Latest news with #SocietyofProfessionalJournalists
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Kentucky Lantern journalists win regional reporting awards
Kentucky Lantern reporters, from left, McKenna Horsley, Sarah Ladd and Liam Niemeyer won regional awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for reporting published in 2024. (Lantern photo) LOUISVILLE — Kentucky Lantern staff took home seven awards at the regional Society of Professional Journalists awards dinner, held Thursday in downtown Louisville. The awards were for 2024 reporting on government, health and energy issues in Kentucky. Sarah Ladd, the Lantern's health and policy reporter, won four awards — first place in the social justice reporting category and second place awards in feature writing, health reporting and government categories. 'I covered a lot I am proud of in 2024, including the stories I wrote about kinship care, mental health, a mobile maternal health clinic in Eastern Kentucky and more,' Ladd said. 'I'm excited and humbled to have that coverage recognized by my professional peers. I love the chance to continue telling important stories in my home state.' McKenna Horsley, the Lantern's politics and government reporter, won a second place award for her education reporting on the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. 'Louisville is home to some of Kentucky's brightest journalists and it's amazing to see the Lantern shining among them,' Horsley said. 'I am grateful to my sources, my readers and public records for making my reporting possible.' Liam Niemeyer, the Lantern's environment and energy reporter, won a second place award for his coverage of energy issues facing Eastern Kentucky. 'It's always an honor to have our work recognized, especially with all the talented journalists in Louisville,' Niemeyer said. Additionally, Tim Sullivan, one of the Lantern's freelance journalists, won first place in sports reporting. Lucas Aulbach of The Courier Journal won Journalist of the Year and Piper Hansen of Louisville Business First won Rookie of the Year. The Lantern, which launched on Nov. 30, 2022, is part of the nonprofit States Newsroom network and makes its work free to read and republish under a Creative Commons license. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Oregon Capital Chronicle wins three awards in multi-state northwest journalism contest
Senior reporter Alex Baumhardt smiles Monday, June 2, in front of some of her past awards. Baumhardt will soon be able to add more hardware to her office space after winning three awards in the annual five-state Northwest Excellence in Journalism contest. (Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Oregon Capital Chronicle senior reporter Alex Baumhardt swept the investigative category of the 2024 Northwest Excellence in Journalism contest. The Capital Chronicle and Baumhardt won three total awards in the contest, which covered the best journalism of 2024 in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Washington. The Greater Oregon chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, which co-runs the contest with the Western Washington chapter, announced winners Tuesday. Baumhardt took first place in investigative reporting for small newsrooms with her January 2024 report 'Timber industry tied to proposal shifting wildfire protection costs from landowners to public.' For that article, Baumhardt drew on public records and interviews to detail the extensive role timber companies played in an ultimately unsuccessful proposal from then-state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, now Oregon's treasurer, that would have shifted costs for fighting fires from the timber industry to all Oregon property owners. She took second place in the investigative reporting category with 'Behind schedule, over budget, state-backed rail projects costing $70 million sit idle,' also published in January 2024. In that article, she spelled out how lawmakers spent tens of millions on two rail shipping centers that were intended to reduce truck emissions Baumhardt also placed second in the feature (hard news) category for her February 2024 article 'Oregon homeowners face soaring premiums, few property insurance options over wildfires.' She chronicled how homeowners in central, southern and eastern Oregon have seen their home insurance costs skyrocket or be canceled altogether since the 2020 Labor Day fires. The judge for that category praised the article as 'a very solid, timely look at the cost of securing homeowners insurance in a world beset by fires, risks and ever-higher premiums. It explores a cautionary tale for people in and beyond Oregon.' Kelcie Moseley-Morris, a national States Newsroom reproductive rights reporter whose work often appears in the Capital Chronicle, also placed second in health reporting for her series of articles on Idaho's emergency abortion care lawsuits. The judge for that category wrote that Moseley-Morris took 'a legally complex situation and explains the critical consequences for panicked pregnant patients and their doctors juggling medical and legal mandates,' bringing a national debate home to the Northwest. The Capital Chronicle has won awards in the highly competitive multi-state contest every year since launching in October 2021. Find all of our past awards here. The Capital Chronicle depends entirely on donations. If you appreciate this kind of award-winning work that shows how policies impact people's lives, please consider making a donation. Note: Capital Chronicle editor Julia Shumway serves as treasurer of the Oregon SPJ board. The board trades award entries with other states, and no Oregon journalists were involved in judging this contest.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Free Press reporter named Journalist of the Year; newspaper nabs dozens of honors
The Detroit Free Press won dozens of honors this award season — including recognition twice-over for one reporter as Journalist of the Year and recognition yet again for a photojournalist as Photographer of the Year. The work honored was deemed by judges as 'top-notch' journalism that 'sears into the reader's mind,' showed 'immense dedication and doggedness,' and was done with 'nuance and care.' Most recently, the Free Press nabbed 16 first-place awards in categories including education, environment, health and government reporting on May 14 through the Detroit chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The newspaper also earned eight first-place awards, including for sports writing, columns, podcasts and photojournalism on May 8 through the Michigan Press Association. Additionally, this year, the newspaper's journalists were honored with the National Headliner Awards for their reporting on disabilities, the advancement of justice, and opinion writing. "I continue to be exceedingly proud of the journalism produced by the Free Press newsroom," said Nicole Avery Nichols, editor and vice president of the Free Press. "Our work continues to be relevant and impactful — prompting action and inspiring hard conversations. "It feels good to see so many hardworking journalists be celebrated for operating in service of our communities." Criminal justice reporter Andrea Sahouri was named the Richard Milliman Journalist of the Year by the Michigan Press Association Foundation. She also was named Young Journalist of the Year by the Detroit chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Bridge Michigan reporters Ron French and Robin Erb were named Journalists of the Year in that latter contest, with Free Press health reporter Kristen Jordan Shamus as a finalist in that category. Among Sahouri's notable works to secure her wins was coverage of accusations of racism by the private security police force at Detroit's iconic Renaissance Center. The day after her initial reporting, General Motors ordered those accused off their properties and later suspended the force's arrest powers. Lawsuits: White officers at RenCen have harassed, assaulted Black visitors for years More: Mother of 7-year-old girl attacked with knife in Detroit: 'Why did he aim for her?' One of the judges for the Milliman award, Magnus Wilson, called Sahouri's work 'highly incisive' in a news release. 'Ms. Sahouri cuts to the heart of some topics that we would rather not hear about but need to,' Wilson said. As previously reported, photojournalist Ryan Garza was named Photographer of the Year for the third consecutive year by the Michigan Press Photographers Association. Photojournalist Kimberly P. Mitchell placed second in the category. The National Center on Disability and Journalism awarded education equity reporter Lily Altavena a first-place Katherine Schneider Journalism Award for exposing how law enforcement is more frequently called to specialized schools with emotional impairment programs than nearby traditional schools. She also won first place for her education reporting through the Society of Professional Journalist's Detroit chapter, or SPJ Detroit. Reporter Keith Matheny and photojournalist Eric Seals were honored by SPJ Detroit with first place for environmental journalism that was described by judges as 'important and sobering.' Among their top works in 2024 was coverage of Canadian wildfires and how the smoke impacted the U.S. Investigative reporter Violet Ikonomova won first place for open government reporting through SPJ Detroit for her work covering nonfatal shootings by Detroit police. In a first-of-its-kind probe, she found more than a third of people shot nonfatally by police in a recent seven-year period either were not charged with a crime or not convicted of the conduct officers said prompted them to open fire. More: Nonfatal police shootings in Detroit: First-of-its-kind investigation raises questions More: Read all of the Free Press' recall investigation stories here Matthew Dolan, who has since departed the paper, also won first place for consumer/ watchdog reporting from SPJ Detroit for exposing how rarely dangerous defects on cars with recalls — particularly used cars — are being fixed. The work was described in the judge's comments as 'a useful public service announcement for consumers.' Health reporter Kristen Jordan Shamus won first place for health reporting through SPJ Detroit for an array of pieces, including stories on a young man's face transplant after a suicide attempt, the impact of avian flu, and how a mass shooting in the state impacted the ER doctors who treated the victims. Free Press staff won first place in community/ local news reporting from SPJ Detroit for its coverage of the war in Gaza through the eyes of the large Arab American and Jewish communities in metro Detroit. The newspaper also won first place through the Michigan Press Association, or MPA, for its special section on the reopening of Michigan Central Station in Detroit's Corktown. Investigative reporter Dave Boucher and reporter Darcie Moran were among the winners of the Wade H. McCree Award for the Advancement of Justice sponsored by the Michigan Press Association. The pair were honored for a series of stories on judicial accountability that showed Michigan judges are rarely held publicly accountable for misconduct, are more likely to receive private scoldings, and are impacted by the live streaming of court hearings. More: Visitors from Norway, fan pages, gifts: How judges' online fame affects Michigan courts Reporter Tresa Baldas won first place in news enterprise reporting from MPA for her coverage of the court cases of the gunman in the Oxford High School shooting and his parents. Columnist John Carlisle added to his slew of National Headliner Awards, winning first place for feature writing. Judges' comments in particular noted his pieces on a dying teen, a hidden library in the woods of the Upper Peninsula, and a mysterious hose in a 'ghost town.' They described his stories as 'beautifully written' work that 'transports his readers.' He also took home both first and second place for feature stories through MPA. More: Hidden library in U.P. woods reveals innermost thoughts of visitors More: Michigan woman shot in face as teen recounts chilling details of stepdad's murderous rage Columnist Jeff Seidel won first place in feature writing through SPJ Detroit for his series on a gun violence survivor's journey. The Free Press won first place in editorial writing through SPJ Detroit for the work of editorial page editor Nancy Kaffer and deputy editorial page editor Khalil AlHajal. AlHajal was also honored in the same contest with first place for general column writing, with the judge's comments noting that he brought 'insider insights and passion to the Gaza War, which was hugely important to Michigan and the 2024 presidential choice.' More: Opinion: At my Arab American parents' dinner table, debating the Trump-Harris ballot Investigative columnist M.L. Elrick, who previously won the Pulitzer Prize, has been named a finalist for excellence in opinion writing nationally through the Scripps Howard Journalism Awards. He also won best columnist through MPA. Dining and restaurant critic Lyndsay C. Green, a 2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist and current nominee for a James Beard Media Award, was awarded first place for criticism through SPJ Detroit for her food and cultural criticism. The Free Press had already won a slew of sports reporting honors this year, with photojournalist Junfu Han, columnist Seidel and the whole team being recognized as Top 10 in multiple categories of the Associated Press Sports Editors awards. On top of that, Lions beat reporter Dave Birkett recently won first place in sports reporting through SPJ Detroit for his 'punchy writing with strong images and no wasted words,' judges said. He also won first place in sports writing through MPA. Seidel won first place for sports column writing through SPJ Detroit, and sports columnist Shawn Windsor won second place in the category through MPA. As previously reported, Free Press photojournalists won 20 awards through the Michigan Press Photographers Association and photojournalist David Rodriguez Muñoz won first place in the general news story category for the National Press Photographers Association. More recently, photojournalist Kimberly Mitchell won first place in feature photography through SPJ Detroit, with the judge's comment highlighting her ability to capture a fleeting moment of schoolchildren catching snowflakes on their tongues. She also won first place for her news photo of flooding on Interstate 275 through MPA. Photojournalist Ryan Garza won first place in news photography through SPJ Detroit for his work capturing images of arrests during a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Michigan. More: See Free Press photographers' winning photos from MPPA conference The Free Press won best podcast through MPA for its series 'Where Secrets Go To Die: The Disappearance of Derrick Henagan,' which explores an Upper Peninsula missing person case and questions around Michigan State Police. More: Where Secrets Go To Die: The Disappearance of Derrick Henagan The podcast also earned national recognition, nabbing third place in the National Headliner Awards for a digital criminal justice and/or crime podcast. The Free Press won first place for digital presentation through MPA and swept SPJ Detroit's headline writing category, with web editor Tanya Wildt nabbing first. Deputy sports editor Ryan Ford won first place for sports page design and third place for page one design through SPJ Detroit. He also won second place for best page design through MPA for the October 2023 farewell to Detroit Tigers' great Miguel Cabrera and third place for special section design for the Free Press' preview of the Lions' 2023 season. Former Free Press journalists Alex Cruden, Kirthmon F. Dozier, Daymon J. Hartley, Dorothy Jurney, Keith Owens and David Zeman were among those inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. Additionally, Free Press team members won numerous other second-, third- and fourth-place awards in the contests for work on topics, including EVs, eviction, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy embezzlement scandal and personal finance. Among these wins were two runners-up for the Sojourner Truth Award — reporter Niraj Warikoo and contributing columnist Darren Nichols — for work exposing bias and addressing racial justice. Lansing bureau chief Paul Egan also was a runner-up for an MPA public service award for his coverage of the Flint water crisis 10 years later. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Free Press honored for watchdog, education, sports reporting and more
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tribune-Star staffers honored with seven Indiana SPJ awards
Tribune-Star staff members received seven awards at the Society of Professional Journalists annual Indiana chapter banquet Friday evening at Carmel. SPJ organizers said a record 1,130 entries were judged by a group of out-of-state journalists in the contest, involving print media, radio, TV, online and multiplatform news outlets. The Tribune-Star awards went to editor Alicia Morgan, photographer Joe Garza, reporter Sue Loughlin, and columnist and sports editor Mark Bennett. The Tribune-Star honors came in the division for news outlets with circulations under 10,000. Morgan took a first-place award for best use of graphics and illustrations. Garza received a third-place award for best multiple picture group and a second-place for best sports photography, capturing images from a Terre Haute Police program with "He's a mean one, Mr. Grinch," and a silhouette from the John McNichols Invitational track and field meet at Indiana State University. Loughlin got a second-place award in the best non-deadline story or series category for her "Stronger than the Storm" one-year-later retrospective of the deadly 2023 Sullivan tornado. Bennett took a first-place in column writing for pieces on blues guitarist Dicky James, early 20th-century journalist Stella Stimson's city corruption coverage and Terre Haute native Michael Natt's role in the touring "Hamilton" production. Bennett also received a first in best personality profile for a piece on Terre Haute-born Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars, and a third-place in best sports column writing for pieces on ISU men's basketball, Olympic weightlifter Mary Theisen-Lappen, and former Sycamore football great Vincent Allen's nomination for the College Football Hall of Fame. Statewide, the Indiana Capital Chronicle's Casey Smith won Journalist of the Year.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Our country has a new target: mothers of babies. It is truly evil genius
Ray Marcano, a longtime journalist, is the former national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, a two-time Pulitzer juror, and a Fulbright fellow. He is a frequent Columbus Dispatch contributor. Parents don't let their babies go. Give them a choice, and it's no choice. My baby goes with me. That primal instinct, that cocoon of protection, that deep-seated love, has been weaponized by a Trump administration that doesn't care about keeping families together. Instead, the government is giving moms and dads here illegally a choice: Take your children born in the United States with you or leave them here, alone. It's a genius move. And it's evil. When Trump promised voters he would deport illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds, Americans cheered. Cases like Rachel Morin, a mother of five killed by an illegal immigrant from El Salvador with gang ties, became seared in the American conscience. Alleged gang members have been arrested in the Columbus area. But Trump, buoyed by early support, has taken a different approach. Instead of keeping families together, Team Trump has decided to tear them apart, so long as the President can crow about deportation numbers. What we know: ICE says it arrested Venezuelan gang member in Columbus It's worth noting that a federal court vacated former President Joe Biden's 'Keeping Families Together program.' The program would have allowed certain spouses and stepchildren of US citizens to stay in the country pending the resolution of their cases. The order, in place or not, likely wouldn't have stopped the administration from its latest tactic. Weaponizing children. This isn't an exaggeration. Three American-born children, ages 2, 4 and 7, last week were deported to Honduras with their mothers, and a judge wondered whether the government sanctioned the removal of U.S. citizens to a foreign country. A lawyer said in a court filing that ICE held the two-year-old girl to persuade her father to turn himself in. The four-year-old has Stage 4 cancer and no access to medication, according to the National Immigration Project. There are other, equally painful and shameful cases. A Cuban woman was deported to Cuba, leaving her American husband and 1-year-old girl behind. And in Ohio, an illegal immigrant seeking asylum has been arrested and threatened with deportation. He has a wife and two children — one born in the United States — and his family could face the same, terrible choice. There's another common thread in most of these cases. The illegal immigrants willfully go to their check-ins, where they're arrested. Some have legal deportation orders from years ago, which begs the question: Why now? That's an easy answer. Trump's reportedly been angry that deportations aren't happening fast enough. So instead of going after the criminals, as he promised, he's going after the most vulnerable. Moms with babies. Using children as leverage shows a lack of humanity, made worse when trying to justify the action. Border Czar Tom Holman denied the government deported American children because the moms wanted to take their babies with them. Of course they do. That's the evil genius of the plan. The government has an easy way to round up illegal immigrants, and that's when they for their check-ins, often with their children in tow. Easy target. Arrest the mom and give her a choice. Take the baby with you or leave her here with … who knows? It's genius. It's evil. It should stop. Let the families stay together until their cases are resolved. It's the humane thing to do. Ray Marcano, a longtime journalist, is the former national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, a two-time Pulitzer juror, and a Fulbright fellow. He is a frequent Columbus Dispatch contributor. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: US weaponizing babies against their moms. It's a genius move | Opinion
