The Schurz Communications 3rd quarter winners in the quarterly print contest have been announced.
Judges for the contest categories were: Watchdog, John Papajohn, Chicago Tribune; Distinguished Sports Reporting, Tim Bannon, Chicago Tribune; Commentary, John McCormick, Chicago Tribune; Localization, Sheila Solomon, Chicago Tribune; Breaking News, Don Haar, Chicago Tribune; Innovation, James Janega, Chicago Tribune; Front Page Design, Chicago Tribune; Personality Profile, Margaret Holt, Chicago Tribune; Photography, Darrell Hoeman, Champaign News-Gazette.
Third quarter winners were:
Watchdog
FIRST. Laura Lane, The Bloomington Herald-Times, Pretrial Diversion. Judges comment: A probing account of the finances and policies of the Monroe County prosecutor’s office, offering surprising insights into how the pretrial diversion program works as a money maker while giving students second and third chances.
SECOND. Andrew Schotz, The Hagerstown Herald-Mail, Delegation’s expenses
Distinguished Sports Reporting/Writing
FIRST. Bob Wieneke, South Bend Tribune, Ready to Make a Splash. 2011 Notre Dame Football Annual.Judges Comment: Thoroughly reported and crisply written, Wieneke gives the reader a satisfying profile of the Irish running back. The five bulleted items near the top of the story are also effective, incorporating snapshot facts into the narrative.
SECOND. Lynn Houser, The Herald-Times. Something left to say.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Dustin Dopirak, BloomingtonThe Herald-Times, A Way off the streets. Dave Vilhauer, Aberdeen American News. Successful Direction. Ryan Kartje, The Bloomington Herald-Times. Mental toughness makes Cougars’ Fitzgerald an elite specialist.
Commentary
FIRST. Bob Parasiliti, The Hagerstown Herald-Mail. Judges Comment: Bob Parasiliti doesn’t tell you a story, he shows you a story. His thorough and unhurried style let my imagination see the moments he chronicles unfold. Most of us, I think, would have cut to the chase scene at the Little League diamond. Instead, the column surprises us just as its protagonist was surprised in real time. And any newspaper would have been proud to run the story of Barry Brown and the murdered player he supposedly had coached — but in fact didn’t know.
SECOND (tie), Amy Dulebohn, The Hagerstown Herald-Mail, and Rebecca Troyer, The Bloomington Herald-Times.
Localization
FIRST. Hagerstown Herald-Mail. Judges Comment: While there were numerous contest entries featuring 9/11 stories, The Herald-Mail, provided the most comprehensive and diverse stories. They ranged from being cathartic (Hagerstown woman who lost father) to informative (Tri-State economy) and uplifting (couple celebrate 65th wedding anniversary) and included voices from all ages.
SECOND. Joseph Dilts, South Bend Tribune.
HONORABLE MENTION: Judy Ellich, The Somerset Daily American
Breaking News
FIRST. Jennifer Fitch, The Hagerstown Herald-Mail. Judges Comment: Coverage of crash at air show. Good, quick work on a big breaking story. Reporter Jennifer Fitch was able to piece together a detailed narrative from witnesses – and produce a solid sidebar on the flying team and the plane involved in the accident – on a tight deadline. Coverage included online video of officials talking about the crash.
SECOND. Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune.
HONORABLE MENTION: The Somerset Daily American.
Innovation
FIRST. The Hagerstown Herald-Mail. Judges Comment: The Herald-Mail turned Herald-Mail.com into a “mini-Little League network” by streaming live video of 13 Little League tournament games. This was simple, effective, and meaningful to readers as well as clever and innovative. (It’s also a great idea, and I’ve already passed it along to colleagues inside the Chicago Tribune.)
SECOND. Todd Davidson and Sarah Morin, Innovation Entry. The HTO Expulsion/Suspension database.
HONORABLE MENTION. South Bend Tribune, Walking Through Time.
Front Page Design
FIRST. John Stump and Molly McClure, South Bend Tribune. 9/11 Cover. Judges Comment:
This was not a fair fight. South Bend Tribune decided to go with a poster front for a 9/11 special wrap, and Stump and McClure did not let the opportunity go to waste. They chose a shot of NYC at night, with the lights of the 9/11 memorial in the center. The minimal typography aided the effect. Well executed.
SECOND. Kristina Wood and Stewart Moon, Bloomington Herald-Times. IU home opener, Sept. 10.
Sense Making Explanatory Journalism.
FIRST. Laura Lane, The Bloomington Herald-Times. Judges Comment: Friends say drugs were at heart of trouble for man shot by police. Judges Comment: Strong legwork by Lane to track down people who knew Rick North, and clearly Lane has the ability to get people to open up to her. The raw stories from the subjects make this a compelling and sympathetic read. You understand better what led Mr. North to his fatal standoff with police, and your heart goes out to the people hurt and left behind by Mr. North. Lane and her editors give those voices room in this piece, which is key to broadening the story beyond the typical crime follow.
SECOND. Heather Keels, The Hagerstown Herald-Mail. County landfill not just a hole.
Personality Profile
General comments: I totally applaud the effort to get more people into our news pages. That’s something that readers of all publications tell us they crave, and these were some good examples. There were a couple of regular features that are nice ideas: “A Life Remembered,” in the Hagerstown Herald-Mail, and “Area personality” in the Somerset Daily American. I also appreciated the effort to write people into stories off the news; a couple of those seemed to me to be very timely, nice features but perhaps not the best fit for the personality profile category.
Which brings us to the winners.
FIRST. Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune. Profile of Notre Dame’s Manti Te’O. Judges Comment: This young man is not just a football player at a name school; he is just a really interesting character, and the profile brings that out. He sees Notre Dame as a big stage and big opportunity. You can just tick off so many interesting details about him: He’s from Hawaii, he revels in the college experience, he is a Mormon who is thinking ahead to his Mission commitment, and so on.
SECOND. Dann Denny, Bloomington Herald-Times. The Duany family and how the family lives a dual life.
HONORABLE MENTION. Roger Moon, Bedford Times-Mail. News feature about the family that teaches together at the Burris Elementary School.
News and Feature Photo
FIRST. Garet Cobb, Bedford Times-Mail: Pageant Wait.
SECOND. G. Randall Goss, Petoskey News-Review: Crash & Burn.
HONORABLE MENTION. Jeremy Hogan, Bloomington Herald-Times: Culture Fest.
HONORABLE MENTION. Marcus Marter, South Bend Tribune: Lovesick.
HONORABLE MENTION. Robert Franklin, South Bend Tribune: Medical Pot
Sports Photo
FIRST. James Mann, Winchester Sun: Calf Roping.
SECOND. John Davis, Aberdeen American News: Foggy Walk.
HONORABLE MENTION, Jeremy Hogan, Bloomington Herald-Times, Golf Lean.
HONORABLE MENTION. Robert Franklin, South Bend Tribune: High School Action.
HONORABLE MENTION. Chris Howell, Bloomington Herald-Times: Touchdown.
All of the entries are in a gallery at: http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/gallery/n/
Multimedia
FIRST. Will Elkins, Aberdeen American News: Roller Derby
http://www.aberdeennews.com/videogallery/66289736/Sports/A-Beginner-s-Guide-to-Roller-Derby
SECOND. Clay Jackson Advocate Messenger: Radio Control
http://www.centralkynews.com/videobeta/fc25f3bd-e886-4952-835a-4ed0d9e0d653/News/Radio-Controlled-plane
HONORABLE MENTION. Chris Howell, Bloomington Herald-Times: Governor visits county fair
HONORABLE MENTION. Clay Jackson, Danville Advocate Messenger: Harvest Festival
HONORABLE MENTION. Chris Howell, Bloomington Herald-Times: Ninja Softball.
HONORABLE MENTION. David Snodgress, Bloomington Herald-Times: Lotus Music Festival.
Judges for the contest categories were: Watchdog, John Papajohn, Chicago Tribune; Distinguished Sports Reporting, Tim Bannon, Chicago Tribune; Commentary, John McCormick, Chicago Tribune; Localization, Sheila Solomon, Chicago Tribune; Breaking News, Don Haar, Chicago Tribune; Innovation, James Janega, Chicago Tribune; Front Page Design, Chicago Tribune; Personality Profile, Margaret Holt, Chicago Tribune; Photography, Darrell Hoeman, Champaign News-Gazette.
Third quarter winners were:
Watchdog
FIRST. Laura Lane, The Bloomington Herald-Times, Pretrial Diversion. Judges comment: A probing account of the finances and policies of the Monroe County prosecutor’s office, offering surprising insights into how the pretrial diversion program works as a money maker while giving students second and third chances.
SECOND. Andrew Schotz, The Hagerstown Herald-Mail, Delegation’s expenses
Distinguished Sports Reporting/Writing
FIRST. Bob Wieneke, South Bend Tribune, Ready to Make a Splash. 2011 Notre Dame Football Annual.Judges Comment: Thoroughly reported and crisply written, Wieneke gives the reader a satisfying profile of the Irish running back. The five bulleted items near the top of the story are also effective, incorporating snapshot facts into the narrative.
SECOND. Lynn Houser, The Herald-Times. Something left to say.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Dustin Dopirak, BloomingtonThe Herald-Times, A Way off the streets. Dave Vilhauer, Aberdeen American News. Successful Direction. Ryan Kartje, The Bloomington Herald-Times. Mental toughness makes Cougars’ Fitzgerald an elite specialist.
Commentary
FIRST. Bob Parasiliti, The Hagerstown Herald-Mail. Judges Comment: Bob Parasiliti doesn’t tell you a story, he shows you a story. His thorough and unhurried style let my imagination see the moments he chronicles unfold. Most of us, I think, would have cut to the chase scene at the Little League diamond. Instead, the column surprises us just as its protagonist was surprised in real time. And any newspaper would have been proud to run the story of Barry Brown and the murdered player he supposedly had coached — but in fact didn’t know.
SECOND (tie), Amy Dulebohn, The Hagerstown Herald-Mail, and Rebecca Troyer, The Bloomington Herald-Times.
Localization
FIRST. Hagerstown Herald-Mail. Judges Comment: While there were numerous contest entries featuring 9/11 stories, The Herald-Mail, provided the most comprehensive and diverse stories. They ranged from being cathartic (Hagerstown woman who lost father) to informative (Tri-State economy) and uplifting (couple celebrate 65th wedding anniversary) and included voices from all ages.
SECOND. Joseph Dilts, South Bend Tribune.
HONORABLE MENTION: Judy Ellich, The Somerset Daily American
Breaking News
FIRST. Jennifer Fitch, The Hagerstown Herald-Mail. Judges Comment: Coverage of crash at air show. Good, quick work on a big breaking story. Reporter Jennifer Fitch was able to piece together a detailed narrative from witnesses – and produce a solid sidebar on the flying team and the plane involved in the accident – on a tight deadline. Coverage included online video of officials talking about the crash.
SECOND. Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune.
HONORABLE MENTION: The Somerset Daily American.
Innovation
FIRST. The Hagerstown Herald-Mail. Judges Comment: The Herald-Mail turned Herald-Mail.com into a “mini-Little League network” by streaming live video of 13 Little League tournament games. This was simple, effective, and meaningful to readers as well as clever and innovative. (It’s also a great idea, and I’ve already passed it along to colleagues inside the Chicago Tribune.)
SECOND. Todd Davidson and Sarah Morin, Innovation Entry. The HTO Expulsion/Suspension database.
HONORABLE MENTION. South Bend Tribune, Walking Through Time.
Front Page Design
FIRST. John Stump and Molly McClure, South Bend Tribune. 9/11 Cover. Judges Comment:
This was not a fair fight. South Bend Tribune decided to go with a poster front for a 9/11 special wrap, and Stump and McClure did not let the opportunity go to waste. They chose a shot of NYC at night, with the lights of the 9/11 memorial in the center. The minimal typography aided the effect. Well executed.
SECOND. Kristina Wood and Stewart Moon, Bloomington Herald-Times. IU home opener, Sept. 10.
Sense Making Explanatory Journalism.
FIRST. Laura Lane, The Bloomington Herald-Times. Judges Comment: Friends say drugs were at heart of trouble for man shot by police. Judges Comment: Strong legwork by Lane to track down people who knew Rick North, and clearly Lane has the ability to get people to open up to her. The raw stories from the subjects make this a compelling and sympathetic read. You understand better what led Mr. North to his fatal standoff with police, and your heart goes out to the people hurt and left behind by Mr. North. Lane and her editors give those voices room in this piece, which is key to broadening the story beyond the typical crime follow.
SECOND. Heather Keels, The Hagerstown Herald-Mail. County landfill not just a hole.
Personality Profile
General comments: I totally applaud the effort to get more people into our news pages. That’s something that readers of all publications tell us they crave, and these were some good examples. There were a couple of regular features that are nice ideas: “A Life Remembered,” in the Hagerstown Herald-Mail, and “Area personality” in the Somerset Daily American. I also appreciated the effort to write people into stories off the news; a couple of those seemed to me to be very timely, nice features but perhaps not the best fit for the personality profile category.
Which brings us to the winners.
FIRST. Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune. Profile of Notre Dame’s Manti Te’O. Judges Comment: This young man is not just a football player at a name school; he is just a really interesting character, and the profile brings that out. He sees Notre Dame as a big stage and big opportunity. You can just tick off so many interesting details about him: He’s from Hawaii, he revels in the college experience, he is a Mormon who is thinking ahead to his Mission commitment, and so on.
SECOND. Dann Denny, Bloomington Herald-Times. The Duany family and how the family lives a dual life.
HONORABLE MENTION. Roger Moon, Bedford Times-Mail. News feature about the family that teaches together at the Burris Elementary School.
News and Feature Photo
FIRST. Garet Cobb, Bedford Times-Mail: Pageant Wait.
SECOND. G. Randall Goss, Petoskey News-Review: Crash & Burn.
HONORABLE MENTION. Jeremy Hogan, Bloomington Herald-Times: Culture Fest.
HONORABLE MENTION. Marcus Marter, South Bend Tribune: Lovesick.
HONORABLE MENTION. Robert Franklin, South Bend Tribune: Medical Pot
Sports Photo
FIRST. James Mann, Winchester Sun: Calf Roping.
SECOND. John Davis, Aberdeen American News: Foggy Walk.
HONORABLE MENTION, Jeremy Hogan, Bloomington Herald-Times, Golf Lean.
HONORABLE MENTION. Robert Franklin, South Bend Tribune: High School Action.
HONORABLE MENTION. Chris Howell, Bloomington Herald-Times: Touchdown.
All of the entries are in a gallery at: http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/gallery/n/
Multimedia
FIRST. Will Elkins, Aberdeen American News: Roller Derby
http://www.aberdeennews.com/videogallery/66289736/Sports/A-Beginner-s-Guide-to-Roller-Derby
SECOND. Clay Jackson Advocate Messenger: Radio Control
http://www.centralkynews.com/videobeta/fc25f3bd-e886-4952-835a-4ed0d9e0d653/News/Radio-Controlled-plane
HONORABLE MENTION. Chris Howell, Bloomington Herald-Times: Governor visits county fair
HONORABLE MENTION. Clay Jackson, Danville Advocate Messenger: Harvest Festival
HONORABLE MENTION. Chris Howell, Bloomington Herald-Times: Ninja Softball.
HONORABLE MENTION. David Snodgress, Bloomington Herald-Times: Lotus Music Festival.
