Landmark Award winners
We presented our in-house journalism awards this afternoon. These awards honor journalists who put their best work out there day after day. Unlike other contests, the Landmark Awards are based on a body of work for a year rather than a single story or photo. As a consequence, versatility of skills, consistency of excellence and depth of understanding are key considerations.
The winners:
News reporting
1st place -- Eric Townsend
Comments of judge Beverly Winston, Washington editor of Gannett News Service: The stories Eric chooses to cover and the steps he takes to report and write themmake this work stand outamong the excellent entries in this category. His approach and sourcing show fairness and initiative as he goes beyond the stories readers might expect on a given topic to tell more. He also shows a range of abilities in writing. Eric lets readers look at things they might not normally see or, more likely, may not want to see.
2nd place -- Lorraine Ahearn
Lorraine is undoubtedly a community treasure because of her writing -- whether it's straight-ahead news with her excellent reporting on the Wray case or her entertaining column. Her writing evokes a range of emotions and that makes her work a pleasure to read.
Sports writing
1st place -- Rob Daniels
Comments of Jim Lefko, sports editor of the Indianapolis Star: Best complete body of work with the strongest news/exclusives hightlighted by excellent reporting. His non-nonsense writing style is veryeasy to read and understand. Superior reporting evident on Aggie-Eagle Classic stories detailing financial irregularities. More superb work on the Larry Harrison situation at A&T. Dogged coverage of the school's warts. This is very good watchdog journalism in the sports milieu, which is a rarity.
2nd place -- Robert Bell
Very strong A1 reader on youth football. He takes the reader inside the team and the players' lives. The Choi story was memorable, too, and very well told.
Photo
1st place -- Jerry Wolford
Comments of judge Gail Burton, a freelance photojournalist: I felt that the multi-media packages were both extremely well done and innovative in concept and execution. I also thought the singles in this portfolio displayed the photographer's well-rounded versatility and strength in sports, news and features. The small package on the funeral was also well done; it was concise in content and mood.
Copy editing
1st place -- Karen Arnold
Comments of judge Russell Roe of statesman.com: She had a consistently strong portfolio of editing, headlines and cutlines. Her headlines were engaging -- some clever, some more straightforward, all well-done. Her entry said she did the editing and layout for the pages she included, and I found the stories to be clean and well-edited. Her inclusion of an editing sample made a difference, too.
Design
1st place -- Rheta Whittington
Comments of judge Jennifer George-Palilonis: Rheta is a true pro. Her pages are beautiful. Her concepts are strong. Her use of type is wonderful. Every page shows an attention to detail that really makes her portfolio rise above the rest. Of couse, there's often more freedom in features than news, and there's alays more time. But, those aren't the reasons Rheta wins. She wins because every page shows an understanding of conceptual design strategies, texture in type treatments, integration of elements and attention to the tiny details that make all the difference. Great work, here.
2nd place -- Jennifer Burton
Jennifer has some really clean, attractive and well-thought-out pages. Her work is thoughtful and fun.
Features
1st place -- Amy Dominello
Comments of judge Aly Colon of Poynter: Dominello digs deeply into her stories. Their comprehensive nature allows for breadth and for nuances. She spotlights the forgotten, the lost and the strggling. Her vivid, detailed descriptions, and use of narratives, draw the reader into the worlds of her subjects. The reader becomes transported to other times and places.
2nd place -- Tina Firesheets
Firesheets acts as journalistic pied piper, leading a reader to familiar stories but with unfamiliar twists. In each story, Firesheets writes in engaging style that eases the reader into the subject. She uses a conversational tone. She sounds like a friend telling you what she's learned. Her rhythm and pacing vary, spotlighting then, pulling back for a more expansive view. And she offers variety in story and tone that keeps the reader willing to follow her lead.
Rugaber Prize
Winner -- Tim Rickard
The prize is awarded to the staff member whose work in the past 12 months has displayed, day in and day out, an intense curiosity, a depth of understanding, and an enterprising drive to discover unique and significant stories. The judges are me, Managing Editor Ann Morris, Editorial Page Editor Allen Johnson and Publisher Robin Saul.
My comment -- Tim is one of our artists and he does it all. This year he took on The Joke's on You. A couple years ago it was Brewster Rockit, Space Guy. He has won 16 N.C. Press Association awards. Day-in and day-out his talent and creativity make us better.
Next year, we're adding an editorial award and online award.