2015 SPJ Contest Winners and Finalists

 

Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter

2015 EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM

CONTEST RESULTS

PLEASE JOIN US ON THURSDAY, JUNE 18TH FOR THE ANNUAL EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS PROGRAM

AND

INDUCTION CEREMONIES FOR THE 25TH YEAR

OF THE

GREATER CINCINNATI JOURNALISM HALL OF FAME

INDUCTEES JAN LEACH AND GORDON BAER

FROST BROWN TODD -- QUEEN CITY SQUARE

3300 GREAT AMERICAN TOWER

5:30 - 8:30 P.M.

APPETIZERS AND DRINKS

$30 IN ADVANCE -- $35 AT THE DOOR

PARKING -- $15 IN TOWER GARAGE

RESERVATIONS

E-BRITE INVITATION FORTHCOMING

OR SEND CHECK PAYABLE TO GREATER CINCINNATI SPJ TO

TOM McKEE -- C/O WCPO-TV -- 1720 GILBERT AVENUE -- CINCINNATI, OHIO  45202

ALL MEDIA AWARDS

AM-1 -- GERALD WHITE MEMORIAL AWARD

WINNER:  James Pilcher, The Cincinnati Enquirer

WINNING ENTRY:  "Flood Zones Quietly Growing:

COMMENTS:  A story with impact that shows how quiet decisions made by government bureaucrats led to real financial impact on the community.

Finalist:  Lucy May, Bob Driehaus, Mark Nichols, wcpo.com - "Race and Discipline"

Finalist:  Alexander Coolidge, The Cincinnati Enquirer - "Split The Pot A Losing Bet For Schools"

A-2 -- CAMILLA WARRICK AWARD

WINNER:  Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer

WINNING ENTRY:  "Transgender Teen:  My Death Needs To Mean Something"

COMMENTS:  Digging one, then two, steps deeper provided an outstanding opportunity to examine a suicide and focus on a troubling problem. .

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

 

W-1 -- NEWS STORY

WINNER: Ginny McCabe, wcpo.com

WINNING ENTRY:  "University of Cincinnati Grad Blazes Trail"

Finalist:  Nick Swartsell, CityBeat.com -- "Dreaming Big"

Finalist:  Jessica Noll, wcpo.com -- "The Last Watch of Officer Jason Ellis"

COMMENTS:  All of the entries were interesting and enlightening, although none would be considered fresh news. Still, the subjects treated were from a fresh perspective with the winning entry filled with original reporting, quotes, context and clarity on why this bike story was different from most.

W-2 -- BEAT REPORTING

WINNER:  Jessica Noll, wcpo.com

WINNING ENTRY:  "The Heroin Epidemic"

COMMENTS:  Honest, compassionate and well-rounded reporting that put the victims of heroin at the center of the picture.

Finalist:  Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer -- "Body of Work"

W-3 -- INVESTIGATIVE/ENTERPRISE/DATABASE REPORTING

WINNER:  Jac Kern &; Nick Swartsell, CityBeat

WINNING ENTRY: "Stranger Than Fiction"

COMMENTS:  Extraordinarily thorough examination of the real impact of a staged reality TV show on an impoverished Cincinnati neighborhood. Homes were trashed to make for better TV. Story also presents a global look at how neighborhood revitalization really works.

Finalist: James Pilcher, Cincinnati Enquirer/cincinnati.com - "Charter Schools Use Turkish Ties, Visas To Get Teachers"

Finalist: Danny Cross & Maria Seda-Reeder, CityBeat - "Your Name Here"

W-4 -- CONTINUING COVERAGE OR SERIES

WINNER:  Tom Demeropolis & Chris Wetterich, Cincinnati Business Courier

WINNING ENTRY:  "GE Coming To Cincinnati"

COMMENTS:  A full reporting assault on GE's site selection for new headquarters in the Cincinnati Metro area. Dogged coverage of crucial urban development issue for the city and its taxpayers.

Finalist - Jessica Noll, wcpo.com - "The Heroin Epidemic"

Finalist - Barrett J. Brunsman, Cincinnati Business Courier - "Greenpeace Protesters Penetrate P&G"

W-5 -- NEWS FEATURE/NEWSMAKER PROFILE

WINNER:  Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer

WINNING ENTRY:  "One Day Behind The Scenes"

COMMENTS:  Nice turns of phrase make this human-interest portrait of a mayor interesting to readers and nice execution of a "day in the life" type story.

Finalist:  R.J. Smith, Cincinnati Magazine - "Why Isn't This Man Smiling"

Finalist:  Kathy Wilson, Cincinnati Magazine - "The Increasingly Complicated Trials of Tracie Hunter."

W-6 -- NEWS COLUMN

WINNER: Kathy Wilson,Citybeat.com

WINNING ENTRY:  "Columns On Public Policy and Politics"

Finalist:  Amber Hunt, Cincinnati Enquirer - "Consumer Protection Columns"

Finalist:  Chris Wetterich, Cincinnati Business Courier - "Assorted Columns On Politics"

COMMENTS:  Most of the entries were strong and focused. Wilson's were straight and to the point. She exercised the kind of passion in her opinions that left no doubt about her feelings, regardless of what you thought of them. Some entries in this category were so polite it was hard to remember it was a column for analysis and opinion. Wilson hit both on the head.

W-7 -- EDITORIAL

WINNER: Don Mooney, Cincy Magazine

WINNING ENTRY:  "Another View"

Finalist:  Dan Hurley, Cincy Magazine -- "Reflections On Leadership Columns"

Finalist:  Eric Frantz, JJHuddle.com -- "JJ Huddle After The Whistle Sports Columns"

COMMENTS:  The editorials were a good mix, one set thoughtful and current, one set historical and full of context that had meaning today, and one quite, timely and to the point. They collectively offered the kind of enlightenment needed to help a community stay rooted and vibrant.

W-8 -- BUSINESS NEWS

WINNER:  Nick Swarstell, CityBeat

WINNING ENTRY:  "Who's Gonna Drive You Home"

 

COMMENTS:  An engagingly written piece that ably considers the local reverberations from new, disruptive business models.

Finalist:  Boweya Tweh, Cincinnati Enquirer - "Is The Banks Too Boring For The City's Doorstep?"

Finalist:  Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer - "Anti-gun Groups Target Kroger"

W-9 -- BUSINESS FEATURE/ANALYSIS/COLUMN

WINNER:  Bowdeya Tweh, Cincinnati Enquirer

WINNING ENTRY:  "Indian Hill Home Sale A Cautionary Tale"

COMMENTS:  Tweh balances riveting, lurid details and big characters with a useful look at the haziness of real estate law and practice.

Finalist:  Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer - "How Rodney McMullen Took Kroger To The Top"

Finalist:  Tom Demeropolis, Cincinnati Business Courier - "Why National Money Loves Our Real Estate"

W-10 -- SPORTS NEWS

WINNER:  Eric Frantz, JJ Huddle.com

WINNING ENTRY:  "Ohio HS Football Playoff Rewind

W-11 -- SPORTS FEATURE/ANALYSIS/COLUMN

WINNER:  Justin Williams, Cincinnati Magazine.

WINNING ENTRY:  "The Inheritance"

COMMENTS:  A visually appealing package and well-told story about what changes, and what doesn't, in a family business that happens to be an NFL franchise.

Finalist: Jason Gargano, CityBeat - "The Rebuilder"

Finalist: Josh Katzowitz, CityBeat - "Homegrown Heroes"

 

W-12 -- GOVERNMENT ISSUES

WINNER:  John Lasker, City Beat

WINNING ENTRY:  "Legal Limit: : How A Local Court Case Is Quietly Shedding Light On Ohio's Lucrative DUI Industry"

COMMENTS:  This detailed and lengthy expose about the use of flawed breathalyzers in Ohio suggests possible story ideas for other states. Well-reported and well-balanced.

Finalist:  Sharon Coolidge & Jason Williams, Cincinnati Enquirer - "Streetcar Coverage"

Finalist: Nick Swartsell, CityBeat - "Change of Heart:  Conservative Former Justice Officials Seek To Reform Ohio’s Death Penalty"

W-13 - EDUCATION NEWS

WINNER:  Michael D. Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer

WINNING ENTRY:   Six articles on education topics including "Catholic Teacher Backing Gay Son" and  "Principal Packing A Gun"

COMMENTS - Michael Clark's entry covers a wide range of hot education topics, ranging from Common Core, over-testing, teaching with games, armed administrators and Catholic teacher contracts. Despite an abbreviated tabloid format, he covers them with balance and depth that serves readers well. 

FINALIST:  Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer - "Split The Pot A Losing Bet For Schools"

W-14 -- HEALTH/MEDICAL NEWS

WINNER - Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer

WINNING ENTRY - "A Home for Christmas After 15 Years On The Street"

COMMENTS - There have be many stories about the homeless mentally ill and the programs to help them. This story, showing prolonged reporting, sensitively but unblinkingly portrays the reality of one man's story of resistance and the dogged persistence of social workers to help him. The eight police mug shots over 15 years are part of a compelling package that put a not very pretty human face on the problems and the attempts to solve them.  

Finalist:  Nick Swartsell, CityBeat - "Last Clinic Standing"

W-15 -- LIFESTYLE FEATURE

WINNER:  Ginny McCabe, wcpo.com
 

WINNING ENTRY:  "Free At Last Campaign To Battle Human Trafficking"

COMMENTS:  Overall compelling entry with a number of interviews of those trying to battle human trafficking while

selling personal accessories online.

 

Finalist:  Cincinnati Magazine Staff - "The Pursuit of Hoppiness"

 

Finalist:  Mike Boyer, Danny Restivo &; Guy Kelly, Cincy Magazine - "Beer"

 

W-16 -- COMMUNITY ISSUES

WINNER:  Mike Boyer, Cincy Magazine

WINNING ENTRY: "Cincinnati's Change of Heart"

COMMNTS : Mike's article gets to the heart of a changing community issue with a solid introduction to the problem and telling quotes throughout. A thorough look at the repeal of Article XII and how the city's LGBT community has changed and been welcomed into the city's fabric.

Finalist; Nick Swartsell, CityBeat - "Historic Crossroads"

 

W-17 -- ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

WINNER: Jac Kern &; Nick Swartzell, CityBeat

WINNING ENTRY:  "Stranger than Fiction"

COMMENT: This story skillfully combines good reporting about two issues – the questionable integrity of a “reality” TV show and its impact on property in an at-risk neighborhood. A long read, but worth it.

Finalist: David Lyman, Cincy Magazine - “Recreating Camelot”

 

W-18 -- ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT CRITIQUE

WINNER: Justin Williams, Cincinnati Magazine

WINNING ENTRY: "He's So Dope"

COMMENTS: A colorful portrait of a unique profession and lifestyle that made the world of the DJ understandable and accessible to readers. Compelling use of photos and graphic design.

Finalist:  Mike Breen, CityBeat - "Spill It"

 

W-19 -- MAGAZINE STORY

WINNER: Linda Vaccariello, Cincinnati Magazine

WINNING ENTRY: "The Evans Family Is Living In This World"

COMMENTS: A stunning, thought-provoking story on a subject that's almost unimaginable: What does a family do when its' underpinnings are completely destroyed, leaving it adrift in a literally foreign world? The story is a well-written look at how people don't hesitate to pull together for the neediest among them.  The introductory art is interesting, and the group photo clearly demonstrates what "it takes a village" means. Nicely done.

Finalist:  Mike Boyer, Danny Restivo, and Guy Kelly, Cincy Magazine - "Beer"

 

W-21 - BEST MAGAZINE

WINNER: Cincinnati Magazine

WINNING ENTRY: October, 2014 Issue

COMMENTS:  The clear winner -- well-written articles, fun style and appealing design. All readers -- local and out-of-towners -- get an immediate sense of the vibrancy of the city and what to do/where to go. Locals get the extra benefit of understanding their city better and getting to know its quirky neighborhoods, people and places. We want to visit!

Finalist: Cincy Magazine

W-22 - BEST NEWSPAPER

WINNER: Cincinnati Business Courier

WINNING ENTRY: Lisa Benson/Cincinnati Business Courier- March 28, Sept. 19, Sept. 26

COMMENTS: The CBC has strong presentation, and a excellent variety of relevant topics for the audience demographics. The reporters' knowledge of the area's business is clearly deep, and the writing is crisp and to the point. The USA Today-style briefs give a good glimpse of news for busy readers, while the in-depth pieces give insight and provide excellent background.

 

W-23 - BEST SPECIAL SECTION - NEWSPAPER/MAGAZINE/ON-LINE

WINNER: Staff, CityBeat

WINNING ENTRY:  "Best of Cincinnati 2014"

COMMENTS: Fun, funky look at the best of what the city has to offer, as well as some well-written features of general interest to city and suburban dwellers. Visually exciting and fun, and let's face it, who doesn't like to know all there is about beer?

Finalist: Corinne Minard, Danny Restivo, Rory Glynn, Taylor Spaw - Cincy Magazine: "Kids A to Z"

 

W-24 -- BEST NEWSPAPER/MAGAZINE DESIGN/GRAPHIC

WINNER: Rebecca Sylvester, CityBeat

WINNING ENTRY: "RAW Numbers"

COMMENTS:  I think Rebecca did a great job presenting this idea. The stylized graphic treatment showing the money flow from events around the world to the "wheelbarrow-of-revenue" was a nice touch. There’s a good balance between all the elements on page. I also though the red money backdrop in the pointer box was a nice graphic touch that emphasized the information being presented. Nice work!

W-25 -- BEST WEB SITE

WINNER: www.cincinnatimagazine.com Cincinnati Magazine - Amy Brownlee

COMMENTS: Nice, clean design with lots of photos and colors to help break up the page and spotlight the different features on the site. And the design looks equally nice on the phone, so mobile readers can also enjoy the
site.

Finalist:  Cincinnati Business Courier

 

W-26 -- BEST NEWS/SPORTS BLOG

WINNER: Cincinnati Business Courier

WINNING ENTRY:  "CincyBizBlog"

COMMENTS: CincyBizBlog is exactly what a news blog should be. It’s packed with important information with readers – what’s opening, what’s closing, what’s going on around town – and it’s also fun, with games like “I-Spy” and the “I Tried It” feature, which shows readers what it’s like to do something that they probably wouldn’t normally get to do. It’s obvious why the site has seen so much page view growth.

W-29 -- BEST WEB SITE DESIGN/GRAPHIC

WINNER: Mike Nyerges, The Cincinnati Enquirer/cincinnati.com

WINNING ENTRY:  "Pursuit of the NFL's 16th Franchise"

COMMENTS: All of this publication's graphics were well-done, but this one stood out because of the crisper images and text. It's clear that a lot of work went into developing the graphic from research to selecting the best images, text and numbers to display and narrative. It told a great story.

Finalist: Mike Nyerges, The Cincinnati Enquirer/cincinnati.com - "Pete Rose On Opening Day"

Finalist:  Mike Nyerges, The Cincinnati Enquirer/cincinnati.com - "Why The Reds Always Play At Home On Opening Day"

 

VISUAL COMMUNICATION

V-1 -- NEWS STORY

WINNER: Tom McKee, WCPO-TV

WINNING ENTRY: "Convicted Murderer Wants Retrial"

COMMENTS: In this story the reporter asks the difficult questions for a difficult story, reminding me of Barbara Walters. This investigative story could be life-changing if the DNA testing is approved.
 

V-3 -- FEATURE STORY 

WINNER:  Jason Law, WCPO-TV

WINNING ENTRY:  "Heroin in the Tri-State: Can Danielle Be Saved?"

COMMENTS: Media outlets spend many column inches and minutes of airtime covering the problems of drug abuse in their coverage areas. Not many of those stories actually talk to the abusers. This story puts a human face on the statistics and on the impact on drug users and their families.

Finalist: Tom McKee, WCPO-TV - “School Nurse on Lookout for Respiratory Illness”

V-4 -- INVESTIGATIVE/ENTERPRISE/DATABASE REPORTING

WINNER:  Hagit Limor & Dan Wood, WXIX-TV

WINNING ENTRY: The Charity Fake-Out

COMMENTS: WXIX-TV and journalists Hagit Limor and Dan Wood criss cross the country to expose the multimillion dollar industry of fake autographs on memorabilia sold to and through charity auctions. This report checked all the boxes; it spent the time and money necessary to talk to experts and to show up on the doorstep of the Pennsylvania company providing the fakes. Congratulations to WXIX managers for standing up for this kind of in-depth reporting in a day and age when many of the legacy players are pawning off quick-hit, cheaply produced “drive by” reporting as so-called investigative reporting. Talk about fakes. Discerning audiences such as those in Cincinnati know the real deal and WXIX is now it.

 

V-5 -- SERIES

WINNER: Jessica Noll, wcpo.com

WINNING ENTRY:  "In Focus: Taking Away Labels, Putting People Into Focus"

COMMENTS: This was an original, eye-opening story. It delivered truths about segments of the population that are usually overlooked or ignored. We liked the interactive use of the cardboard signs (given to different people in each story to write truths about themselves) throughout the series.

 

V-6 -- BUSINESS REPORTING

WINNER:  Tom McKee, WCPO-TV

WINNING ENTRY:  "GE Creates Jobs at The Banks"

COMMENTS:  This story was a more complete narrative. It was more in-depth, had more quotes, and the story covered a variety angles on the issue.

V-7 -- GOVERNMENT REPORTING

WINNER: Taylor Mirfendereski, wcpo.com

WINNING ENTRY: "Mission Critical: A Broken Soldier’s Way Home"

COMMENTS:  WCPO and journalist Taylor Mirfendereski followed Cincinnati doctors and medics all the way to Afghanistan to document how training pays off in the lives of real soldiers injured on the field of battle. Brian NIesz and Alyssa Roll deserve particular credit for the online production which seamlessly incorporates video, photographs, text and the visual display of quantitative information through clear, clean graphics. Overall an interesting story well told. Congrats. 

Finalist:  Tom McKee, WCPO-TV - Democracy 2014 - Ohio Governor 

V-8 -- CONSUMER REPORTING

WINNER:  Hagit Limor &; Dan Wood, WXIX-TV

WINNING ENTRY: "Termite Trouble"

COMMENTS:  Solid reporting on a consumer issue that could have serious consequences for thousands of local businesses. Reporters did a thorough job with excellent visuals and interviews. Well done!

V-10 -- HEALTH/MEDICAL REPORTING

WINNER: Taylor Mirfendereski, wcpo.com

WINNING ENTRY:  "Mission Critical"

COMMENTS: This is an impressive package with great visuals explaining the significance of the training program at UC Medical Center and its importance in caring for soldiers injured in Afghanistan. The reporter obviously gained the trust of the military in order to get an inside view from this elite group of medical providers. The message is brought home by opening with a dramatic scene featuring a Cincinnati-area soldier who has been injured in battle.

V-12 -- SPORTS NEWS/FEATURE

WINNER:  Mike Nyerges, The Cincinnati Enquirer/Cincinnati.com

WINNING ENTRY:  "Why the Reds always play at home on Opening Day"

COMMENTS: A fascinating look at why the baseball team plays at home. It’s packed with information, showing that real researching was done for this piece. And it packs all that information into a short, easy-to-digest format for the viewer. The visuals, graphics and word art all also help a ton. Nice!

Finalist:  Jessica Noll, wcpo.com - "Black-n-Blue: Flower Girl By Day, Hell On Wheels By Night"

 

V-15 -- BEST NEWS/FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY

WINNER:  Guy Kelly, Cincy Magazine

WINNING ENTRY: "Beer"

COMMENTS: Nice photo, well executed.

Finalist:  Guy Kelly, NKY Magazine - "Best Breakfasts"

Finalist:  Jessica Noll, wcpo.com - "Exit 34:  A Wife Mourns"

V-16 -- BEST SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY

WINNER:  Jessica Noll, wcpo..com

WINNING ENTRY:  "Serena Williams"

COMMENTS: “Nice sports reaction.”

V-17 -- BEST VIDEOGRAPHY

WINNER:  Taylor Mirfendereski, wcpo.com

WINNING ENTRY:  "Mission Critical: A Broken Soldier’s Way Home"

COMMENTS: The subject matter of this story is highly relevant. It was moving and hit close to home, with so many soldiers coming home from deployment. The videography, especially from inside the plane, was amazing.

V-18 -- BEST PHOTO OR ART ILLUSTRATION

WINNER: Mike Nyerges, Cincinnati Enquirer

WINNING ENTRY: "Pete Rose On Opening Day" & "Why The Reds Always Play At Home On Opening Day"

AUDIO COMMUNICATION

A-3 -- NEWS FEATURE

WINNER:  Ann Thompson, WVXU-FM

WINNING ENTRY:  "Using Dying Heartbeats to Make Music"

COMMENTS:  Unusual subject matter with a compelling emotional pull. Very good package, with the addition of the video and the photo slide show.

A-6 -- GOVERNMENT REPORTING

WINNER:  WVXU News Staff

WINNING ENTRY:  "2014 Coverage of City of Cincinnati"

COMMENTS:  The coverage was easy to understand, with a good breakdown of the issues. The writing was impactful, with a sensible use of quotes throughout.

A-11 -- BEST COMMENTARY

WINNER:  David Lewis, WVXU-FM

WINNING ENTRY: "The Life of Ragtime Bob Roberts"

COMMENTS:  David's commentary well-supported the segment, and we would really have liked to hear even more from him. The audio samplings of Roberts' work painted a winning portrait of his talent.

A-12 -- BEST NEWSCAST

WINNER:  Maryanne Zeleznik, WVXU-FM

WINNING ENTRY:  "Newscast – August 6, 2014"

COMMENTS:  The WXVU morning newscast of August 6, 2014 was engaging, well paced, covered a variety of topics and included good use of sound bites or “actuarials” as the old radio guys called them. I liked the fact that producers went out of their way to include sound from people impacted by court decisions and government action not just experts or officials. Maryanne Zeleznik has good pacing, energy and delivery to bring the news home to the Cincinnati audience. Kudos.