Wednesday, June 13, 2018

** Final List - Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists - 2018 Excellence In Journalism Contest Winners and Finalists



2018 EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM CONTEST
WINNERS AND FINALISTS

     The Greater Cincinnati Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the winners and finalists in the 2018 Excellence In Journalism Contest.

     We thank the members of the Washington, D.C, SPJ Pro Chapter for their work in judging the entries.

     The awards will be presented Thursday, June 21, 2018, during the Excellence In Journalism Awards Program at Braxton Brewery, 7th and Madison Streets, Covington, Kentucky.

     Tickets for the event are $30 in advance, prior to June 15. Cost after June 15 and at the door is $35.  



ALL MEDIA AWARDS

 GERALD WHITE MEMORIAL AWARD
WINNER: “Cincinnati Police Department Investigations”
ENTRANT:  James Pilcher
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
REMARKS: “The reporting takes a local look at an issue that has garnered considerable media attention nationwide -- police shootings.  It examines many cases and presents the facts fairly.”

            FINALIST:  “Nelson Peltz Coverage ”
 ENTRANT:  Alex Coolidge
 PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com

CAMILLA WARRICK AWARD
WINNER:  “Seven Days of Heroin”
ENTRANT:  Cincinnati Enquirer Staff
PUBLICATION: The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
REMARKS:  “Without doubt this outstanding journalistic achievement gripped the public consciousness by highlighting the extent to which the drug crisis tears apart family and community, wrecking lives and inflicting unimaginable pain.  The impact of ‘Seven Days of Heroin’ on the audience extends beyond record online readership, reaching far afield from Cincinnati to make the nation aware of the need to attack this festering wound on American life.”

FINALIST: “Activist, Councilmember, Caregiver”
ENTRANT:  Sharon Coolidge
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com


WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

BEST NEWS STORY
WINNER:  “Cameo Nightclub Shootings”
ENTRANT:  Cincinnati Enquirer Staff
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
REMARKS: “A comprehensive report that goes beyond the headlines to provide context and perspective through excellent writing, graphics and photos.”

 FINALIST: “The Tensing Verdict”
 ENTRANT:  Cincinnati Enquirer Staff
 PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com

BEST NEWS FEATURE/NEWSMAKER PROFILE
           WINNER: “Peltz Deals Have Cost 100K Jobs”
           ENTRANT:  Alex Coolidge
           PUBLICATION: The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
REMARKS: “The article on hedge fund boss, Nelson Peltz, reviews his career in light of jobs lost at numerous companies taken over by the investor.  It offers an eye-opening and disquieting look at the world of high finance today presented in terms the average reader can understand.  A most remarkable example of researching reporting and organizing material to educate the news consumer.”

FINALIST:  “Moved Aside”
ENTRANT: Nick Swartsell
PUBLICATION CityBeat

 FINALIST:  “A Beautiful, Broken Life”
 ENTRANT:  Dan Horn
 PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com

BEST BEAT REPORTING
WINNER: “Local Cincinnati Government”
ENTRANT:  Paula Christian & Amanda Seitz
PUBLICATION:  WCPO-TV & wcpo.com
REMARKS:  “This duo has shown a remarkable tenaciousness in covering local government, using multiple investigative techniques from pursuing public records to finding useful sources to cover many different problems in city programs, exposing everything from failures in programs design to help the poor to ownership of abandoned properties.  The pair explained their stories clearly both in print and broadcast and went after non-obvious topics.  Many of their pieces could have won an investigative award on their own.”

FINALIST:  “Terry DeMio’s Work”
ENTRANT:  Terry DeMio
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com

BEST INVESTIGATIVE/DATABASE REPORTING
WINNER: “Pillars of Favoritism”
ENTRANTS:  James McNair
PUBLICATION:  CityBeat
REMARKS:  “McNair’s reporting shows that a scandal need not always be illegal.  Local government officials got around the law by hiring family members and political associates not covered by nepotism rules.  The story was well illustrated with graphs and charts that were easy to understand.”

FINALIST:  “Center for Closing The Health Gap”
ENTRANTS:  Paula Christian & Amanda Seitz
PUBLICATION:  wcpo.com – WCPO-TV
   
BEST CONTINUING COVERAGE OR SERIES
WINNER: “Company Town”
ENTRANTS:  Alexander Coolidge
PUBLICATION: The Cincinnati Enquirer - cincinnati.com



 FINALIST: “Gender Issues on Campus ”
 ENTRANT:  Kate Murphy
 PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com

BEST EDITORIAL
WINNER: “Kevin Aldridge Editorials”
ENTRANT:  Kevin Aldridge
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
REMARKS:  “A triple threat:  great writing, smart thinking and a strong voice. These are compelling columns, particularly the idea of trying to understand prejudice from someone else’s eyes and mind.”

 FINALIST:  “Bonnie Jean Feldkamp Editorials”
 ENTRANT:  Bonnie Jean Feldkamp
 PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Family

 FINALIST: “Dan Hurley Editorials”
 ENTRANT:  Dan Hurley
 PUBLICATION:  Cincy Magazine

 BEST BUSINESS NEWS STORY
WINNER: “Company Town At A Crossroads”
ENTRANT:  Alexander Coolidge
PUBLICATION: The Cincinnati Enquirer - cincinnati.com
REMARKS:  “Excellent overview of a major international company, Procter & Gamble, which helped shape the city where it is headquartered, with ups and downs over a century.  The story melds personal vignettes of retirees and employees with the broad sweep of the company’s history.  Nicely packaged.  Kept the reader interested and engaged.

 FINALIST:  “Kroger’s Future Could Hinge On How Well It Fends Off Amazon”
 ENTRANT: Steve Watkins
 PUBLICATION: Cincinnati Business Courier.

BEST BUSINESS FEATURE/ANALYSIS/COLUMN
WINNER: “Will P&G Listen To Nelson Peltz?”
ENTRANT:  Barrett Brunsman
PUBLICATION: Cincinnati Business Courier
           REMARKS: “Impressed by all the detailed quotes and colorful commentary.”

FINALIST:  “Which Public CEOs Delivered the Best Bang for the Buck?”
ENTRANT:  Steve Watkins
PUBLICATION: Cincinnati Business Courier

FINALIST:  “Procter & Gamble Shareholders, Retirees Await Peltz’s Impact”
ENTRANT:  Alexander Coolidge
PUBLICATION: The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com

BEST GOVERNMENT ISSUES STORY
WINNER: “The Banks”
ENTRANTS:  Paula Christian & Amanda Seitz
PUBLICATION:  wcpo.com – WCPO-TV
REMARKS:  “The reporters exhibited real doggedness in examining a major development project in Cincinnati.  It appears that their reporting has helped to shine a spotlight on the situation and to alert public officials about aspects of it.  Their writing appears to have brought some transparency to the situation.”

 FINALIST: “Nick Swartsell”
ENTRANT:  Nick Swartsell
PUBLICATION: CityBeat

FINALIST: “Between Heaven and Hell”
ENTRANT:  Adam Flango
PUBLICATION: Cincinnati Magazine

BEST EDUCATION STORY
WINNER:  “Why Does West High Kick Out So Many Kids?”
ENTRANT:  Hannah Sparling
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
REMARKS: “Extremely thorough, balanced reporting on why one Cincinnati high school disciplines so many more students that all the others.  The article reflects dogged reporting, lots of credible sources and is nicely packaged with a strong assist from multimedia graphics and well-done charts.  But, after all that, you wind up wondering what is so different about this school and what the top administrators are doing about it.  A clear picture of the problem with a not very clear solution.”

FINALIST: “One Night Changes Lives – Puts Colleges On the Spot”
ENTRANTS:  Kate Murphy
PUBLICATION: The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com

FINALIST: “Taft’s Atypical Turnaround”
ENTRANTS:  James McNair
PUBLICATION: CityBeat



BEST HEALTH/MEDICAL STORY
WINNER: “Post Script”
ENTRANT:  Philip Eil
PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Magazine
REMARKS: “A well-researched and sourced in-depth article about how an itinerant doctor cashed in by addicting his patients to opioids.  A humanization on a story usually told only with statistics.”

BEST LIFESTYLE FEATURE
WINNER: “Mightier Than The Sword”
ENTRANT:  Maija Zummo
PUBLICATION:  CityBeat
REMARKS: “Good lead and strong writing. The story captured the importance and impact the restaurant has on the neighborhood and vice versa. Diverse human interest reporting.”

 FINALIST:  “Draft Queens”
 ENTRANT:  Danny Cross
 PUBLICATION:  CityBeat

 FINALIST:  “Evolution of An American Icon”
 ENTRANT:  Carol Motsinger
 PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com

BEST COMMUNITY ISSUES STORY
WINNER: “Rape Culture Lives Here”
ENTRANT:  Sarah Stankorb
PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Magazine
REMARKS:  “Thoroughly researched, well-written and very interesting story on a topic of high public interest.  The personal stories of victims are compelling and call out for change in how cases are handled.”

FINALIST: “Feeling The Strain of Unrelenting Overdoses”
ENTRANT:  Terry DeMio
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com

FINALIST: “Full House”
ENTRANT:  Nick Swartsell
PUBLICATION:  CityBeat

BEST ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT STORY
WINNER: “The Art of Being Kathy Y. Wilson”
ENTRANT:  Kathy Schwartz
PUBLICATION:  CityBeat
REMARKS: “Engaging, inspiring and topical story.”

 FINALIST: “Bonding Over A Blizzard.”
 ENTRANT: Kathy Schwartz
 PUBLICATION:  CityBeat

BEST ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT CRITIQUE
WINNER:  “Rick Pender Critiques”
           ENTRANT:  Rick Pender
           PUBLICATION:  CityBeat
REMARKS: “Clear, active writing that engages the reader.”

BEST SPORTS STORY
WINNER: “Bengals/Steelers Monday Night Game”
ENTRANTS: Paul Dehner, Jim Owczarski & Paul Daugherty
PUBLICATION: The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
REMARKS: “Excellent Package.  “Fine reporting and somewhat of a scoop, too.”

BEST SPORTS FEATURE
WINNER: “Tim Krumrie’s Brain:  A Work In Progress”
ENTRANT:  Jim Owczarski
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – Cincinnati.com
REMARKS: “Very well written – epitome of a sports feature with the double benefit of raising the awareness of brain injury.”

FINALIST: “Reds & Williams:  The Future Is Bright”
ENTRANT: Steve Watkins
PUBLICATION: Cincinnati Business Courier

BEST MAGAZINE STORY
WINNER:  “Creative Class”
ENTRANT:  Justin Williams
PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Magazine
REMARKS: “This is a deep dive into the prosperity of a city.  There are many interesting voices, perspectives and quotes.  The reader learns a lot about what happened, knows what has happened and what lies ahead.  The short profiles of entrepreneurs were a nice complement to the story.”

FINALIST: “The Fiona Phenomenon”
ENTRANT:  David Lyman
PUBLICATION: Cincy Magazine



FINALIST: “Human Chain:  Matthew 25 Ministries Is A Disaster Relief Powerhouse”
ENTRANT:  Lisa Murtha
PUBLICATION: Cincinnati Magazine

BEST MAGAZINE INVESTIGATIVE/DATABASE STORY
WINNER: “Rating the Burbs”
ENTRANT:  Bill Ferguson, Jr.
PUBLICATION:  Cincy Magazine

BEST NEWS/SPORTS BLOG 
 WINNER: “The Morning Line”
 ENTRANT:  Paul Daugherty
 PUBLICATION: The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
            REMARKS: “Has the ingredients of a must-read blog:  popular topics, strong voice, wit, snark, quick hits, musical meanderings.”

FINALIST: “Politics Extra”
ENTRANT:  Jason Williams
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com

BEST NEWSPAPER/MAGAZINE DESIGN
     WINNER: “Cincinnati Magazine – July, 2017 Edition”
      ENTRANT:  Cincinnati Magazine Staff
      PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Magazine
            REMARKS: “Beautiful, eye-catching design from front cover to back.  Great use of fonts and color.  Good use of creative photographs as well.”

 FINALIST:  “Cincinnati Business Courier – March 24, 2017”
 ENTRANT: Kevin Cox
 PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Business Courier

BEST NEWSPAPER/MAGAZINE GRAPHIC
WINNER: “What Is A Filibuster?””
ENTRANT:  Mike Nyerges
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – Cincinnati.com
REMARKS: “With simple graphic and an eye-catching layout, this entry was easy to read and understand.  It explained topical political terms in an engaging, straightforward way.”

BEST WEB SITE DESIGN
WINNER: “Cincinnati Business Courier Website”
ENTRANTS:  Erin Caproni and Cincinnati Business Courier Staff
PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Business Courier

BEST WEB GRAPHIC
WINNER: “Marvin Lewis Era”
ENTRANT:  Michael Nyerges
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
REMARKS: “This was a fun, informative video graphic.  It is well produced and executed.  The music gave it an ‘NFL Films’ feel.”

FINALIST:  “The Flood of 1937”
ENTRANT:  Michael Nyerges
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com

VISUAL COMMUNICATION

BEST NEWS STORY
WINNER: “Adams County Power Plants Closing”
ENTRANT:  Tom McKee
           MEDIA OUTLET: WCPO-TV
REMARKS: “A well-done, comprehensive look at economic, government and local budget implications of a looming utility shutdown.  Good array of interviews.”

BEST FEATURE STORY
WINNER: “Beverly Hills Supper Cub Fire – 40 Years Later”
ENTRANT:  Tom McKee
MEDIA OUTLET:  WCPO-TV
REMARKS: “Powerful retrospective on a disaster with national implications.”

FINALIST:  “Police Chief In Fight For His Life”
ENTRANT:  Evan Millward
MEDIA OUTLET:  WCPO-TV

FINALIST:  “Western Hills Viaduct Crumbling”
ENTRANT:  Tom McKee
MEDIA OUTLET:  WCPO-TV

BEST HEALTH/MEDICAL STORY
           WINNER:  “HIV Study Fights Stigma”
           ENTRANT:  Evan Millward
           MEDIA OUTLET:  WCPO-TV
           REMARKS:  “Important topic covered thoughtfully and thoroughly with great sources.”

            FINALIST:  “Pets For Patients”
            ENTRANT:  Tom McKee
            MEDIA OUTLET:  WCPO-TV

BEST SPORTS FEATURE STORY
WINNER: “Head-to-Head With Bob Trumpy”
ENTRANT:  Mike Nyerges
           PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com

FINALIST: “NKU Basketball To NCAA”
ENTRANT:  Tom McKee
MEDIA OUTLET:  WCPO-TV

BEST NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY
WINNER:  “Liz Dufour”
ENTRANT:  Liz Dufour
PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
REMARKS: “The photographer presents a very solid photo narrative of a woman’s struggles with heroin addiction including a striking closeup and emotional shot of her in prison and with her father.  The photo told a difficult story.”

 FINALIST:  “Bockfest Queen”
 ENTRANT:  Corrie Schaffeld
 PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Business Courier

BEST SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
WINNER: “Morgan’s First Goal”
ENTRANT: Corrie Schaffeld
PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Business Courier
           REMARKS: “The photographer captures the vibrant moment of a soccer player’s first goal.   Framing and focus are excellent.  The viewer is right there in the scene.”

          FINALIST:  “The Punch”
          ENTRANT:  Sam Greene
          PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com

BEST VIDEOGRAPHY
WINNER: “Seven Days of Heroin”
ENTRANTS:  Carrie Cochran and Meg Vogel
PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
REMARKS: “Very compelling story told in a compelling, but not overly dramatic way.  Understated when the facts alone provided the drama. Good use of video to show the scope of the problem.”

FINALIST:  “Bengals at 50”
ENTRANT:  Michael Nyerges
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com


AUDIO COMMUNICATION

BEST NEWS STORY
WINNER: “Metro Looking Into Weapons Policy, Training After Incident””
ENTRANT:  Tana Weingartner
MEDIA OUTLET:  91.7 WVXU
REMARKS: “A natural follow-up to a news story that provides readers/listeners an overview of how officials are responding to an incident.”

FINALIST:  “Cameo Night Club Shooting”
ENTRANT:  Bill Rinehart
MEDIA OUTLET:  91.7 WVXU

 BEST NEWS FEATURE STORY
WINNER: “Maintaining The Miraculous Monarch Migration”
ENTRANT:  Tana Weingartner
MEDIA OUTLET:  91.7 WVXU
REMARKS: “A well-written, well-sourced exploration of a fascinating subject made richer with photos and video.”

FINALIST:  “Should Jurors Be Picked From More Than Just Voter Lists?”
ENTRANT:  Bill Rinehart
MEDIA OUTLET:  91.7 WVXU

BEST GOVERNMENT STORY
WINNER:  “2017 Coverage of the City of Cincinnati”
ENTRANT:  Jay Hanselman
MEDIA OUTLET:  91.7 WVXU

BEST HEALTH/MEDICAL STORY
         WINNER:  “OTR Native Joins UC Clinical Trial Testing New Drug That Might Prevent HIV Transmission”
ENTRANT:  Austin Fast
MEDIA OUTLET:  wcpo.com
REMARKS”  “Calm, compassionate interviewing technique by reporter Austin Fast draws emotional story from medical volunteer and clear explanations from medical professionals.”

BESTS ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT STORY
WINNER: “Robotic Pets Purr-fect For Oxford Retirement Community”
ENTRANT:  Ann Thompson
MEDIA OUTLET:  91.7 WVXU
REMARKS: “Very effective use of actuality and natural sound.  Entire story seemed to be told by letting sound tell the story.”

FINALIST:  “Blink:  Art For Ears and Eyes”
ENTRANT:  Bill Rinehart
MEDIA OUTLET:  91.7 WVXU

FINALIST:  “HoneyHoney’s Suzanne Santo Explores Vice, Accountability In Raw Debut Solo Album ‘Ruby Red’”
ENTRANT:  Austin Fast
MEDIA OUTLET:  wcpo.com

BEST OF SHOW

BEST OVERALL WRITTEN REPORTER
WINNER:  “Keith Biery Golick Portfolio”
ENTRANT:  Keith Biery Golick
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
           REMARKS: “I want to congratulate Keith for taking complex stories and finding the essence of them – touching human stories, some of them tragic.  I do want to applaud Keith for taking risks in his writing.  Keep at it.”

           FINALIST:  “Nick Swartsell”s Work”
           ENTRANT:  Nick Swartsell
           PUBLICATION:  CityBeat

BEST NEWSPAPER
WINNER:  “The Cincinnati Enquirer”
ENTRANT:  The Cincinnati Enquirer Staff
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
REMARKS:  “The Seven Days of Heroin project shows a commitment of time and resources to covering an issue that is eating away at the community and doing so in a way that tries to open the eyes of people who were otherwise uninterested in stories about those addicted to drugs and the consequences they fact.  The cover story on FC Cincinnati presented answers to the logical questions about an FC MLS bid in a logical way that was easy to follow.”

           FINALIST:  “Cincinnati Business Courier”
           ENTRANT:  Cincinnati Business Courier Staff
           PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Business Courier

FINALIST:  “CityBeat”
ENTRANT:  CityBeat Staff
PUBLICATION:  CityBeat

BEST NEWSPAPER SPECIAL SECTION
WINNER: “Seven Days of Heroin:  This Is What An Epidemic Looks Like”
ENTRANTS:  Terry DeMio and Dan Horn (writers) as part of a team of more than 80 reporters, photographers and videographers
PUBLICATION:  The Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com
REMARKS: “An extraordinary endeavor that brings the reality of heroin addiction to public attention through police reports, conversations with addicts and their families and unvarnished facts about lost lives.  It shows exactly what an epidemic looks like, as the subhead on the section said. 
This section represents journalism at its very best, simply giving an accurate account of drug carnage in one week in the Cincinnati region.”

BEST MAGAZINE
WINNER: “Cincy Magazine”
ENTRANT:  Eric Harmon, Corinne Minard, Mike Boyer, Eric Spangler and Guy Kelly
PUBLICATION:  Cincy Magazine, 2017
REMARKS: “Colorful, incisive writing combined with excellent layouts and strong visual elements.”

FINALIST: “Cincinnati Magazine”
ENTRANT:  Cincinnati Magazine Staff
PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Magazine

BEST WEB SITE
WINNER: “Cincinnati Business Courier”
ENTRANTS:  Erin Caproni, Cincinnati Business Courier Staff
PUBLICATION: Cincinnati Business Courier web site
REMARKS: “Very nice, clean layout.  Very well designed so that the reader is drawn in by related stories.”

 FINALIST: “91.7 WVXU”
 ENTRANT:  Maryanne Zeleznik
 MEDIA OUTLET:  91.7 WVXU web site

BEST OVERALL  VISUAL REPORTER    
WINNER:  “Liz Dufour’s Work”
ENTRANT:  Liz Dufour
PUBLICATION:  Cincinnati Enquirer – cincinnati.com


FINALIST: “Kristin Swilley Composite”
ENTRANT:  Kristin Swilley
MEDIA OUTLET:  WCPO-TV

BEST RADIO NEWSCAST
WINNER: “91.7 WVXU”
ENTRANT:  Maryanne Zeleznik
MEDIA OUTLET:  91.7 WVXU
REMARKS:  “Direct, succinct writing.  Good use of actuality.  Pleasant delivery and great inflection, which conveyed meaning and importance.”

BEST OVERALL RADIO REPORTER
WINNER: “Tana Weingartner”
ENTRANT:  Tana Weingartner
MEDIA OUTLET: 91.7 WVXU
REMARKS:  “Solid writing from hard news to features and good balance in reporting stories of controversy.  Good delivery.”