written narration, Culver uses the video platform
to advance and deepen his presentationon a variety of topics — from
breaking hard news to community events. This same touch is evident in the fine
videos he produced for the Democrat’s Healthy Babies series. While he may be
tops in quantity, he is also tops in qualilty, and demonstrates how reporters
can repurpose their talents for our evolving platforms.
Finalists
Courier-Post at Cherry Hill
Leo Caldwell, content editor; John
Ziomek and Denise Henhoeffer, photographers
The Courier-Post has been seeking a way
to involve the people of Camden in the discussion of their troubled city’s
future. The paper also wanted to see how people viewed Camden in their own
minds and hearts. The Voice of Camden series, which is continuing throughout
the year, accomplishes this, and the debut video, weaving together portraits
and audio, is a powerful first step in what is a very exciting subject.
The idea is simple: Ask different
people the same question and see what their response is. The execution could be
problematic and boring. This certainly is not the case with the Voices of
Camden video. The beautiful photography of John Ziomek and
Denise Henhoeffer was edited together with audio by Leo Caldwell for a
final video that I simply couldn’t stop listening to. In fact, after listening
to it once, I needed to view it again, because I was so moved by what I heard.
The very real message of these people is so powerful, and gets to the heart of
what good journalism should do – elicit a passionate response. The work of
these three professionals certainly accomplishes this, and I look forward to
following this series throughout the year.
St. Cloud Times
Staff
Outdoor activity is a passion topic identified
by the team at the St. Cloud Times. To help drive coverage, journalist-naturalist
Ann Wessel was hired to focus on the work, in the print and digital platforms.
This selection of videos fromher and other Times
journalistsdemonstrates how the team is making the topic come alive on
the digital platform.
Who knew putting a tent up could be so
fun and easy! That’s one of the things I learned when viewing the selection of
passion topic-related outdoor videos from Ann Wessel and her colleagues at the
St. Cloud Times. These videos are some of the best execution shown by
videographers focusing on a site’s passion topics. They are
fun, informative, and to the point, and demonstrate the makers’
expertise about the topics and the region. They are intensely local, intensely
on point and intensely fun.
Division III
First Place
Home News Tribune at East Brunswick
Jason Towlen, photographer
For a selected video portfolio by Home
News Tribune staff photographer Jason Towlen illustrates a variety of topics,
including Fatal Vision goggles designed to educate students about DWI and
Rutgers baseball players who shaved their heads for a cancer fundraiser.
Jason Towlen approaches topics that
relate to the Home News Tribune’s caring community passion topic, and executes
the videos with finesse that highlights both his visual and storytelling
abilities — both of which are needed in order for a video to truly connect
with the audience.
The topics range from an educational
experience in which students drive a golf cart while wearing Fatal Vision
goggles, which impairs their vision similar to the effects of alcohol, to a
video about Rutgers baseball players who shaved their heads for a cancer
fundraiser.
What sets these videos apart is an
overall running thread of qualityin the video — the closeness of the
subjects in the video, the quality of the copy writing and the tight editing.
All of these elements make these videos engaging from the first moment; these
videos flow quickly and appropriately from actions to quotes, from details to
scene-setting views. Jason excels at these transitions in his videos, which
lend a sophistication and quality that sets his work apart.
Finalists
The News Leader at Staunton
Katie Currid, photographer
This video by Katie Curridis a
heartwarming story about a local dairy farm that is expanding into milk
production to be distributed locally.
Katie Currid’s storytelling technique
and visual eye illustrate well this story about a family fighting to keep their
dairy farm viable by expanding into dairy milk production. Katie’s photography
background is evident, as she finds views of the cows inside the farm and
scenic views outside to include during the video — but it is Katie’s
storytelling skills that complement and create the full storytelling experience
for the viewer.Katie lets the subjects tell their own story — the family
members talk about their desire to bring their children back to work on the
farm as well astheir passion for bringing local, fresh milk to the community.
Herald Times Reporter at Manitowoc
Sarah Kloepping, reporter
A selection of videos from Sarah Kloepping cover a wide range of
topics, including a mother who lost a son to a drug overdose and a 92-year-old
woman learning to swim.
Sarah Kloepping’s selection of work
shows her ability to tell human interest stories in a
compelling, engaging visual manner. Her background as a reporter shows in her
storytelling ability. The video that stands out most from this entry is the
story about a 92-year-old blind woman learning to swim. Not only does Sarah
capture the beauty of this experience on its own — but
she shares other details, such as how the woman does her best to learn
something new every year, and the family’s excitement at her accomplishments.
Sarah does an excellent job at capturing this experience, and has created a
stellar video of an inspiring story.
Design
Division I
First Place
The Arizona Republic at Phoenix
Adrienne Hapanowicz, designer
In this selection of iPad designs,
Adrienne Hapanowiczworks with a range of topics — from NSA surveillance
to Jackie Robinson, top 10 entertainment picks to an in-depth look at Phoenix
Mercury star Brittney Griner –to bring a new level ofinviting,
immersive,intimate storytelling to the user.
Finding the right design voice for a
wide selection of topics can be difficult; how to find the correct approach to
content-based design, how to let the content shine while still creatinga
sophisticated atmosphere, and how to show restraint where needed are skills
that Adrienne Hapanowicz brings to her iPad designs. In addition to stellar
typography throughout, she also approaches each topic with appropriate design
solutions — including elements that are unique to the digital design
experience, making each piece an immersive experience for the user.
For instance, the package “Holy
dream maker, Batman!” highlights a man who works to bring a Batmobile and
Batcave experience to sick, often dying, children. The
storytelling captures the excitement of the children through the very first
screen — showcasing excellent photo editing and clean, simple use of type. Yet
it is the immersive elements that make this piece stand out — a 360-view of
the Batmobile, a panorama of the Batcave, an interactive photograph with
descriptions of equipment, and an imbedded video.
These same elements are echoed in
“Net gain,” yet Adrienne has created an entirely different immersive
environment for the user. In all pieces, typography is elegantly restrained and
a grid is used, providing a clean format that allowscontent to show
through. Alternative story formats provide in-depth andeasy-to-digest
information — timelines, interactive photos, breakout information and videos.
Adrienne’s designs show that going
beyond print cancreate a clean, compelling and beautifully complete
experience for the user. As technology develops, the ability to provide an
immersive experience will only grow.
Finalists
The Courier-Journal at Louisville
Staffs of The Courier-Journal and the
Louisville Design Studio
These two in-depth sections demonstrate
smart, bold design in delivering in-depth analysis of the premier event in
Louisville — the Kentucky Derby. The 22-page preview section and the 24-page
post-derby section illustrate the news and culture of this event.
The design of these two sections
accomplish a feat not often found in large-event news coverage — combining
clean, updated design principleswith successful brandingand
organizationto present complicated content in a seemingly effortless
manner. The branding for these two sections is simple and effective; the style
and color palette for inside pages was clearly established and followed. White
space is brought into the section by using pull quotes and twitter rails, and
space is dedicated to photo pages that are designed with both hierarchy and
dominance in mind.
Separate from this, the two covers also
show two different approaches — the preview section uses a posed photo of a
trainer, while the post-derby section uses a dramatic live photo from the
Kentucky Derby itself. Both covers show a bold use of broadsheet space — the
favorite of the judges is the post-derby section cover, which showcases
excellent photography, typography and captures the mood of the event well.
In short, these two sections designed
by staff atthe Louisville Design Studio show remarkable planning and
turnaround without sacrificing bold and smart design. This combination is what
visual journalists do well, and these sections are highly commendable in both
areas.
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Michael Rodriguez, digital designer
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
publishes a yearly guide to the local area called “Living Here.” This
publication is the guide for what you need to know for “living and
playing” in Rochester — it is the place to go for ideas for events,
dining, entertainment, recreation and more. This submission is the iPad
offering of that very publication — taking the content that is normally
offered in print and providing it in a digital format.
A product such as Living Here is known
for being full of information, and requires strict organization for it to be
easily navigated by a reader. What designer Michael Rodriguez created with the
iPad version of Living Here is a product that is easily navigated, follows a
simple design theme, and organizes content in an extremely reader-friendly
fashion. Michael focused on iconic branding for each section and on a simple
diagonal theme — both areused on the cover and throughout the section.
In addition,restraint intype styles and the color palette add to
the cohesiveness of the section and to the ease of navigational ability.
And yet what stands
out the most is how each section front still appeals, with art used boldly and
headlines used to complement. There is balance in art, typography and use of
navigational color. Interactive elements are integrated where needed, and the
overall presentation presents a clean, bold use of art, navigation and visual
theme.
Division II
First Place
Reno Gazette-Journal
James Ball, features editor; Scott Oxarart, reporter; Jackie
Green, community editor at the Reno Gazette-Journal; Bianca Camano, designer; Tricia Reinhold, creative director; and Audrey Tate, features team leader at
the Phoenix Design Studio
This selection of Weekend and Sierra
Outdoors sections by Bianca Camano cover a wide range of topics, including
earth day, a drive-in theater, the Cowboy Crawl, and a local getaway. The
Friday Weekend section was recently redesigned, bringing navigational colors to
the top of the page and space for a bold, dynamic cover centerpiece.
The impact of these pages was
immediate; bold use of purposeful color, dramatic conceptual illustration and
respect of good photography came to the forefront. The “Earth Day at
Idlewild” Weekend cover is a dramatic use of a conceptual illustration, as
is “Cowboy Crawl.” The color navigation at the top of the Weekend
covers adds a successful, eye-catching promotional element, without detracting
from the centerpiece. The navigational colors are carried through to the inside
pages as well, adding meaning to the color palette chosen. The Sierra Outdoors
sections are where Bianca lets the photographs shine by using restrained
typography and color.Clearly the designer and editors are working
together to create successful pages that are easy to read and navigate, yet are
bold in design.
Finalists
The Clarion-Ledger at Jackson, Miss.
Staff of The Clarion-Ledger and Bill
Campling of the Nashville Design Studio
This selection of A1 covers showcases
local election coverage, without losing sight of the goal of bold, dynamic
design.
This selection of pages stood out
because of the bold approach to a topic that can often be lost in traditional
design formats.Bill Camplingused a variety of approaches to this
topic — the May 7 A1 (“Party primaries: 5 things to watch”) uses
strong typography as the main entry point, while the Wednesday May 8 A1
(“Lee Vs. Lumumba in mayoral runoff”) uses a strong dominant photo in
conjunction with bold typography.
Of special note, however, is the
Wednesday, May 22 A1 (“Lumumba wins”). This cover dealt with two
major topics — results from a runoff election and
second-day coverage of the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. While this is a
challenge regardless of the situation, Campling found a striking solution. A
deep underline ran a photo from Oklahoma at 6 columns, with an American flag
overlapping the flag of the paper. This dramatic deep treatment showed one man
raising the flag, and people going through rubble in the background. Great photo, great photo placement — along withteaser to
coverage on 1B — shows respect for the topic, without crowding the front page.Underneath,
the mayoral runoff coverage continued — bold, dynamic and clean.
The Clarion-Ledgeroffersdefinite
proof that a main 1A story does not need dominant art to be successful; it
simply needs abold presence with roots in solid content.
The Burlington Free Press
Staff of The Burlington Free Press in
collaboration with the following journalists from the Asbury Park Design
Studio: Abby Westcott, Jennifer Meyer, Danielle Morris and Joe Moore, designers,
Suzy Palma, art director; Jeff Colson, graphic designer
A
variety of different covers illustrates bold design
efforts from the Asbury Park Studio, including designers Jen Meyer, Danielle
Morris, Joe Moore,Suzy Palma and Jeff Colson. Submitted are several Green
Mountain covers, a Weekend cover, the Summer Guide cover and a sports cover.
Strong
typography and a strong sense of conceptual design are what sets
these pages apart. In “A beautiful burn” (Sunday, May 12), Jen Meyer
uses an illustration by Suzy Palma and Jeff Colson to illustrate a story about
fires set on purpose to help the environment. For the Weekend cover (Thursday,
June 20), Danielle Morris uses a hand typography treatment to bring life to a
sunglasses illustration for a summer music preview. This same type treatment is
used on the Summer Guide cover (Thursday, June 20). Bold type
is also used on the Bobolink cover designed by Jen Meyer(Sunday, April
14) and the sports cover designed by Joe Moore (“Field of
dreams”, Sunday, April 28). The combination of illustration, strong
typography andexcellent use of white spacebring energy to this
selection of pages.
Division III
First Place
The Sheboygan Press
Staff of The Sheboygan Press and Sean
McKeown-Young, team leader at the Des Moines Design Studio
These two pages — designed by Sean
McKeown-Young, the Wisconsinteam leader at the Des Moines Design Studio
–showcase strong illustration and design. The topics — human
trafficking and keeping schools safe — are heavy issues that required
conceptual work with a skilled conceptual designer.
This type of illustration work
israrely seen on A1 pages, especially at this scale; it is evident that
these conceptual pieces of work required communication and advance planning
between editors and the designer. That said, these
pages stood out for their depth, boldness and simplicity. For “Hidden
bondage” (Sunday, June 23), there is a depth to the illustration that
conveys the meaning of the story — even without words,The UPC code adds
a chilling visual energy to the page,while the decision to use so much
space for the story andthe restricteduse of colorboth
contribute to the powerful effect of the page.
Similarly, the April 28 A1 cover
(“How can we make schools safe?”) uses apowerful illustration
to convey the message — in such a strong way. Sean’s illustrations don’t rely
on words to tell the message — Sean’s illustrations and designs show hours of
work that delve into the topic of the story to stand on their own.
Finalists
Iowa City Press-Citizen
Jean Piper Voshell, Karla Brown-Garcia,
Erin Baker Crabb, Hillor Stirler and Brandon Neasman, design team
This selection of pages includes three
A1 covers, with centerpiece topics including districting, university
construction and flood preparation.
The Iowa City design team at the Des
Moines Design Studio has chosen bold and smart design strategies for their
pages. In “Doing the districting math” (Wednesday, April 24), the
centerpiece is a conceptual chalkboard illustration which shows the state being
divided into different parts. A creative approach to a difficult topic, played well on the page and topped off with strong
typography.
For an A1 centerpiece that focuses on
the University of Iowa rebuilding after the flood of 2008, the designer chose
to run a photo of the university as the backdrop to the entire package,
including the paper’s flag. Reverse type stands out, and refers and breakout
information add depth and layering.
It is layering that also adds depth to
the A1 about flood preparation (Wednesday, May 29). The designer successfully
uses a main photo, refers, breakouts and color to draw attention to the issue
at hand — a community healing from a flood five years ago, preparing for the
possibility again.
There is a strength to these pages that
comes from the bold, innovative design. The Des Moines Design Studio team has
shown, too, that the final product will showcase bold and dynamic design,
regardless of the topic.
Special mention
Asbury Park Design Studio in
collaboration with the Asbury Park Press, Home News Tribune, Courier News and
Daily Record
Jennifer Meyer, designer
A selection of work by designer
Jennifer Meyerincludes a variety of food section covers used across news
products in New Jersey. Topics range from innovative ways to use strawberries
to frosty ways to beat the heat.
Jennifer Meyer’s work on the Table
section stands out due to her use of color and typography. For a story about
strawberries, Jennifer uses a hand-lettered headline (“Sumptuous
strawberries,” June 5) and uses color (red headline, red strawberries,
green background) to pull the package together as a whole. On another page
about ginger, Jennifer uses a similar color treatment, limiting the color
palette for the story in order to keep the focus on the content. One of
Jennifer’s submitted pages — “Chill out,” June 12 — stands out more
than the rest because of its different approach. She chose to use a grid approach to highlight different frozen drinks — color
is a dominant tool in this package as well, bringing a summer feel to the
overall package. Jennifer also shows restraint on this page, using a grey
headline — which lets the color in the illustration stand out even more.
Because the sharing and collaboration
in New Jersey cuts across divisions, there’s no tidy spot to put this award,
but we did want to recognize it as some of the best design work of the quarter.