2015 Metro Journalism Awards


METRO NEWSPAPERS / WIRE SERVICE

BEST NEWS STORY
FIRST PLACE: Claire Galofaro, Courier-Journal. “Alleged cannibal fell through legal cracks”

Judges’ comments: Comprehensive, riveting coverage of gruesome murder — really pulled readers into the life of the killer and his victims.

CONTINUING COVERAGE
FIRST PLACE: Laura Ungar, Chris Kenning, Alton Strupp; Courier-Journal. “Heroin, A Rising Scourge”

Judges’ comments: These stories bring a heightened awareness to a growing problem that many thought was in the past. This total team effort looks at many of the factors and issues that have been raised by this problem and its effects on the community. The team is to be applauded for this effort.

SECOND PLACE: James Bruggers, Courier-Journal. “The Plight of Trees”

THIRD PLACE: David A. Mann Business First Distillery coverage

ENTERPRISE REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Joe Sonka, LEO Weekly. “Abandon ship! Kentucky’s underfunded public pension system”

Judges’ comments: Joe Sonka’s plunge into the mire that is state pension underfunding rewarded the reader with a lively explanation of a normally dense subject. Kentucky is in trouble, and he was able to lay out the situation with a balance of light writing and gravitas.

SECOND PLACE: Amanda Beam, News and Tribune. “Surviving suicide”

THIRD PLACE: David A. Mann Business First. “Tale of 3 Cities”

BUSINESS REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: James Bruggers, Courier-Journal. JBS Swift plant coverage

Judges’ comments: … Mr. Bruggers presents a chilling and compelling portrait of the inner workings of a slaughter house, highlighting both the tensions from within and those with the broader community. Excellent work all around!

SECOND PLACE: Caitlin Bowling, Business First. “Build a better boss,” “Fermenting a new brand,” “Texas Roadhouse”

THIRD PLACE: Grace Schneider, Courier-Journal. A body of work in 2014.

HEALTH CARE REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: David A. Mann, Caitlin Bowling; Business First. “Passing the stress test,” “Hospital Check-up,” “Pediatric Prognosis”

Judges’ comments: Well-written and nicely reported, this collection of stories shows a deep and commanding understanding of the region’s health care providers, the challenges they face and
the patients they serve.

MINORITY/WOMEN’S AFFAIRS REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: April Corbin, LEO Weekly. “Unfair housing,” “The long and short of it,” “An experiment on black women and children”

Judges’ comments: Informative. Important.

SECOND PLACE: Caitlin Bowling, Business First. “Lessons in compassion”

THIRD PLACE: Jere Downs, Courier-Journal. “Farm feeds a big need”

FEATURE WRITING
FIRST PLACE: Chris Kenning, Courier-Journal. “Terror and triumph”

Judges’ comments: This is a story of survival, forcefully told and described by the writer … a vivid tale…yet, written in such a way to allow a reader to almost feel as if he or she were actually there… Definitely movie material.

SECOND PLACE: Chris Kenning, Courier-Journal. “Shark Tracker”

THIRD PLACE: April Corbin, LEO Weekly. “The mirror has two faces,” “Saying goodbye to NC3,” “Sheltered: Louisville homeless share their stories”

PERSONALITY/PROFILE WRITING
FIRST PLACE: Steve Kaufman, Business First. “Cynthia Torp,” “Rob McKinnon,” “Fred Kellams”

Judges’ comments: Well-written, intriguing profiles that provided readers looks into the peoples’ lives as well as their businesses.

SECOND PLACE: David A. Mann, Business First. “Stephen Hanson,” “Neville Blackmore,” “Wayne Estopinal”

THIRD PLACE IS A TIE:

April Corbin, LEO Weekly. “A Key to the past,” “Dancer Conrad De Chabert,” “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” (Voice-Tribune)

Caitlin Bowling, Business First. “Junior Bridgeman,” “Ghislain D’Humieres,” “Ted Longacre”

EDITORIAL WRITING
FIRST PLACE: Shea Van Hoy, News and Tribune. “Jacobi unfit,” “Body cameras,” “Law Change”

Judges’ comments: Well-reasoned and written; clearly taking positions on controversial local issues.

COLUMN WRITING
FIRST PLACE: Sara Havens, LEO Weekly. “The Bar Belle”

Judges’ comments: This is a laugh-out-loud, funny writer who I would look forward to reading each week.

SECOND PLACE: Al Cross, Courier-Journal. Political columns published in 2014.

THIRD PLACE: David Shabazz, Courier-Journal. “Arguments for accepting the N-word come up short,” “Richard Sherman is not a villain”

SPORTS WRITING
FIRST PLACE: Tim Sullivan, Courier-Journal. “Road to Sochi has price for Kentucky Olympian”

Judges’ comments: Tim Sullivan’s story on the reluctant Olympian used a nice literary device throughout without overdoing it, and he did a good job of describing the challenges of bobsledding while profiling the subject. It was a smooth and excellent read.

SECOND PLACE: Business First Staff. “Shoe-ins,” “Charting the course,” “The business of the PGA championship”

THIRD PLACE: Jeff Greer, Courier-Journal. A body of work from 2014.

NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY
FIRST PLACE: Sam Upshaw, Jr., Courier-Journal. “Fancy Farm”

Judges’ comments: Nicely framed shot captures the political divide at the event.

FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY
FIRST PLACE: Tim Harris, Business First. “Pegasus Parade,” “Forecastle,” “Derby Spectator”

Judges’ comments: First image captures the spirit of the event.

SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
FIRST PLACE: Sam Upshaw, Jr., Courier-Journal. “UK’s Harrison Twins”
Judges’ comments: Photo nicely captures the heart-felt emotion of the moment.

SECOND PLACE: Tim Harris, Business First. “Phil Mickelson,” “Rory McIlroy,” “California Chrome”

REVIEW/ CRITICISM
NO AWARD IN THIS CATEGORY

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION
FIRST PLACE: Brooke Timmons, Business First. “How the World Eats”
Judges’ comments: The simple, yet strong use of illustration captures the reader’s eye and draws them into the content without becoming a distraction … In the “Taking the Leap” graphic, the use of simple, clean iconic images was a nice touch.

SECOND PLACE: Kyle Slagle, Courier-Journal. “Follow the Money”

PAGE DESIGN
FIRST PLACE: Brooke Timmons, Business First. “Art Meets Architecture”

Judges’ comments: The use of breakout information to illustrate the key points in these pages make
them easy to navigate and a pleasure for the reader to do so. Clean typography and smart use of color
result in a sophisticated, clean look.

SECOND PLACE: Kyle Slagle, Courier-Journal. “The Paradox of Suboxone”

 

NON-DAILY NEWSPAPERS

CONTINUING COVERAGE
FIRST PLACE: Marnie McAllister, The Record. “School plan”

Judges’ comments: These stories have kept the issue of school funding and the recent efforts by the archdiocese to make education affordable on the frontburner. The writer keeps the spotlight on those efforts while alerting community of ways to take advantage of this push.

ENTERPRISE REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Marnie McAllister, The Record. “Parish takes responsibility”

Judges’ comments: Marnie McAllister’s tale of how a parish came to rescue a homeless man, changing the man, and the parish was sweet and interesting.

BUSINESS REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Wesley Kerrick, The Voice-Tribune. “Keeping Louisville Innovative”

Judges’ comments: Wesley Kerrick put together a nice story about how General Electric is trying to innovate in appliances, leveraging local talent by giving them tools and feedback.

MINORITY/ WOMEN’S AFFAIRS REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Jessica Able The Record. “Tek4kids,” “Feeding America,” “Pulsera Project”

Judges’ comments: Lots of good need-to-know information.

FEATURE WRITING
FIRST PLACE: Jessica Able The Record “Teacher donates kidney to wounded soldier,” “Prison ministers to Native Americans,” “Trinity students make tombstones for the indigent”

Judges’ comments: The writer has an uncanny ability to make a reader feel empathy for the subjects and the issues raised in these stories. The stories are touching and well written, and at the same time, present teaching opportunities on the issues addressed.

PERSONALITY/PROFILE
FIRST PLACE: Marnie McAllister, The Record. “Sign language interpreter,” “Organist ready to retire,” “Bridge will be named for Sister of Loretto”

Judges’ comments: Heartfelt profiles that show everyday people can have profound impacts on their communities.

SECOND PLACE: Wesley Kerrick, Voice-Tribune. “The Enduring Power of Faith,” “Turning Passion Into Handcrafted Apparel” “Nostalgia Lives on at Tickled Pink”

EDITORIAL WRITING
FIRST PLACE: Marnie McAllister, The Record. “School plan commendable,” “The call to change our lives”

Judges’ comments: Well written and clearly reasoned faith-based viewpoints on current issues.

SECOND PLACE: Jessica Able, The Record. “Leading by example”

COLUMN WRITING
FIRST PLACE: David Shabazz, The State Journal. “Keep newspapers in the classroom”
Judges’ comments: Good conversational style and nice examples to make a valid point.

SPORTS WRITING
FIRST PLACE: John Herndon, The Anderson News. “Reliving history,” “Thanks Coach Hyatt,” From Huck Finn to Hall of Fame”

Judges’ comments: John Herndon’s coverage of Anderson County sports shows the love and deep knowledge that he has of the community. His stories were fun and memorable.

REVIEW/ CRITICISM
NO AWARD PRESENTED IN THIS CATGORY

 

MAGAZINES

BUSINESS REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Mary Chellis Austin, Louisville Magazine. “What’s Mine Is Yours,” “In the Money”
Judges’ comments: Mary Chellis Austin took on two interesting slices of life and gave the nuts and bolts of the business behind them. Renting out homes for Derby for stunningly high prices and what happens when you win the lottery. The stories were well written and engaging with fabulous illustrations.

SECOND PLACE: Jenni Laidman, Louisville Magazine. “Risqué Business”

THIRD PLACE: Business First Staff. “CFO of the Year”’

FEATURE WRITING
FIRST PLACE: Dylon Jones, Louisville Magazine. “The Portland Puzzle”
Judges’ comments: An extremely well-written piece that transfers the reader – both literally and visually – through this neighborhood while introducing a wonderful lineup of characters and issues.

SECOND PLACE: Anne Marshall, Louisville Magazine. “Deliver Me”

THIRD PLACE: Arielle Christian, Louisville Magazine. “Where They Don’t Belong”

PERSONALITY/ PROFILE
FIRST PLACE: Jenni Laidman Louisville Magazine. “He’ll Have Another,” “Made of Honor”, “Counsel for Yesteryear”

Judges’ comments: The author’s attention to detail and reporting makes for in-depth, extremely well-written profiles.

SECOND PLACE: Dylon Jones, Louisville Magazine. “It’s Time for Teddy,” “The End of Striving”

HEALTH CARE REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Kane Webb, Louisville Magazine. “A Cut Above”
Judges’ comments: Kane Webb’s narrative of a day in the life of a general surgeon gave deep insight into the profession, and sped the reader through the dizzying work day breezily and with energy. The effort put into the piece is clear.

SECOND PLACE: Today’s Woman. “Your Heart,” “Breast Cancer supplement”

GOVERNMENT/ POLITICS
FIRST PLACE: Anne Marshall, Louisville Magazine. “Spectacular Bid?”
Judges’ comments: The piece on Allison Lundergan Grimes was well-written and thoroughly reported. Marshall painted a portrait of Grimes on the campaign trail – from a sweaty day at Fancy Farm to a humid visit to the Louisville Zoo… Overall, this was an engaging and interesting piece.

EDUCATION REPORTING
NO AWARD IN THIS CATEGORY

MINORITY/WOMEN’S AFFAIRS
FIRST PLACE: Anne Marshall, Louisville Magazine. “Our Place”
Judges’ comments: Timely. Interesting. Inspiring.

SECOND PLACE: Today’s Woman, “Restoring New Life,” “A Day in Her Shoes”, “Stepping Up Her Game”

THIRD PLACE: Business First Staff. “Business Women First”

SPORTS WRITING
FIRST PLACE: Anne Marshall, Louisville Magazine. “A Knight Every Day”

Judges’ comments: Anne Marshall’s profile of Kaelin Rybak, Bellarmine University’s long-time scorekeeper and biggest fan, gave a fabulous portrait of how people come to love something and become part of it.

SERVICE REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Louisville Magazine. “24-Hour Breakfast,” “Give package,” “Best of Louisville”

Judges’ comments: Louisville Magazine staff did an excellent job with its reports on the region’s philanthropy, its “Best Of” issue and the colorful and appetite-inducing 24 Hours of Breakfast tour of restaurants.

COLUMN WRITING
FIRST PLACE: Jack Welch, Louisville Magazine. “Just Sayin” (January, May, July)
Judges’ comments: Nice conversation on topics of interest to the local community.

REVIEW/ CRITICISM
FIRST PLACE: Mary Chellis Austin, Louisville Magazine. “The Queue for ‘Cue”

Judges’ comments: Juicy, meaty.

PAGE DESIGN
FIRST PLACE: Today’s Woman design team. “Most Admired Woman; 2014,” “How to Throw a First of Fall Party,” “Toppers”

Judges’ comments: The combination of well-executed typography, with appropriately chosen phrases to display, and excellent portraits make this entry dynamite.

SECOND PLACE: April Allman, Today’s Family. “Summer Drinks,” “Helping My Son Find His Passion,” “Make Caramel Corn for Gifts”

THIRD PLACE: Suki Anderson, Louisville Magazine. “Salvation,” “Race Tracking”, “Centennielle: The Belle turns 100”

HEADLINE WRITING
FIRST PLACE: Louisville Magazine, “Salvation,” “Deliver Me,” “Race Tracking”

Judges’ comments: Good coordination with dramatic art.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION
FIRST PLACE: Ron Jasin, Louisville Magazine. Derby illustrations

Judges’ comments: The illustration technique is colorful and clean. The color choices are sophisticated and the simple drawing style provide for a quick read. Each image works individually as well as a cohesive set. Nice work.

SECOND PLACE: Carrie Neumayer, Louisville Magazine. “Sunshine for gray skies,” “High on Hemp,” “Caper Escapade”

COVER DESIGN
FIRST PLACE: Today’s Woman design team. “The Repurpose Issue,” “The Before and After issue” “Hollywood Luxury in Louisville”
Judges’ comments: The repurposing edition was particularly impressive, with a clear concept that was cleanly executed.

SECOND PLACE: Today’s Family design team. Summer 2014, Fall 2014, Winter 2014.

FEATURE PHOTO
FIRST PLACE: Mickie Winters, Louisville Magazine. “Where They Don’t Belong,” “Salvation,” “Deliver Me”

Judges’ comments: The Camp Spider shots gave readers a window into the world of the homeless. The campfire shot and the inside look at a “camper’s” tent were especially good.

SECOND PLACE: Tim Harris, Business First. Three Portraits (Ankur Gopal, Ruth Brinkley, Vidya Ravichandran)

PHOTO PACKAGE
FIRST PLACE: Chris Witzke, Louisville Magazine. “Get Your Geek On,” “Super Kids,” “The Queue for ‘Cue”

Judges’ comments: These are “geeks”? A good photographer can use skill to dispel stereotypes and this photo collection succeeds in that goal.

SECOND PLACE: Tim Harris, Business First. “Where millennials live”

THIRD PLACE: Melissa Donald, Anita Oldham, Today’s Woman. “Planning a Derby Party”

 

COLLEGE

NEWS STORY
FIRST PLACE: Aprile Rickert, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “Tales of a lockdown”

Judges’ comments: A great choice to pair a quick, ultra-readable timeline of the lockdown with well-written vignettes about how students and faculty reacted to a very scary situation. This was a much more creative approach than a straight news story about a lockdown.

SECOND PLACE: Simon Isham, Jacob Abrahamson; University of Louisville, The Louisville Cardinal. “The Grove: Unfinished on move-in day”

THIRD PLACE Aprile Rickert, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “Learning from Lockdowns”

FEATURE STORY
FIRST PLACE: Melissa Spaide, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “A lifelong battle”

Judges’ comments: A smoothly written, engaging story. The writer did an excellent job of taking
readers inside one student’s struggle with a debilitating disease.

SECOND PLACE: Ethan Smith, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “Heroin Abuse in Kentuckiana”

THIRD PLACE: Olivia Krauth, University of Louisville, The Louisville Cardinal. “Her fault?: Rape Culture at U of L”

EDITORIAL/ COLUMN
FIRST PLACE: Jims Porter, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “I was almost one of them”
Judges’ comments: By sharing details about his own suicide attempt, the writer powerfully humanizes mental illness while highlighting the need for reforms to our national mental health care system. The piece is well-written, descriptive and captivating.

SECOND PLACE: Nick Amon, University of Louisville, The Louisville Cardinal. “Heroin injects itself in the veins of U of L”

THIRD PLACE: Joel Stinnett, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “Tax dollars flood into creationist’s Ark Park”

PAGE DESIGN
FIRST PLACE: Simon Isham, University of Louisville, The Louisville Cardinal. “Housing Issue”
Judges’ comments: Creative use of “Monopoly” theme to get the point across subtly- with rental prices listed to get the point across not-so-subtly. Well done!

SECOND PLACE: Simon Isham, University of Louisville, The Louisville Cardinal. “Football Preview”

THIRD PLACE: Bekah White, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. Mental Health cover

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION
FIRST PLACE: Josh Medlock, Bekah White, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “What to do in a lockdown”
Judges’ comments: Informative. Easy to follow. Timely.

SECOND PLACE: Bellarmine University. Staff of The Concord. “Blake Does College: Stress Relief”

THIRD PLACE: Bekah White, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “War on wheels”

NEWS/FEATURE PHOTO
FIRST PLACE: Jacob Abrahamson, University of Louisville, The Louisville Cardinal. “The only gun allowed”
Judges’ comments: Attention grabbing. More powerful than words.

SECOND PLACE: Jims Porter, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “Icy campus”

THIRD PLACE: Shelby Orange, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “Graduation Cap”

SPORTS STORY
FIRST PLACE: Noah Allison, University of Louisville, The Louisville Cardinal. “The All-American man just keeps getting better.”
Judges’ comments: An interesting profile of a collegiate athlete who is poised to be a superstar. Strong, catchy writing makes this an enjoyable read.

SECOND PLACE: Mary Kate Hailer, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “Joe Glover: From high school press box to college athletics director”

THIRD PLACE: Elijah Lossner, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “Hitting the books”

SPORTS PHOTO
FIRST PLACE: Horizon Staff, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “Guts, Glory, Grenadiers”

Judges’ comments: Good representation of sporting activities.

SECOND PLACE: Elijah Lossner, Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon. “Strong finish”

THIRD PLACE: Austin Lassell, University of Louisville, The Louisville Cardinal. “Rozier steals and storms down the court”

BEST WEB SITE
FIRST PLACE: Indiana University Southeast, The Horizon staff. www.iushorizon.com

Judges’ comments: The use of a large, dominant photo at the top of the home page is an eye-catching
way to grab readers’ attention. And it sets the site apart from the others. The rest of the site is cleanly organized. Well done!

SECOND PLACE: University of Louisville, The Louisville Cardinal staff. www.louisvillecardinal.com/

BEST USE OF VIDEO
FIRST PLACE: Marisa Gartland, Indiana University Southeast. “Local businesses: Adrienne and Company

Judges’ comments: Good profile of local business. Great imagery. Engaging interview.

SECOND PLACE: Marisa Gartland, Indiana University Southeast. “New Albany Local Businesses: Inside Quills Coffee and Toast on Market”

THIRD PLACE: Laura Hubrich, Indiana University Southeast. “St. James Court Art Show”

ONLINE FEATURE PACKAGE
FIRST PLACE: Adam Taylor, Melissa Spaide, Ashley Sizemore. Indiana University Southeast. “More than just black top”

Judges’ comments: Text, mapping, video and photographs are woven together well to tell this story. The writing is pretty good, too.

SECOND PLACE: Nic Britton, Haley Warwick, Erin Mann. Indiana University Southeast. “Art of Adaptation”

THIRD PLACE: Laura Hubrich, Paige Thompson, Josh Medlock. Indiana University Southeast. “Rising to the top”

 

ONLINE-AFFILIATED

BEST WEB SITE
FIRST PLACE: WDRB.com. Barry Fulmer, Mike Dever, Travis Kircher, Dalton Main

Judges’ comments: Lots of good, up-to-date content on the site. Easy to navigate.

SECOND PLACE: Staff, Louisville Business First.

THIRD PLACE: Staff, Insider Louisville.

BREAKING NEWS REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: WDRB staff. “Shooting at Fern Creek High School”

Judges’ comments: Good coverage on the site. Nice job updated the video. The timeline was a nice touch.

SECOND PLACE: David A. Mann, Business First. “Kindred Plans to Add 500 Jobs”

THIRD PLACE: Jason Riley WDRB “Defense attorneys say dozens of DUI cases are in jeopardy”

FEATURE STORY
FIRST PLACE: Devin Katayama, Joseph Lord, Gabe Bullard; WFPL “At Risk; Louisville’s daunting education challenge”

Judges’ comments: The quality of entries in this category made it difficult to choose just one winner. Congratulations and thank you for the high standard of journalism, especially in the top three entries. “At Risk” examined a critical issue from many different angles, exploring so many sides of a complex problem faced in many parts of the country.

SECOND PLACE: Kevin Gibson, Insider Louisville. “Outside the Abortion Clinic” series

THIRD PLACE: Jason Riley, WDRB.“Kentucky’s longest-serving inmate has chance for release”

BEST BLOG
FIRST PLACE: Rick Bozich, WDRB.

Judges’ comments: Rick tells compelling stories that go beyond the usual sports audience. He goes beyond sound bites in his blog, giving us a deeper look at some of the sports characters we think we know.

SECOND PLACE: James Bruggers, Courier-Journal. “Watchdog Earth”

THIRD PLACE: Eric Crawford, WDRB. “Remembering U of L’s biggest loss; 105-0 to Murray State,” “Covering the Cardinals in Orlando,” “Some personal thoughts on U-of-L seniors”

BEST SPORTS COVERAGE
FIRST PLACE: Eric Crawford, WDRB. Selected stories.

Judges’ comments: Creative, well-written stories taking the reader beyond the basic story.

SECOND PLACE: Rick Bozich, Eric Crawford, WDRB. PGA Coverage

THIRD PLACE: Rick Bozich, Eric Crawford; WDRB. “Louisville Hires Bobby Petrino”

POLITICAL COMMENTARY
FIRST PLACE: Joe Dunman, Insider Louisville. “Minimum wage debate,” “Louisville has a race problem,” “During white flight, lack of racial diversity was by design”

No Judges’ comments were received for this award.

SECOND PLACE: Eric Crawford, WDRB. “Fern Creek Shooting,” “Game On: What Kind of News Consumer Are You?,” “Veterans Day”

THIRD PLACE: Joe Sonka, Insider Louisville. “The Red State Wedding; Why McConnell blew out Grimes,” “Obamacare, Grimes and the campaign that wasn’t there”

GOVERNMENT/ POLITICS
FIRST PLACE: Jason Riley, WDRB.com. “Prosecutor Mistakes”

Judges’ comments: Good work laying out the problems and getting perspective from all parties involved.

SECOND PLACE: Chris Otts, WDRB. “Jefferson County School Board Race”

THIRD PLACE: Joe Sonka, Insider Louisville. McConnell-Grimes senate race coverage

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Chris Otts, WDRB. “Cheating allegations swirl around Male High School”

Judges’ comments: Using the Freedom of Information Act to get the letter provided great detail on a story that affects so many students.

SECOND PLACE: Marcus Green, WDRB. “Kentucky Pipeline Blast”

THIRD PLACE:
Joe Sonka, Insider Louisville. “McConnell paid former campaign manager tied to bribery scandal,” Councilman Dan Johnson’s campaign,” “Former aide claims Johnson took hefty loan”

FOOD, ARTS CRITICISM
FIRST PLACE: Kevin Gibson, Insider Louisville. Food Coverage: Holy Smokes, Yelp debate, Lucky’s Market

Judges’ comments: Holy smokes! The writer captures the essence of the places he visited, making the reader feel as if he’s there too. Wish we could get some of that barbecue here!

SECOND PLACE: Melissa Chipman, Insider Louisville. “I am Ali,” “An Honest Man,” “Tribes”

SLIDE SHOW

FIRST PLACE: Tim Harris, Logan Rose; Business First. “Forecastle Festival 2014: day two”

Judges’ comments: Phenomenal slide show! Takes us inside the Forecastle experience and makes us feel as if we’re there.

BEST VIDEO

FIRST PLACE: Tim Harris, Business First. “Behind the Scenes with Forty Under 40”

Judges’ comments: Nicely shot. Interesting way to showcase the story

 

ONLINE NON-AFFILIATED

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: R. G. Dunlop, Erica Peterson; WFPL. “How Politics, Misinformation & Money Fueled a Power Plant in Coal Country”

Judges’ comments: A thorough investigation that reveals a very complex process and the ramifications for the area. Nice job following the money trail.

SECOND PLACE: James McNair, Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. “Powerful Nursing Home Owner and a Push for Medical Review Panels”

THIRD PLACE: Kristina Goetz, Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. “Oversight of Indiana Tiger Exhibit Big On Growl, Light on Teeth”

GOVERNMENT/ POLITICS
FIRST PLACE: James McNair, Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. “Kentucky Retirement Systems coverage”

Judges’ comments: Phenomenal in-depth reporting on an issue that will affect so many people. Nice job breaking down the problem and how it impacts retirees. Congratulations on getting action from the pension board and legislation that could, if passed, make the system more transparent!

SECOND PLACE: R. G. Dunlop, Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. “How a Congressman, His Wife and a Lobbyist mixed Politics, Personal Finances”

THIRD PLACE: James McNair, Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. Kentucky Community and Technical College System

 

RADIO

GENERAL NEWS REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Devin Katayama, WFPL. “Fern Creek High School Recreates ‘War of the Worlds’”

Judges’ comments: Good production values. Fun piece about the intersection of history, radio and American culture.

SECOND PLACE: Erica Peterson, WFPL. “Louisville is Recycling Fewer Batteries”

THIRD PLACE: Devin Katayama, WFPL. “Bus Duty Helps Teacher Connect With New Students”

BUSINESS REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: James McNair, WFPL. “When it comes to investments, Kentucky keeps pension holders in the dark”

Judges’ comments: Strong reporting, a solid audio interview and an impressive multimedia presentation present a compelling business story.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Kristina Goetz, Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. “Oversight of Indiana tiger exhibit,” “The troubling record of a southern Indiana” wildlife refuge”

Judges’ comments: Frightening account of an unregulated tiger exhibit. Reporter exposes a dangerous situation that needs to be fixed soon. This is what journalism is supposed to do.

SECOND PLACE: James McNair, WFPL. “Sewage Spills and Stench Plague Mobile Home Park”

THIRD PLACE: Zoe Schaver, Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. “A Look at Jefferson County’s Worst-Rated Judge”

FEATURE REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Devin Katayama, WFPL. “At Risk; Louisville’s daunting education challenge”

Judges’ comments: In-depth analysis of an important topic. Compelling interview subjects. Great storytelling. The hands-down winner.

SECOND PLACE: Gabe Bullard, WFPL. “Barista competitions”

THIRD PLACE: Rick Howlett, WFPL. “Heroin Addiction”

GOVT/ POLITICS
FIRST PLACE: R. G. Dunlop, Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. “The Congressman and the Lobbyist”

Judges’ comments: This story does what journalism should: shining a light on government officials gone wrong.

HEALTH CARE REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Ja’Nel Johnson, WFPL. “Kentucky Nurse Practitioners”

Judges’ comments: Solid reporting on interesting topics in the health field.

MINORITY/ WOMEN’S AFFAIRS
FIRST PLACE: Rick Howlett, WFPL. “Remembering the Wades, the Bradens and the struggle for racial integration in Louisville”

Judges’ comments: Riveting story of a quiet chapter of the struggle for civil rights. Great storytelling.

SECOND PLACE: Devin Katayama, WFPL. “Transgender Student Rights”

SERIES REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Devin Katayama, Laura Ellis, Kaila Story. WFPL Transgender Student Series

Judges’ comments: Impressive collection of stories about the challenges of transgender students. The staff should be praised for the level of research that must have gone into putting this series together.

SPORTS REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Rick Howlett, WFPL. “Petrino Introduced as Cards Coach”

Judges’ comments: Good solid reporting on a sports story that was top of mind for many Louisville residents.

SECOND PLACE: Jacob Ryan, WFPL. “Louisville’s Special Olympic Flag Football Team”

 

TELEVISION

GENERAL NEWS REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Gilbert Corsey, Dominik Fuhrmann, Matt English, WDRB TV. “Prison’s Youngest Victims”

Judges’ comments: Nakiya’s story is compelling. Her dad’s reaction was an excellent addition to the story. Highlighting the camp provided hope. The video and writing did justice to a complex issue.

SECOND PLACE: Emily Mieure, Chris Monroe, WDRB TV. “Writings on the Wall”

THIRD PLACE: John Boel WAVE TV. “Bogus Beggar Strikes Again”

SPOT NEWS REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: WLKY News Staff. Fern Creek High School Shooting

Judges’ comments: On the air quickly after the shooting with good pictures and good perspective.

SECOND PLACE: WDRB TV Staff. “Fern Creek High School Shooting”

THIRD PLACE: WAVE TV Staff. Fern Creek High School Shooting”

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Valerie Chinn, Beth Peak, WDRB TV. “Southeast Bullitt Fire Department”

Judges’ comments: Great work! This report just kept revealing layer after layer of trouble with the fire department. Nice use of graphics and video to explain what the heck is going on and how it affects residents. Excellent job pushing the fire chief for answers despite the hostile responses you were getting from him.

SECOND PLACE: John Boel, George Cronen WAVE TV “No Soup for You”

THIRD PLACE: Jason Riley, Lindsay Allen, Beth Peak, WDRB TV “Jail deaths could have been prevented”

BUSINESS REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Chris Sutter, Kyle Lizenby, WDRB TV. “Beer in Louisville”

Judges’ comments: Wonderful work weaving together the past and the present through the words and pictures. The video was amazing. Great pictures that really helped tell the story.

SECOND PLACE: Chris Sutter, Kyle Lizenby WDRB TV “Charlestown Ammo Plant”

HEALTH CARE REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Gilbert Corsey, Sarah Haeberle. WDRB TV. “The Vow”

Judges’ comments: Beautifully shot and written.

SECOND PLACE: Chris Sutter, Kyle Lizenby WDRB TV “Medical Helicopter”

THIRD PLACE: Kelly Davis, Jeff Gordon WDRB TV. “Cotton Ball Diet”

FEATURE REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Gilbert Corsey, Matt English, WDRB TV. “Superstar to Servant”

Judges’ comments: An interesting story about an interesting character! Nice scene-setter at the beginning of the story, the powerful voice from inside the church over the wide shot of the exterior. Nice transition from his present life to the past.

SECOND PLACE: Chris Sutter, Kyle Lizenby, WDRB TV. “How to Pronounce Louisville”

THIRD PLACE: Steve Burgin, Paul Ahmann, WLKY TV. “The Necklace”

GOVERNMENT/ POLITICS
FIRST PLACE: John Boel, Jeff Knight. WAVE TV. “Political Fowl Play”

Judges’ comments: Excellent approach to the story. Nice use of the undercover video and sound at the meeting.

SECOND PLACE: Lawrence Smith, WDRB TV. Political coverage.

THIRD PLACE: Jennifer Keeney, Cara Catlett, Barry Fulmer, WDRB Staff. “Election 2014”

MINORITY/ WOMEN’S AFFAIRS
FIRST PLACE: Tamara Evans, Lee Atherton; WDRB TV. “Domestic Violence, Getting Help”

Judges’ comments: A thorough look at an issue that affects thousands of women. Good use of the 911 calls and great choices in who to talk to for the story. Outlines the problem and offers some hope for change.

SERIES REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Gilbert Corsey, Neil Johnson; WDRB TV. “From the Schoolhouse to the Jailhouse”

Judges’ comments: Layered reporting exposing a systemic issue and some of the solutions that are being tried. Giving voice to the two young women in your stories added perspective that’s not usually seen.

SECOND PLACE: Steve Burgin, Paul Ahmann; WLKY TV. “KY Anonymous”

THIRD PLACE: Jennifer Atherton, Jeremy Kappell, Vincent Vermeulen; WDRB TV. “Tornado Outbreak”

SPORTS REPORTING
FIRST PLACE: Rick Van Hoose, Scott Eckhardt; WLKY TV. “Dwight Gahm”

Judges’ comments: Beautifully shot, written and edited. A fascinating story.

SECOND PLACE: Rick Bozich, WDRB TV. “The Manuel Forrest Story”

THIRD PLACE: Eric Crawford, WDRB TV. “New Ali documentary brings back his old voice”

EDITORIAL
FIRST PLACE: Bill Lamb, WDRB TV. Point of View: “Speech is free; forums aren’t”

(No judges’ comments were received for this award.)

FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY
FIRST PLACE: Kyle Lizenby, WDRB TV.

Judges’ comments: Creative techniques really make for some memorable moments in these stories.

SECOND PLACE: Dominik Fuhrmann, WDRB TV

THIRD PLACE: Doug Druschke, WAVE TV “Classroom on the ball”

SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
FIRST PLACE: Doug Druschke, WAVE TV. “Ironman 2014”

Judges’ comments: Thanks for taking us inside the Iron Man. It’s probably the closest we’ll ever get!

SECOND PLACE: Steve Andress, WDRB TV. “Louisville’s Batman”

BEST NEWSCAST
FIRST PLACE: WLKY TV News at 6. Josh Abelove, Vicki Dortch, Rick Van Hoose.

Judges’ comments: Special open conveyed the urgency and desperation of parents after the Fern Creek shooting. Within just 5 hours from the time of the incident, this news team put together a newscast and stories that clearly conveyed what happened and captured the emotion of the day. Really loved the boxes showing the earlier video and the reporter. It helped give the viewer an idea of what was coming up next.

SECOND PLACE: Aaron Ellis, Jennifer Nickels, Zak Owens; WAVE TV. “WAVE 3 News @ 11”

THIRD PLACE: Jennifer Nickels, Zak Owens, Bill Shory; WAVE TV. WAVE 3 News @11”