News-Record.com

Fourteen News & Record staffers received recognition Wednesday for their work in 2004, winning the paper's Landmark Awards.

First-place winners were: Karen Arnold for copy editing; Melissa Umbarger for design; Jeri Rowe for feature writing; Doug Cox for graphics; Stan Swofford for news writing; Jerry Wolford for photography; and Rob Daniels for sports writing.

Reporter Margaret Moffett Banks received the Walter Rugaber Prize, named for a former editor of the News & Record and retired publisher of The Roanoke (Va.) Times. The award is given to a staffer who displays a zeal to uncover meaningful, unique stories.

In the copy editing category, Arnold's work included "lively, clever headlines" and impressive editing, wrote judge John McIntyre, copy desk chief at The Baltimore Sun.

She wrote headlines that "play on words while pointing at the nature of the story -- no mere puns for punning's sake," McIntyre wrote.
Umbarger's design demonstrated "a solid, organized consistency" in a range of pages, wrote contest judge Chris Clonts, deputy design director at the Detroit Free Press.

Her work shows "a clear vision of what makes strong news pages," Clonts wrote.

Rowe's feature writing included a "mix of street reporting, critical thinking and literary grace," wrote judge Chip Scanlan of The Poynter Institute, a school for journalists.

"For the reader, the payoff is a rewarding sense of having met someone interesting, visited somewhere special or understood something important," Scanlan wrote.

Cox was the only staffer to compete with employees outside the News & Record. The graphics category is open to artists from The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., and The Roanoke Times, which also are owned by Landmark Communications.

Cox's graphics included creative thinking and a "wonderfully executed painterly style," wrote judge Kevin Hand of Newsweek.

"This artist really brought plenty to chew on for a famished reader," Hand wrote.

Swofford's work showed strong reporting and the ability to ask the right questions, wrote judge Dan Suwyn, a former managing editor for the Savannah (Ga.) Morning News.

"Swofford writes confidently about his subjects and is able to explain the intricacies -- whether of lending or cocaine -- with clear language," Suwyn wrote.

Wolford's work included a range of standout photos, wrote judge John Smierciak, a photographer with the Chicago Tribune.

The portfolio included "great images that come from great access to the subjects," Smierciak wrote.

Daniels' sports writing has an authoritative style, wrote judge Daniel Uthman of The (Portland) Oregonian.

"This reporter is one of the more entertaining journalists I've seen in print," Uthman wrote.

Second-place winners were: Christy Banks for copy editing; Doug Harris for design; Melissa Turner for feature writing; Jim Schlosser for news writing; H. Scott Hoffmann for photography; and Jim Young for sports writing.

First-place Landmark Award winners receive $1,000 and a silver bowl.
Second-place winners receive $500.