Media Advisory
Contact:
Ryan Williams
NABJ Communications
rwilliams@nabj.org
Winners Announced as the Best in Black Coverage
Annual ‘Salute to Excellence’ National Media Competition Distributes over 85 Awards
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 28, 2008 – Winners of NABJ’s 2008 Salute to Excellence National Media Awards were announced July 26 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. The annual awards recognize exemplary coverage of the African and African-American experience by the nation’s print and electronic media. Over 85 awards were given to newspapers, magazines, radio, television and online news outlets nationwide for creative and well-executed stories with great relevance to the black community. Winners were announced at the National Association of Black Journalists’ (NABJ) annual gala. Chicago Broadcaster Diann Burns and “Entertainment Tonight” correspondent Kevin Frazier served as emcees for the evening.
“The range of winning entries show the smart decisions media executives are making in telling stories that reflect a diverse audience,” said NABJ President Barbara Ciara. “The combination of good business, exceptional storytelling, and accurate reporting is evident in each recipient and we applaud them for their great work.”
Winners include: investigative reports from The Philadelphia Inquirer on suburban policing; a WRGB-TV Albany profile on New York Governor David Paterson; commentary by The Miami Herald’s Leonard Pitts, Jr.; ABC News “Good Morning America’s” report on Breast Cancer; and EBONY magazine for excellence in art & design.
“These awards are like none other in the country,” said NABJ Vice President Broadcast Kathy Times. “Where else can you see the best and brightest come together to be recognized for extraordinary achievement in telling these necessary stories?”
“As the media landscape moves closer to the web, journalists are finding extraordinary ways to tell stories of the black experience,” said NABJ Vice President Ernie Suggs. “My hope for the nation’s newspapers, as layoffs and buyouts become the norm, is that the content of their stories not suffer as a result but continue to show the extraordinary strength of investigative and feature reporting.”
The competition is open to all professional journalists in print, broadcast, new media or photojournalism. Only work originally published or broadcast during the judging period of January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007 is eligible for consideration.
An advocacy group established in 1975 in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization of journalists of color in the nation, with more than 4,100 members, and provides educational, career development and support to black journalists worldwide.
2008 NABJ Salute to Excellence Awards
Newspaper: Circulation 150,000 and Under
Newspaper-News: Series:
Wendy Ruderman, Philadelphia Daily News, “How Safe?”
Newspaper-Feature: Single Story:
Kia Gregory, Philadelphia Weekly, “His Best Shot”
Newspaper-Feature: Series:
Issac Bailey, The Sun News,” Fatal Fallout”
Newspaper-Investigative:
Kathy Jessup, Kalamazoo Gazette “Anatomy Of An Arrest”
Newspaper-Sports:
Mike Seely, Seattle Weekly, “The Salvage Artist”
Newspaper-Business:
Brian Miller, Seattle Weekly, “Fantasy Island”
Newspaper-Commentary:
Kia Gregory, Philadelphia Weekly, “True Colors, Overkill, Finally We Care”
Newspaper: Circulation Over 150,000
Newspaper-News: Single Story:
Sharon Coolidge, The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Unprotected Child, Tormented
Death”
Newspaper-News: Series:
Cindy Rodriguez, Darren A. Nichols, Amy Lee and Mike Wilkinson, The
Detroit News,
“Detroit's Racial Divide”
Newspaper-Feature: Single Story
Dianna Smith, The Palm Beach Post, “Walking With Angels”
Newspaper-Feature: Series
Mary C. Curtis, Tommy Tomlinson and Eric Frazier, The Charlotte
Observer, “50 Years After Integration”
Newspaper-Investigative:
Mark Fazlollah, Keith Herbert, Dylan Purcell and Melissa Dribben, The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Too Tough? Tactics in Suburban Policing”
Newspaper-International:
Trevor Aaronson, The Commercial Appeal, “COGIC Tries To Patch Wounds Of
Apartheid”
Newspaper-Specialty:
Elizabeth Simpson and Stephen Katz, The Virginian-Pilot, “If You Are A
Black Woman, Janet
Hall Has Something To Tell You”
Newspaper-Sports:
Kyle Tucker, The Virginian-Pilot, “From Hampton Roads To Hollywood”
Derrick Z. Jackson, The Boston Globe, “Derrick Z. Jackson”
Newspaper-Business:
Robert Schoenberger, The Plain Dealer, “What's LeBron Worth To Us?”
Newspaper-Commentary:
Leonard Pitts Jr., The Miami Herald, “In My Opinion: Leonard Pitts”
Newspaper-Special Project:
Scott Fornek, Chicago Sun-Times. “Barack Obama's Family Tree”
Newspaper-Art & Design: Page Design:
Jason Karas, Rick Nease and David Pierce, Detroit Free Press, “Respect”
Newspaper-Photography: Single Image
Gary Coronado, The Palm Beach Post, “Heroes of the Epidemic: HIV in the
Caribbean”
Newspaper- Photography: Multiple Images:
Damon Higgins, The Palm Beach Post, “A Good Man: A Thank-You to Black
Fathers From a
Grateful Son”
Magazine: Circulation Under 1 Million
Magazine-General Reporting:
Jonathan Pitts and Christopher Assaf, Unisun, “Living A Slave's Life”
Magazine- Single Topic Series:
Kendra Lee, Heather Keets Wright and Stacy Gilliam, Heart and Soul
Magazine, “The Word on
Multiple Sclerosis”
Magazine-Investigative
Brentin Mock, Intelligence Report Magazine, “L.A. Blackout”
Magazine- Specialty:
John Simons, Fortune, “Out Of Africa”
Magazine-Business:
The Staff of Black Enterprise, Black Enterprise, “Top 50 Power Brokers
In Hollywood”
Magazine-Commentary/Essay:
Earl Graves, Sr, Alfred Edmond, Jr., Black Enterprise, “Publisher's Page”
Magazine-Art & Design: Page Design:
Kendra Lee, Debra Moore and Bode Helm, Heart and Soul Magazine “Erykah
Badu Takes Us Home”
Magazine- Art & Design: Graphics:
Nicole Richardson and Elys A. McLean, Black Enterprise, “Facts & Figures”
Magazine: Circulation Over 1 Million
Magazine-General Reporting:
Angela Burt-Murray, Francie Latour and Tatsha Robertson, Essence
Magazine, “What Happened To My Child?”
Magazine-Single Topic Series:
Sylvester Monroe and Ebony Staff, Ebony , “The Africa You Don’t Know”
Magazine-International
Angela Burt-Murray, Jimmie Briggs and Tatsha Robertson, Essence
Magazine, “Horror In the Congo”
Magazine-Specialty:
Angela Burt-Murray, Cynthia Gordy and Tatsha Robertson, Essence
Magazine, “Troubled Waters”
Magazine-Commentary/Essay:
Bryan Monroe & Ebony Staff, Ebony, “The N-word”
Magazine-Art & Design: Page Design:
Ingrid Larkin and Corinne Walker, Ebony, “Ebony Covers”
Radio: Network
Radio-News: Long Form:
Allison Keyes, Katia Dunn and Cindy Johnston, National Public Radio,
“James Ford Seale Guilty Verdict”
Radio-Feature:
Allison Keyes and David Sweeney, National Public Radio, “Male Answer To
Waiting To Exhale”
Radio-Sports:
Anita Woodley, Dick Gordon, and Greg Kelly, North Carolina Public
Radio—WUNC,
“Courage On The Court”
Radio-Commentary:
Michel Martin, National Public Radio, “Noose This, Obama & Oprah,
Father's Day”
Radio-Public Affairs: Program:
Michel Martin and Staff of Tell Me More, National Public Radio, “Bernard
Shaw; Teens, Sex the Law
Funeral Directors Speak Out”
Radio-Public Affairs: Interview/Discussion
Anita Woodley, Dick Gordon and Greg Kelly, North Carolina Public
Radio—WUNC, Playground
To Prison
Radio: Top 15 Market
Radio-News: Long Form:
Bob Butler, KCBS Radio, “Senegal Warming”
Radio: Market 16 & Below
Radio-News: Long Form:
Donna Marie Owens, WYPR-FM, “African American Muslims Pts. 1 & 2”
Radio-Sports:
Dave DeWitt, North Carolina Public Radio—WUNC, “HBCU Baseball”
Radio-Documentary:
WYPR News Staff, Sunni Khalid, C. Fraser Smith and Mary Rose Madden,
WYPR-FM, “The Toll: Coping With Crime & Violence in Baltimore”
Radio-Commentary:
Lindsay Foster Thomas, North Carolina Public Radio—WUNC , “Choosing Doctors”
Radio- PA: Segment:
Frank Stasio, Susan Davis, Katy Barron and Lindsay Foster Thomas, North
Carolina Public Radio—WUNC, “Jena Six Protest”
Television: Top 15 Market
Television-News: Short Form:
Wendell Edwards , KHOU-TV Houston, “Chitling Test”
Television-News: Long Form:
Sonya Thompson , Tom Merriman and Lorrie Taylor, WJW-TV Cleveland,
“Cleveland After Dark”
Television- Feature: Short Form:
Reginald Hardwick and Patric Alva, KXAS-TV Dallas, “Serving Up Church”
Television- Feature: Long Form:
Dave Huddleston and Dave Edwards, WTXF-TV Philadelphia, “Cradle To Grave”
Television- International:
TIE:
Art Fennell, Scott Knowlton and Bill Edwards, CN8-TV Philadelphia, “A
Walk In Cuba”
Cheryl Burton and Jayson Knowles, WLS-TV Chicago, “Oprah in South
Africa: A Dream Fulfilled”
Television-Specialty:
Dalia Dangerfield and Eddie Jackson, Jr., Bay News 9-TV Tampa, “Under
The Tree”
Television-Sports:
Joe Trahan, Arnold Payne and Sean Hamilton, WFAA-TV Dallas, “Negro
Leagues: The Texas Connection”
Television-Documentary:
Art Fennell, CN8-TV Philadelphia, “Terror In Tulsa, History Uncovered”
Television-Public Affairs: Program:
Valerie Roberts, Chauntra Rideaux and John Rios, WFAA-TV Dallas, “Gospel
Jubilee”
Television-Public Affairs: Segment:
Gloria Brown and Allison Payne, WGN-TV Chicago, “People To People -
Black Women on Don Imus”
Television Public Affairs: Interview/ Discussion:
Angela Robinson, Vickie Whitlock and Andre Jones, WPBA-TV Atlanta, “A
Conversation with Christine
King Farris”
Angela Robinson, Imara Canady and Iphigenia McGrue, WPBA-TV Atlanta,
“SOS: Sisters of the
Struggle”
Television: Market 16 & Below
Television-News: Short Form:
Christine Nelson, KLTV-TV Tyler, “Segregated Cemetery”
Television-News: Long Form:
Tania Francois, Andy Clark and Scott Pace, KLSA-TV Shreveport, “Jena 6”
Television-Spot News:
Roosevelt Leftwich, WMAR-TV Baltimore, “Missing Boys Search”
Television-Investigative:
Barry Simms, Augusta Jones and Greg Marsh, WBAL-TV Baltimore, “Michael
K. Lewis”
Television-Feature: Short Form:
Rene Marsh, WRGB-TV Albany, “New York State's First”
Television-Feature: Long Form:
D'Wauna Young and David Moore, WDEF-TV Chattanooga, The "N" Word
Television-International:
Bazi Kanani, Colleen Locke and Tom Cole, KUSA-TV Denver, “My Africa”
Television-Specialty:
Sherri Jackson, WIAT-TV Birmingham, “AIDS From Alabama to Africa”
Television -Documentary:
Steve Crump, WTVI-TV Charlotte, N.C., “Louisville's Own Ali”
Television –Public Affairs: Program:
Steve Crump, WTVI-TV Charlotte, N.C., “9-4-57”
Television –Public Affair: Interview/Discussion.:
Liddie Collins, MPTV-TV Milwaukee, “Black Nouveau Dave Zirin Interview”
Television -Photojournalism:
Lance Washington, WVUE-TV New Orleans, “Going Home”
Television: Network
Television - News: Short Form:
Staff of NBC Nightly News, NBC News, “Bad Rap?”
Television - News: Long Form:
Byron Pitts, Rodney Comrie and Betty Chin, CBS News, “Philadelphia Crime
Series”
Television - Spot News:
Izhar Harpaz, Cameo George and Annette Freeman, Dateline NBC, “Power Of
Words”
Television - Investigative:
Kim Kennedy and Tracy Smith, CBS News, “Against Their Will: Human
Trafficking Part 1”
Television - Feature: Short Form:
Alexandra Wallace, Rehema Ellis and Denise Baker, NBC News, “Making A
Difference: Ron Clark”
Television - Feature: Long Form:
Lesley Stahl, Jeff Fager and Patti Hassler, CBS News 60 Minutes, '“Roots”
Television - International:
Greg Branch, Traci A. Curry and Jeff Johnson, BET News, “Life and Death
In Darfur: Jeff Johnson Reports”
Television - Specialty:
Robin Roberts, Jim Murphy and Tom Cibrowski, ABC News Good Morning
America, “Robin
Roberts' Breast Cancer Journey: Raising Awareness”
Television- Sports:
Eugenia Harvey, Adrienne Lopez, Antonio Neves and Ian Smith, BET News,
“Meet the Faith: Surviving the Game”
Television - Documentary:
Soledad O'Brien, Mark Nelson and Jeff Reid, CNN, “Special Investigations
Unit: MLK Words That Changed a Nation”
Television – Public Affairs: Segment:
Anderson Cooper, Jeff Fager and Patti Hassler, CBS News 60 Minutes,
“Stop Snitchin”
Television –Public Affairs: Interview/Discussion:
Charity Elder and Harry Smith, CBS News, “Maya Angelou”
New Media
New Media- Single Story: Feature:
Mandi Wright, Diane Weiss and Kathy Kieliszewski, Detroit Free Press,
“Fast Friends”
New Media- Online Project: News:
Liz Heron, Ju-Don Roberts and Nelson Hsu, The Washington Post, “Fixing
D.C.'s Schools”
New Media-Online Project: Feature:
Kelley L. Carter, Mandi Wright and Detroit Free Press Staff, Detroit
Free Press, “Respect Online”
New Media Interactive: Features:
Pam Shermeyer, Rob L'Heureux and Melissa Domsic, The Detroit News,
“Panic in Detroit”
New Media Commentary/Weblog:
Rhonda Swan, The Palm Beach Post, “Rhonda Swan: Literary Diva”
|
