2017 Metro Journalism Awards


College

 

Best Overall Design

2nd Place

Horizon Staff

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: March 7, 2016 issue

1st Place

Olivia Krauth and Sarah Rohleder

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: The Louisville Cardinal

Judge’s comments: Clean, balanced, good rhythm and unity to the design. Strong use of typography to create contrast and shape to a page. Clear dominant elements. Attractive covers. Consistent use of elements throughout to develop unity and rhythm.

 

Best Use Of Video

2nd Place

Sam Draut and Dalton Ray

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: U of L, city to remove Confederate monument

1st Place

Jordan Williams

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: Giving Pumpkin Spice a Try

Judge’s comments: Creative and clever approach to a seasonal-flavor story. Good selection of participants, who offered a variety of responses. Sound bites were well edited.

 

Commentary/General Interest

3rd Place

John Boyle

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: Let Us Hate Again

2nd Place

Olivia Ross

Bellarmine University

Entry title: BU Should Rein in its Acceptance Rates

1st Place

Jordan Williams

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: A dead man’s tale

Judge’s comments: This is a witty telling of an excellent tale, one that vividly illustrates the all-too-common absurdities of bureaucracy. The humor is effective because your keep the narrative restrained and understated.

 

Editorial

3rd Place

Staff

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: SGA Senate fails constituency in lead-up to vote of no confidence

2nd Place

Nick Amon

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: Ramsey should be held accountable for stream of scandals

1st Place

Kentucky Kernel Staff

The Kentucky Kernel

Entry title: UK’s fight for secrecy leaves truth behind

Judge’s comments: Student newspaper taking on an important fight for public transparency and against university controls on student media. Timely and important case. Very contentious. Good for this publication for engaging in the fight and not wilting from the pressure.

 

Editorial Cartoon

1st Place

Ben Wade

The Kentucky Kernel

Entry title: Rand Paul left out in the cold; exposing Trump’s fears; Carson’s campaign flatlines

Judge’s comments: Sharp humor and excellent technical skills with the illustrations.

 

Feature Page Layout

3rd Place

Olivia Cook

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: A Night of Spells

2nd Place

Sarah Rohleder, Brooke Moody and Olivia Krauth

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: The Cardinal 3.22

1st Place

Olivia Cook and Daniel Vance

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: Learning May Cause Discomfort

Judge’s comments: Eye-catching use of “caution tape” and sad-student graphics; good use of white space; clear presentation of information

 

Feature Photo

2nd Place

Sarah Rohleder

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: Speed Museum awes

1st Place

Hank Kerns

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: Rae Sremmurd light up the Palace

Judge’s comments: Nice framing, lighting and color.

 

Feature Story

3rd Place

Lexington Souers

The Kentucky Kernel

Entry title: From seeing blue, to crying blue

2nd Place

John Boyle

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: Activism in the Arts

1st Place

Marjorie Kirk

The Kentucky Kernel

Entry title: Local Congolese community welcomes refugee

Judge’s comments: This story takes what could be a pretty ordinary piece about an immigrant / refugee student and really brings the narrative to life with rich details and interesting insights about the process behind the person being in the U.S.

 

Front Page Layout

3rd Place

Marisa Gartland and Olivia Cook

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: Jan. 11, 2016 issue

2nd Place

Rebecca Waskevich

Bellarmine University

Entry title: Admissions Front Page Layout

1st Place

Sarah Rohleder and Olivia Krauth

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: The Louisville Cardinal

Judge’s comments: Layouts use typography well; the 2-2-16 issue, in particular, has eye-catching graphical treatments and colorization of both photo and text. Good headlines add to the impetus to read this paper now.

 

Graphic Illustration

2nd Place

Mitchell Howes

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: Mitchell Howes

1st Place

Daniel Vance

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: August 22 cover

Judge’s comments: Subtle color changes and social commentary (on student use of phones) help to make this illustration attractive.

 

In-Depth Reporting

3rd Place

Patrick Brennan

The Kentucky Kernel

Entry title: Observing UK’s gender pay gap

2nd Place

Will Wright

The Kentucky Kernel

Entry title: The woman behind the mask

1st Place

Marjorie Kirk

The Kentucky Kernel

Entry title: Kernel obtains withheld records; victims say UK trying to protect professor in sexual assault case

Judge’s comments: Excellent effort to put important public information in the hands of the public; this professor was given an opportunity to respond, but the really interesting aspect of this was the response of the university, putting into question who the institution ultimately serves. Well done, Kernel staff!

 

Informational Graphic

3rd Place

Mitchell Howes

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: Program aims to arrest campus drinking

2nd Place

Mallory Siegenthaler, Olivia Krauth and Sarah Rohleder

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: 4.12 cover

1st Place

Horizon Staff

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: Students, not customers

Judge’s comments: The shredding of the dollar as a way to remove burdens on the students is done in a subtle, yet effective way, which inspires the reader to look carefully at the rest of the design.

 

Multimedia Storytelling

2nd Place

Parker Henes

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: Art made from a spatula

1st Place

Mary Kate Hailer, Joseph Kauffman and Kim Rice

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: A sweet business

Judge’s comments: Great subject and execution! The written article is polished, vivid and well-structured, but the slideshow is truly superb. The photos are rich and vibrant, but most importantly, we get to know and like these characters. That makes for great storytelling.

 

News Photo

3rd Place

Sarah Rohleder

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: Students lead die-in

 2nd Place

Morgan Wooden

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: Not my POTUS

1st Place

Sarah Rohleder

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: Students lead die-in

Judge’s comments: Good composition and use of perspective. Captured an important civic protest.

 

News Story

2nd Place

Katherine Manouchehri

The Kentucky Kernel

Entry title: Students march to protest sexual assault at UK

1st Place

Cheyene Miller

The Kentucky Kernel

Entry title: Smoke fills Southern sky

Judge’s comments: The reporter reached many sources and was able to provide a complete picture of the event. The story is well organized, with a strong lead.

 

Overall Web Site

1st Place

Staff

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: The Louisville Cardinal

Judge’s comments: Clean design, with strong dominant elements, from the banner down. Easy to read, and easy to navigate. Multiple entry points on the page. Good selection of photos, and good photos overall. Well balanced. Well done!

 

Photo Story

1st Place

Wade Morgen

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: U of L baseball beats Virginia

Judge’s comments: Good variety of shots, including a stop-action, an interaction and a focus on faces.

 

Review

2nd Place

Aaron Hartley

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: The Weeknd’s “Starboy” faintly shines

1st Place

Kyeland Jackson

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: “Don’t Breathe” – A cinematic breath of fresh air

Judge’s comments: The review is informative and provides clear explanation for what’s strong about the movie. The context that you offer, in describing the weaknesses of other recent horror films, is also helpful to readers.

 

Sports Column

1st Place

Parker Henes

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: For the Love of the Game

Judge’s comments: Reveals the behind-the-scenes, first-person thoughts of a recently graduated college athlete; some novel insights were included.

 

Sports Feature Story

3rd Place

Mary Ringwald

Bellarmine University

Entry title: BU Tennis Player Expands Horizons By Work- ing With Special Needs Children in Morocco

2nd Place

Anthony Crawford

The Kentucky Kernel

Entry title: From Chicago’s blacktop courts to Rupp Arena, Ulis has always exceeded expectations

1st Place

Enrique Bryan

Indiana University Southeast

Entry title: Mental Side of Athlete Fatigue

Judge’s comments: We don’t think about it, but mental fatigue is something athletes have to contend with. This is a good rundown on how it affects some college athletes.

 

Sports Game Story

1st Place

Sam Draut

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: Golfer Olivia Cason works her way to NCAA Championship

Judge’s comments: Story shows a transformation of the golfer as she reached for her goals; also, it shared the context of how significant of an achievement this was.

 

Sports News Story

3rd Place

Quin Welch

Bellarmine University

Entry title: BUMBB Ranked Preseason No. 1

2nd Place

Anthony Crawford

The Kentucky Kernel

Entry title: UK Football honors SEC trailblazers in unveiling of new statue

1st Place

Dalton Ray

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: Louisville avoids severe penalties in NCAA findings

Judge’s comments: Well-done piece about the lack of severe penalties against the Louisville men’s basketball team for various “services” of a female escort.

 

Sports Photo

3rd Place

Nancy Hanner

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: Louisville beats FSU

2nd Place

Nancy Hanner

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: Men’s basketball kicks off season

1st Place

Wade Morgen

The Louisville Cardinal

Entry title: Don’t buy the hype on Louisville football this year

Judge’s comments: I can’t resist. I am heads over heels about this great football of Louisville’s team.

 

Magazines

Cover Design

3rd Place

Brooke Timmons

Business First

Entry title: Fast 50, Book of Lists, CFO of the Year

2nd Place

Today’s Transitions Design Team

Zion Publications, LLC

Entry title: Today’s Transitions

1st Place

Today’s Woman Design Team

Zion Publications, LLC

Entry title: Today’s Woman

Judge’s comments: Love the energy this designer brings to the cover! The careful selection on type and size, color, as well as composition and layout bring Today’ss Woman to life. Adding details like the paint brush to the flag, organic textures, and the dramatic photo with the girl with fire is what sets these covers above the rest. Great job!

 

Feature Writing

1st Place

Lucy M. Pritchett

Zion Publications, LLC

Entry title: Connecting With History

Judge’s comments: This piece chronicles how the art collection interests of a now-retired attorney took him on a decades-long detective story that culminated in an art exhibit that might be unique in bringing together Depression-era art with then-everyday objects of that time. This was an off-the-beaten-track story well-told with details that make readers feel we are tagging along on the journey, tracking down the tools, quilts and musical instruments of another time still tied to the community. Also notable was the down-to-earth way the writer unfolded the story as it could have come across elitist rather than so approachable with a well-heeled collector at the center of it. (My only quibble? After reading the detailed description of the versatile iron trivet, I was yearning for a photo of the object.)

 

Health Care Reporting

1st Place

Christa Melnyk Hines

Zion Publications, LLC

Entry title: How to Bust Out of a Hyperactive Lifestyle

 

Minority/Women’S Affairs Reporting

2nd Place

Barbara Myerson Katz and Chris Witzke

Barbara Myerson Katz

Entry title: Hair Trigger

1st Place

Today’s Woman staff

Zion Publications, LLC

Entry title: Guide Book to Breast Cancer Survival

Judge’s comments: A well-rounded look at a serious topic. The information on new developments in diagnosis and treatments are well-balanced with the personal stories and advice from survivors. An interesting read.

 

Page Design

2nd Place

Brooke Timmons

Business First

Entry title: At Home fall, At Home Spring, Business Women First

1st Place

Today’s Woman Design Team

Zion Publications, LLC

Entry title: Today’s Woman á Best Bodies

Judge’s comments: This feature is a great example of how you can do more with less. The conscious decision to keep the photography black and white amongst the two color palette was a genius move. As a reader, you know where you are, even amongst a very heavy ad adjacency. I love how the designer kept you engagedá making sure the photo direction was varied and interesting. The typography is clean and plays a secondary supporting role to the photos.

 

Personality/ Profile Reporting

1st Place

RJ Smith and Beth Taylor

Super Lawyers Magazine

Entry title: Family Ties

Judge’s comments: An interesting profile that gives us a very human look at a legal figure. The writer does a nice job of capturing the story of this attorney through his family history and his love of his neighborhood.

 

Non-metro/community newspapers

 

Best News Story

2nd Place

Ruby Thomas

The Record Newspaper

Entry title: Fire devastates church in Horse Cave, Ky.

1st Place

Marnie McAllister

The Record

Entry title: Sisters risked their lives to serve the poor

 

Continuing Coverage

2nd Place

Marnie McAllister, Jessica Able and Ruby Thomas

The Record newspaper

Entry title: Year of Mercy

1st Place

Marnie McAllister and Jessica Able

The Record newspaper

Entry title: Mother Teresa

Judge’s comments: The stories tell of the canonisation of Mother Teresa of Calcutta to Saint Teresa through interviews with local people who had met or were inspired by her and provide color and context for the reader. Well done!

 

Editorial Writing

1st Place

Marnie McAllister

The Record newspaper

Entry title: Let yourself be changed

Judge’s comments: This was the only entrant in this category, so it’s an open question as to how it would stack up against others. Still, the writing is solid, and the columnist has a clear point of view. Extolling her readers to self-examine actions and decisions in the service of the greater good is a positive message that runs through her columns.

 

Enterprise/ Investigative Reporting

1st Place

Jessica Able

The Record newspaper

Entry title: Local priest numbers called ‘tight,’ not dire

 

Feature Writing

3rd Place

Ruby Thomas

The Record Newspaper

Entry title: School, burial, marriage

2nd Place

Jessica Able

The Record newspaper

Entry title: ‘The Greatest’; backside ministry; aid to Syria

1st Place

John Herndon

The Anderson News

Entry title: John Herndon Feature Writing

Judge’s comments: A nice collection of profiles. The writer does a nice job of drawing the reader in and weaving little moments throughout the story and exposition. An easy-to-read group of stories.

 

Minority/Women’S Affairs Reporting

1st Place

Jessica Able

The Record newspaper

Entry title: Hildegard House and aid for Haiti

 

Personality/ Profile Reporting

1st Place

Ruby Thomas

The Record Newspaper

Entry title: On laity and religious

 

Sports Writing

1st Place

John Herndon

The Anderson News

Entry title: John Herndon Sports Writing

Judge’s comments: Good mix of various sports stories: An athlete of Samoan ancestry coming to grips with his heritage, the funeral of a former pro football coach from Kentucky and a winning high school basketball coach.

 

Print/Online Metro Louisville

 

Best Video (Non-Broadcast)

1st Place

Matt Stone

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Video from Matt Stone

Judge’s comments: Very moving and heart-felt piece on a jewel of Harlan County. Excellent use of natural sound in the edit and really cool wide shots.

 

Best Website

1st Place

WDRB Staff

WDRB

Entry title: WDRB.com

Judge’s comments: Great mobile-first design layout and engaging live stream.

 

Breaking News (Including Use Of Social Media)

1st Place

Staff

Business First

Entry title: U of L board replacment

Judge’s comments: Great reporting and it’s obvious that this journalist is familiar with the inner-workings of his beat.

 

Business Reporting

3rd Place

Insider Louisville Staff

Insider Louisville

Entry title: Insider Louisville Business Briefings

2nd Place

Grace Schneider

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Business reporting from Grace Schneider

1st Place

Boris Ladwig

Insider Louisville

Entry title: An inside look at GE’s takeover, plus a Ford Escape test drive

Judge’s comments: In strong field of nominees, this entry displayed an especially good grasp of the complicated details of back-to-back mergers impacting a company of 6,000. It embraced perspectives from the c-suite to labor, and delved into such intricacies as product pricing and the company’s competitive environment. Clear, efficient writing throughout.

 

Continuing Coverage

3rd Place

Jason Riley

WDRB

Entry title: Teen Dies in Custody

2nd Place

Kate Howard

Louisville Public Media

Entry title: University of Louisville

1st Place

Laura Ungar and Beth Warren

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Heroin project

Judge’s comments: The Louisville Courier-Journal provides a big public service in following up on the problems with heroin in the community. The impacts are clearly defined and widespread from growing child welfare cases stemming from heroin to parents winding up dead. Then there is the hepC problem and the shame parents and others feel when loved ones become addicted to heroin. Used to be that this stuff was a problem among the poor but it has become mainstream. A job well done.

 

Crime/Courts/Criminal Justice Reporting

3rd Place

R.G. Dunlop and Kate Howard

Louisville Public Media

Entry title: Gynnya McMillen

2nd Place

Boris Ladwig

Insider Louisville

Entry title: A look inside LouisvilleÉs overcrowded jails

1st Place

Kate Howard

Louisville Public Media

Entry title: Staff Misconduct In Kentucky’s Juvenile Justice System

Judge’s comments: It shouldn’t have taken the death of 16-year-old Gynnya McMillen to tell Kentucky juvenile detention officials that they have a problem with guard supervision of young offenders in custody. What are those administrators doing? An excellent job by Kate Howard and the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting sure showed them. Although they assert that the lack of bed checks didn’t contribute to Gynnya’s death, I wonder how a jury in a civil trial would assess that.

 

Editorial Cartoons

2nd Place

Keith Stone

LEO Weekly

Entry title: Uncovered Commentary

1st Place

Marc Murphy

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Marc Murphy Courier-Journal Editorial Cartoons

Judge’s comments: The artist cartoonist style is clean and easy to read. The topics are current and to the point.

 

Editorial Writing

3rd Place

Erica Codey-Rucker

Quill and Ink Freelance

Entry title: The Role of a Safe Negro

2nd Place

Kim Kolarik

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: More action needed to stem killings

1st Place

Kim Kolarik

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Ky. shouldn’t ease coal ash rules

Judge’s comments: The editorial makes a strong, persuasive case for its POV, raising solid skepticism of why easing the rules could increase risks to the environment and public health. Clearly written and focused.

 

Education Reporting

3rd Place

Toni Konz

WDRB

Entry title: JCPS needs $886 million fix

2nd Place

Joe Sonka

Insider Louisville

Entry title: Higher education reporting on the University of Louisville

1st Place

Toni Konz

WDRB

Entry title: JCPS bus driver shortage “critical”

Judge’s comments: It’s clear that the reporting for this story took a lot of legwork and source development, and although it included a lot of data and numbers, the issue was clearly presented with proper context and detail.

 

Enterprise/ Investigative Reporting

3rd Place

Chris Otts

WDRB

Entry title: U of L Foundation Investigation

2nd Place

R.G. Dunlop and John Boel

Louisville Public Media

Entry title: Kentucky Constables: Untrained and Unaccountable

1st Place

Toni Konz

WDRB

Entry title: Every 1 Reads goes to fund nurses

Judge’s comments: This is investigative reporting at its best — Follow the money, find the flaw, effect change. This series is tops in a crowded field of very good work — there are a number of entries that could have been first–because it most clearly articulated a problem, broke the news, drew in personal narratives from stakeholders and followed up.

 

Environmental Reporting

2nd Place

Tim Sullivan

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Rubber softens school fields, but are kids safe?

1st Place

James Bruggers

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Enviornmental reporting from Jim Bruggers

Judge’s comments: The series on water pollution was an excellent exposition of a complicated issue. Well done.

 

Feature Commentary

2nd Place

Frank Messina, Keith Stone and Aaron Yarmuth

LEO Weekly

Entry title: Derby Feature

1st Place

Sara Havens

Insider Louisville

Entry title: The Bar Belle

Judge’s comments: Well, Sara Havens, there is one thing you won’t have worry about after turning 40 or one resolution you won’t have to make. That is: winning a journalism contest. Your articles are a fine blend of writing, wit and a bit of skepticism about everyday life in America. Nicely done.

 

Feature Photography

3rd Place

Michael Clevenger

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Spaghetti Junction 2.0

2nd Place

Patrick McDonogh

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: A House Filled with Love

1st Place

Michael Clevenger

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Muddy Jockey

Judge’s comments: The lighting, contrast and textures beautifully capture the humanness and experience this jockey endured moments (it seems) after his race ended.

 

Feature Writing

3rd Place

Pam Platt, Aaron Yarmuth and Keith Stone

LEO Weekly

Entry title: Welcome NRA visitors ?- Three things to know about guns in Louisville

2nd Place

Bailey Loosemore

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Feature writing from Bailey Loosemore

1st Place

Chris Kenning

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Feature writing from Chris Kenning

Judge’s comments: Kenning obviously invested a lot of time observing and moving among his subjects and it shows in these three stories about three distinct groups of residents. He takes the time — both in the reporting process and in the writing — to tell their stories, without judgment, providing readers with ample context, observation and insight into these diverse communities. This judge came away with a strong sense of who these people are and the challenges they are facing.

 

Government/ Politics

1st Place

Erica Peterson

Louisville Public Media

Entry title: Despite TrumpÉs Promises, Coal Industry Rebound In Appalachia Remains Unlikely

Judge’s comments: Good localization of national news for an important regional issue. Solid use of statistics, incorporates a variety of voices.

 

Graphic Illustration

2nd Place

Brooke Timmons

Business First

Entry title: End of the Road, UK vs UofL, Political donors

1st Place

Catherine Meany

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Heisman graphic

Judge’s comments: A beautiful designed informational graphic. The use of colors and typography is used very efficiently. Overall a very well balance design.

 

Health Reporting

3rd Place

Baylee Pulliam

Business First

Entry title: Apellis drawing workers to Louisville

2nd Place

Boris Ladwig

Insider Louisville

Entry title: The ACA in Kentucky on life support

1st Place

Joe Sonka

Insider Louisville

Entry title: Treating Opioid Addiction in Kentucky

Judge’s comments: Thorough, informative, nuanced and balanced coverage of a locally and nationally important health issue. Well done.

 

Minority/Women’S Affairs Reporting

3rd Place

Joe Sonka

Insider Louisville

Entry title: Young immigrants brace for uncertainty, local commissions lack diversity, Planned Parenthood takes on Gov. Bevin

2nd Place

Kirby Adams

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Feature writing from Kirby Adams

1st Place

Christa Rounsavall

Louisville Distilled

Entry title: Louisville Leads the Way in Refugee Resettlement

Judge’s comments: Great descriptive opener that pulled me into the important and timely story about the refugee experience in Kentucky, with illuminating facts and interviews. Well done!

 

News Photography

3rd Place

Sam Upshaw

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: “Distraught Woman”

2nd Place

Scott Utterback

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: The Road Back

1st Place

Michael Clevenger

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Muhammad Ali Motorcade

Judge’s comments: So immersive. Beautiful compositions and wonderfully captures the adoration of Ali’s fans and loved ones.

 

News/Political Commentary

2nd Place

Eric Crawford

WDRB

Entry title: Crawford Commentary

1st Place

Joe Dunman

Insider Louisville

Entry title: Commentary on discrimination and abuse of power

Judge’s comments: Good political commentary is a reasoned approach in which context and history are given. Joe Dunman does this well.

 

Page Design

3rd Place

Andrea Brunty

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Features page design from Andrea Brunty (1)

2nd Place

Brian Gray

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Page design by Brian Gray

1st Place

Kyle Slagle

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Ali special section

Judge’s comments: This special section made great use of the photographs and presented a beautifully concise look at Mohammad Ali’s storied life and career.

 

Personality/ Profile Reporting

3rd Place

Melanie Wolkoff Wachsman

Louisville Distilled

Entry title: Jennifer Lawrence isn’t Louisville’s Only Oscar nominee: Meet Henry Hughes

2nd Place

Rick Bozich

WDRB

Entry title: Marques Maybin’s inspiring story

1st Place

Marty Finley

Business First

Entry title: Greg Bush profile

Judge’s comments: Compelling series of stories about the guy behind the Kentucky Derby, someone you’d never see or read about. I learned a lot, not just about Greg Bush but about a sport I’m unfamiliar with. Nicely done!

 

Review/Criticism

3rd Place

Eli Keel

Insider Louisville

Entry title: Theater Reviews

2nd Place (tied)

Kevin Gibson

Insider Louisville

Entry title: Food reviews á from soul food to supermarket sushi


Jo Anne Triplett, Aaron Yarmuth and Keith Stone

LEO Weekly

Entry title: Art criticism

 

Michael C. Powell, Robin Garr, Aaron Yarmuth and Keith Stone

LEO Weekly

Entry title: Food criticism: Two takes on Guy Fieri and one on Foodiesm

 

1st Place (tied)

Melissa Chipman

Insider Louisville

Entry title: Theater Reviews of Three Shakespeare Productions

 

Steve Coomes

Eat Drink Talk

Entry title: Louisville Restaurateurs’ Shortcomings Lead to Closings

 

Sports Commentary

3rd Place

Fletcher Page

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Sports Commentary from Fletcher Page

2nd Place

Rick Bozich

WDRB

Entry title: McGee gives Pitino his greatest assist- NCAA silence

1st Place

Tim Sullivan

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Sports Commentary from Tim Sullivan

Judge’s comments: From the cheating scandal at U of L, insight into the coach at UK, to his thoughtful piece on hometown hero Muhammed Ali, Tim Sullivan’s entries soar with a clear, compelling narrative, authoritative yet approachable voice and thorough reporting. He takes time to remind readers why these topics matter. He provides context and what us newspaper geeks call “nut grafs.” And that ensures his stories are relevant both to folks who those who devour sports daily and those who rarely read it; to lifelong residents of Kentucky and those who’ve never visited. I’ll be looking for his byline in the future.

 

Sports Photography

3rd Place

Sam Upshaw

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Boxing Gym

2nd Place

Michael Clevenger

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Kentucky Derby 142

1st Place

Scott Utterback

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: RodeOHH

Judge’s comments: This has a lot of action and that’s what good sports photography should capture. Whether it’s a windmill slam dunk, a running back slashing through the line or a cowboy being slammed into the ground, we all want to see action. And this picture has it. And technically, it’s well executed.

 

Sports Reporting

3rd Place

Fletcher Page

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Sports writing from Fletcher Page

2nd Place

Danielle Lerner

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Sports writing from Danielle Lerner

1st Place

Jason Frakes

The Courier-Journal

Entry title: Sports writing from Jason Frakes

Judge’s comments: Jason Frakes topped a very competitive field with the depth of his reporting and the consistency in the quality of his writing, no matter the size of the story. His ambitious and exhaustive piece on the challenges high school athletic directors face was the centerpiece of a first-rate entry, but his balanced take on student activism and his feature on the Smith twins were also good reads filled with nice details, written with great care and consideration.

 

Radio/Podcasting

Business Reporting

1st Place

Roxanne Scott

Louisville Public Media

Entry title: As Craft Beer Thrives In Kentucky, Local Hops Producers Feel Growing Pains

Judge’s comments: Great job capturing the business potential of locally grown hops. The story had a good mixture of relevant statistics and audio from the field.

 

Feature Reporting

2nd Place

Rick Howlett

Louisville Public Media

Entry title: Muhammad Ali’s Louisville Roots

1st Place

Laura Ellis and Ravon Churchill

Louisville Public Media

Entry title: I Said Bang!: A History of the Dirt Bowl

Judge’s comments: This is a fascinating story of a very special location, using the voices of people who were there–nicely intercut to highlight the story telling. This is not just a story of sports, this is a story of place–and of people. And more than anything else, it’s a story of heart.

 

General News

1st Place

Erica Peterson

Louisville Public Media

Entry title: MSDÉs Plans For Smoketown Basin Called Unequal

Judge’s comments: Story makes good use of multiple interviews to capture voices that went unheard by the Metropolitan Sewer District.

 

Health Care Reporting

1st Place

Lisa Gillespie

Louisville Public Media

Entry title: In Ultra-Red Jackson County, Health Care DidnÉt Move Voters

Judge’s comments: This story puts human voices into the story of health care policy and insurance–and allows the people involved to tell their own stories. It’s also a god example of the power of following up a story.

 

Investigative Reporting

2nd Place

R.G. Dunlop and John Boel

Louisville Public Media

Entry title: Kentucky Constables: Untrained and Unaccountable

1st Place

Kate Howard

Louisville Public Media

Entry title: The University of Louisville Foundation Bought An Empty Factory In OklahomaáBecause A Donor Asked

Judge’s comments: Kate Howard’s investigation into a mysterious pledge to the University of Louisville Foundation is the clear winner in this category. The reporter stumbled on a fishy deal and followed the money through traditional investigative reporting methods — records requests, interviews and some good old-fashioned snooping around. Howard combined good initiative and creative audio storytelling to produce an interesting and important piece on a complicated financial situation.

 

Minority/Women’S Affairs Reporting

1st Place

Ashlie Stevens

Louisville Public Media

Entry title: #MuseumsSoWhite

Judge’s comments: A stimulus conversation about an issue that still persists in the visual arts industry (and many others, including the media). Kudos to KFPL for devoting a year to examining Louisville’s diversity.

 

Television

Crime/Courts/Criminal Justice

3rd Place

Rachel Collier and Emily Evans

WDRB

Entry title: Family Fraud

2nd Place

William Joy and Daniel Paxton

WAVE 3 NEWS

Entry title: Louisville’s Plauge

1st Place

Valerie Chinn and Doug Smith

WDRB

Entry title: Drug Cartel

Judge’s comments: Glad to see the reporter (and station) took the initiative to go to California. It helped tie the piece together and explain to viewers how the drug trade in Mexico affects their daily lives.

 

Editorial/Commentary

1st Place

Bill Lamb

WDRB

Entry title: Point of View

Judge’s comments: Bill Lamb gives a down-to-earth point of view on losing Walmart, revolving door for violent criminals and a loser-take-all presidential election.

 

Education

3rd Place (tied)

Valerie Chinn and Dominik Fuhrmann

WDRB

Entry title: Guns and Drugs in School

 

Kayla Moody and Carter Schumacher

WHAS-TV

Entry title: Greater Clark County ready for the new school year

 

2nd Place

Kayla Moody

WHAS-TV

Entry title: Learning the Art of Mindfulness

1st Place

Toni Konz, Stephan Johnson and Jacob Davis

WDRB

Entry title: “We Are Afraid”

Judge’s comments: This story had great web extras, lots of depth, and was solution driven. Good job.

 

Feature Photography

2nd Place

Sharon Yoo

WAVE 3 News

Entry title: A Mother’s Song

1st Place

Steven Richard

WAVE 3 NEWS

Entry title: Tony Leonard

Judge’s comments: Beautiful story telling, pictures and editing. Masterful!

 

Feature Reporting

3rd Place (tied)

Sharon Yoo

WAVE 3 News

Entry title: Haircuts for the Homeless

 

Chris Sutter and Josh Kidd

WDRB

Entry title: Talk About a Knockout

 

Derrick Rose

WHAS 11

Entry title: Unmasking the Boy in the Batman Shirt

 

Derrick Rose

WHAS 11

Entry title: Gameday Fans are the Life of Death Valley

 

2nd Place

Natalia Martinez and Daniel Paxton

WAVE 3 NEWS

Entry title: C’MERE MAX

1st Place

Chris Sutter and Dominik Fuhrmann

WDRB

Entry title: Crazy Bill

Judge’s comments: This is a GREAT feature story!!! Great nats. Great shots. Great writing. Memorable.

 

General News

3rd Place (tied)

WDRB News

WDRB

Entry title: Saying Goodbye to Muhammad Ali

 

Kayla Moody and Carter Schumacher

WHAS-TV

Entry title: I Am Ali Festival Inspires Kids to be ‘The Greatest’

 

2nd Place

Sharon Yoo

WAVE 3 News

Entry title: Crosses on the Lawn

1st Place

Adrianne Flores and Jeff Gordon

WDRB

Entry title: Bullied to the Breaking Point

Judge’s comments: Very touching piece, well written. Definitely pulled on my heart strings!

 

Government/ Politics

3rd Place

Kayla Moody

WHAS-TV

Entry title: Battles in the Bluegrass: 2016 Political Coverage

2nd Place

Valerie Chinn and Doug Smith

WDRB

Entry title: DNC Coverage

1st Place

WDRB News

WDRB

Entry title: WDRB Election Night

Judge’s comments: Great coverage of local races. Clean graphics. Race by race there’s a sense of immediacy. Knowledgeable anchors and reporters adding background information about the races and the candidates.

 

Health Care Reporting

2nd Place

Kyle Mitchell, Vince Vermeulen and Rob Larimer

WDRB

Entry title: Gray Market for Diabetic Strips

1st Place

Gilbert Corsey and Dominik Fuhrmann

WDRB

Entry title: Remember Me

Judge’s comments: This is an inspiring story! It is wonderful the way the tale opens and returns to the comedy club showcasing laughter is the best medicine. The contrast and comparison of the death rate of the disease that no one has heard of and that has little resources to breast cancer is startling. That comparison brings this disease down to a more familiar conversation. This journey makes you feel the same highs that Mike Olsen may have had when he was possibly going to get a lung transplant. It was a very powerful scene to show him be scared and chipper before the possible lung transplant. It was also just as endearing to see his emotional disappointment when he learns lung transplant is not going through. Weaving in the surprise reunion with his family members shows how this affects more than just Mike Olsen. The layers of the piece including the documentary are masterfully done. It is especially dramatic when the reporter shares the statistic of how many breaths one takes combined with the fact that no one knows when their last one will be. This hits the heart of the story, the heart of life-everyone’s life.

 

Investigative Reporting

2nd Place (tied)

Natalia Martinez, Daniel Paxton and Steven Richard

WAVE 3 NEWS

Entry title: Mandatory Reentry

 

Toni Konz, Chris Otts, Rachel Collier, Vince Vermeulen and Neil Johnson

WDRB

Entry title: JCPS Misuses $4 Million

 

1st Place (tied)

Eric Flack, Jeff Knight and Bill Shory

WAVE 3 NEWS

Entry title: Ali Ticket Scalper

Judge’s comments: Good story on ticket scalping. Loved that the reporters confronting the scalper and chased him down.

 

Valerie Chinn, Doug Smith and Tom Round

WDRB

Entry title: Tracking Confiscated Guns

Judge’s comments: Reporter did a thorough job in presenting this issue.

 

Minority/Women’S Affairs Reporting

1st Place

Jason Riley, Valerie Chinn and Beth Peak

WDRB

Entry title: Officer’s Racist Remark

Judge’s comments: It is fantastic that the police talk on camera about this recording. Both the police, and the victim represented themselves well. It will be interesting to see the update on the outcome of the police investigation.

 

Newscast

3rd Place

Erin Austin and Cara Catlett

WDRB

Entry title: WDRB News @ 11:30

2nd Place

Molly Lundy, Carolyn Williams, Bill Shory, Kristi Schank, Gordon Boyd, Katie Bauer, Scott Reynolds and Aaron Ellis

WAVE 3 NEWS

Entry title: WAVE 3 NEWS @ 5

1st Place

Shannon Cogan, Dawne Gee, Zak Owens, Sharon Yoo, Kasey Cunningham, William Joy, Becca Gibson and Aaron Ellis

WAVE 3 NEWS

Entry title: WAVE 3 NEWS THANKSGIVING DAY SHOOTING

Judge’s comments: It’s rare that a story warrants an anchor in the field, but you folks pulled it off perfectly. Great use of resources and reporters to round out the story as it develops. Also, you did a fine job of keeping the breaking news coverage going throughout each show segment while still concorporating other news stories and without becoming too repetitive in the information you were sharing on the shooting.

 

Series Reporting

1st Place

Valerie Chinn, Doug Smith and Dave White

WDRB

Entry title: Mayor Investigation

Judge’s comments: Great follow up and digging into the documents to uncover the facts!

 

Sports Reporting

3rd Place

Kayla Moody and Carter Schumacher

WHAS-TV

Entry title: Louisville TKO Inspiring Young Boxers to be ‘The Greatest’

2nd Place

Rick Bozich and Beth Peak

WDRB

Entry title: Brohm Squad

1st Place

Rick Bozich and Matt English

WDRB

Entry title: What Happened to Marques Maybin?

Judge’s comments: From the very beginning of the story, I was hooked. The editing was intriguing and made Marques instantly interesting and I wanted to learn more. I was not familiar with the story, so when I saw him wheel out of the recording booth for the first time I was stunned and impressed with the production of the story. I was intrigued the entire time and when it ended instantly started doing my own research on Marques Maybin because I wanted to learn even more about him. To me there’s no greater compliment than that when producing a story. Well done!

 

Sports Special Program

1st Place

Bill Shory, Jennifer Nickels, Zak Owens, Molly Lundy, Curtis Tate, Richard Shepherd, Jennifer Britton and Chris Kyle

WAVE 3 NEWS

Entry title: WAVE 3 Kentucky Derby Day 142

Judge’s comments: Outstanding multi-camera production by WAVE 3. The program was rich with information about the Kentucky Derby using their entire broadcast crew. It gave me a real flavor for what Derby day really is for the spectators in attendance.

 

Spot News Reporting

3rd Place (tied)

Scott Reynolds, Bill Shory, Aaron Ellis, William Joy, Eric Flack, Curtis Tate, Greg Schapker and Zac Owens

WAVE 3 NEWS

Entry title: The death of Muhammad Ali

 

Kayla Moody and Carter Schumacher

WHAS-TV

Entry title: Fentanyl-laced heroin suspected in rash of Southern Indiana overdoses

 

2nd Place

Kayla Moody and Carter Schumacher

WHAS-TV

Entry title: Violent Crime Spree Blamed On Escaped Orange Co. Inmate

 

1st Place

Eric Flack, Maira Ansari, Bill Shory, Kayla Vanover, Aaron Ellis, Zac Owens, Kevin Harned and Dawne Gee

WAVE 3 NEWS

Entry title: KDF Pegasus Parade Shooting

Judge’s comments: Great job getting the team together, using all your resources to tell the story from different angles and vantage points.