Announcing the 2015 Sigma Delta Chi Award winners

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4/22/2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Abbi Martzall, SPJ Awards Coordinator, 317-920-4791, awards@spj.org
Maggie LaMar, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-920-4785, mlamar@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists gladly recognizes the recipients of the Sigma Delta Chi Awards, which recognize exceptional professional journalism produced in 2015.

Judges selected 84 honorees from more than 1,400 submissions. Entries included selections from television and radio broadcasts, newspapers, online news outlets and magazines.

The Sigma Delta Chi Awards date back to 1932, when the Society honored six individuals for their contributions to journalism. The current program began in 1939 as the Distinguished Service Awards.

Prominent veteran journalists serve as SDX Awards judges. Judges may withhold an award if they determine no entry merits recognition, and any categories not listed below have no winner.

Links to the winning works are provided on the Sigma Delta Chi Awards website.

Contact Awards Coordinator Abbi Martzall with any questions.

Art/Graphics
Breaking News Photography (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000/Regional Magazine/Non-Daily Publication)
Marred by tragedy - by David Bitton, Stillwater News Press

Breaking News Photography (Newspaper Circulation-100,001+) or Affiliated Website/National
Death and compassion - by Tumay Berkin, Scott McKiernan and James K. Colton, ZUMAPRESS.com

Editorial Cartooning (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000/Regional Magazine/Non-Daily Publication)
Angelo Lopez editorial cartoons - by Angelo Lopez, Philippines Today

Editorial Cartooning (Newspaper Circulation of 100,001+) or Affiliated Website/National Magazine
Adam Zyglis editorial cartoons - by Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News

Feature Photography (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000/Regional Magazine/Non-Daily Publication)
Photography from Evicted and Abandoned: The World Bank’s broken promise to the poor - by The Center for Public Integrity's International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, The Huffington Post, The Food & Environment Reporting Network, The Investigative Fund and Other Media Partners, The Center for Public Integrity

Feature Photography (Newspaper Circulation of 100,001+) or Affiliated Website/National Magazine
Coming ashore - by Muhammed Muheisen and Santi Palacios, The Associated Press

Informational Graphics (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000/Regional Magazine/Non-Daily Publication)
Informational graphics from Exxon: The road not taken - by Paul Horn, InsideClimate News

Informational Graphics (Newspaper Circulation of 100,001+) or Affiliated Website/National Magazine
Discovering Gale Crater - by Armand Emamdjomeh, Los Angeles Times

Sports Photography (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000/Regional Magazine/Non-Daily Publication)
No Winner Chosen

Sports Photography (Newspaper Circulation of 100,001+) or Affiliated Website/National Magazine
Face time - by Thomas Eisenhuth, Scott Mc Kiernan and James K. Colton, ZUMAPRESS.com

Magazines
Magazine Investigative Reporting (National Circulation)
Inside the hack of the century - by Peter Elkind, Fortune

Magazine Investigative Reporting (Regional/Local Circulation)
Graves of shame - by John Carlos Frey, Texas Observer / The Investigative Fund

Magazine Writing (National Circulation)
Cleavers at ten paces - by Erika Fry, Fortune

Magazine Writing (Regional/Local Circulation)
Homeland insecurity - by Melissa del Bosque, Patrick Michels, The Texas Observer and The Investigative Fund

Public Service in Magazine Journalism (National Circulation)
America's antibiotic crisis - by Consumer Reports Health & Food CFA, Consumer Reports

Public Service in Magazine Journalism (Regional/Local Circulation)
Why food allergy fakers need to stop - by Neil Swidey, The Boston Globe

Newsletters
Public Service in Newsletter Journalism
Communications Daily on FCC Transparency - by Howard Buskirk, John Hendel, Jonathan Make and Jacob Rund, Warren Communications News

Newspapers/Wire Services
Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
San Bernardino terrorist attack - by Staff, Los Angeles Times

Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 1-50,000)
San Bernardino terror attack - by Staff, The Sun

Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 50,001-100,000)
San Bernardino mass shootings - by Staff, The Press-Enterprise

Deadline Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)
Coverage of SCOTUS marriage ruling - by Jen Colletta, Scott A. Drake and Sean Dorn , Philadelphia Gay News

Editorial Writing (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
Breaking down a police stonewall - by Lee Hockstader, The Washington Post

Editorial Writing (Daily Circulation of 1-100,000/Non-Daily Publication)
The Corey Jones shooting - by Rick Christie, Stacey Singer and Howard Goodman, The Palm Beach Post

Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
American survivors - by Eli Saslow, The Washington Post

Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation of 1-50,000)
Call of the wildfire - by Tristan Baurick, Kitsap Sun

Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation of 50,001-100,000)
Innocence found - by Jacob Baynham, The Christian Science Monitor

Feature Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)
Jason Genova: The saga of a YouTube bodybuilding broscience celebrity - by Kyle Swenson, New Times Broward-Palm Beach

Foreign Correspondence
The outlaw ocean - by Ian Urbina, The New York Times

General Column Writing (Daily circ. 1-100,000/Non-Daily Publication)
A city's voice - by Ronnie Polaneczky, Philadelphia Daily News

General Column Writing (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
Columns - by Kevin Cullen, The Boston Globe

Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
Seafood from slaves – by Esther Htusan, Margie Mason, Robin McDowell and Martha Mendoza, The Associated Press

Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation of 1-50,000)
Violation of trust - by George Pawlaczyk and Beth Hundsdorfer, Belleville News-Democrat

Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation of 50,001-100,000)
Line of fire - by Lawrence Mower, Pat Beall and Katie LaGrone, The Palm Beach Post

Investigative Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)
The shell game - by Matthew Kish, Portland Business Journal

Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
2050 Demographics - by The Staff of The Wall Street Journal, The Wall Street Journal

Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 1-50,000)
Call waiting - by Staff, The Advocate

Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 50,001-100,000)
Warehousing our children - by Lauren Sausser, The Post and Courier

Non-Deadline Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)
The re-education of New Orleans - Education Week

Public Service Journalism (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
Fatal shootings by police - by Staff, The Washington Post

Public Service Journalism (Daily Circulation of 50,001-100,000)
Tax crisis - by Projects Staff, Asbury Park Press

Public Service Journalism (Non-Daily Publication)
That which divides us - by Nick Swartsell, CityBeat

Public Service Journalism Writing (Daily Circulation of 1-50,000)
Misuse of public money at McAlester Public Schools - by staff, McAlester News-Capital

Sports Column Writing (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
Columns - by John Canzano, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Sports Column Writing (Daily Circulation of 1-100,000/Non-Daily Publication)
Columns - by Geoff Calkins, The Commercial Appeal

Washington Correspondence
Divided nation - by Michael Kranish, The Boston Globe

Online Reporting
Audio Slide Show
Texas Tribune: Starstruck – by staff, The Texas Tribune

Deadline Reporting (Affiliated)
San Bernardino terrorist attack: The Online Report - by Staff, Los Angeles Times

Deadline Reporting (Independent)
Liberating Sinjar from ISIS - by staff, Iraq Oil Report

Digital Audio
No Winner Chosen

Digital Video
Post script - by Ariane Wu, Amanda Pike, Michael Corey and Murray Carpenter, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting

EBooks
Frozen in history – by Curt Brown and Mike Rice, Star Tribune

Investigative Reporting (Affiliated)
Tragic harvest - by Jeff Meitrodt, Renée Jones Schneider , Star Tribune

Investigative Reporting (Independent)
Rape on the night shift - by Bernice Yeung, Daffodil Altan, Sasha Khokha and Andres Cediel and Lowell
Reveal from The Center of Investigative Reporting, The Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley, FRONTLINE, Univision and KQED

Non-Deadline Reporting (Affiliated)
Unsolved: A murdered teen, a 40-year mystery - by staff, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Non-Deadline Reporting (Independent)
Drug Problems: Dangerous decision-making at the FDA - by John Crewdson, David Hilzenrath, Michael Smallberg and Charles R. Babcock, Project On Government Oversight

Online Column Writing (Affiliated)
Columns - by Jill Filipovic, hearst

Online Column Writing (Independent)
Race in America - by Adam Serwer, BuzzFeed News

Public Service in Online Journalism (Affiliated)
The counted - by Jon Swaine, Oliver Laughland and staff, Guardian US

Public Service in Online Journalism (Independent)
Left for dead - by G.W. Schulz, Michael Corey, Michael Montgomery and Michael I Schiller, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting

Specialized Journalism Site
Buying Democracy - by Zach Toombs, Andrew Lawler and Ted Noelker, Newsy

Radio
Public Service in Radio Journalism (Market 101+)
Shortage in rich land - by Kristofor Husted, Bram Sable-Smith, KBIA

Public Service in Radio Journalism (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication)
Incredible cops - by Robert Lewis, Noah Veltman, John Keefe, Xander Landen and David Lewis, WNYC

Radio Breaking News Reporting (Market 101+)
A historic day on the University of Missouri campus - by KBIA News, KBIA

Radio Breaking News Reporting (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication)
Live from The Washington Wildfires - by Anna King and Phyllis Fletcher, Northwest News Network

Radio Documentaries (Market 101+)
Puerto Rico to Chicago drug treatment pipeline - by Adriana Cardona-Maguigad, Ira Glass, Cate Cahan, Bill Healy, Nancy Updike and Kari Lydersen, Social Justice News Nexus at Medill - Northwestern

Radio Documentaries (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication)
Hooked: Tracking Heroin's hold on Arizona - by Staff, Cronkite News, Arizona PBS, KAET-TV, Arizona PBS

Radio Feature Reporting (Market 101+)
Western Kentucky a birthplace of steel - by Todd Hatton, Chad Lampe and Allison Crawford, WKMS

Radio Feature Reporting (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication)
She remembers it all - by Erika Lantz, WBUR

Radio Investigative Reporting (Market 101+)
Why is justice for Garrett Phillips so complicated? - by Natasha Haverty, David Sommerstein and Martha Foley, North Country Public Radio

Radio Investigative Reporting (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication)
Unholy water - by Doug Sovern, Ed Cavagnaro, KCBS Radio

Research
Research About Journalism
How to make J-School matter (Again): A blueprint for the future of journalism education - by Nieman Foundation for Journalism and Amy Webb, Nieman Reports

Television
Breaking News Coverage (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market)
Tragedy on the tracks - by staff, News 12 Westchester

Breaking News Coverage (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
Desperate Journey: Europe’s migrant crisis - by The CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, The CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, CBS News

Breaking News Coverage (Small-Market Station: 50+ market)
We're just hoping - by Christopher Wood, John Craven, Matt Grindle and Mike Marrero, News 12 Connecticut

Documentaries (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market)
The injustice system: Cops, courts and greedy politicians - by Craig Cheatham, Jim Thomas and Ryan Bellamy, KMOV-TV

Documentaries (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
Killing cancer - by Scott Pelley, Michael Radutzky, Denise Schrier Cetta, Robert Zimet and Stephanie Palewski Brumbach, 60 Minutes, CBS News
An earlier version of this list incorrectly credited an entry that, upon further review, was not eligible to win in that category.

Documentaries (Small-Market Station: 50+ market)
Chronicle: Children Of Katrina – by Jonathan Shelley, Warren Stewart, Marcy O’Leary, Megan Mackel, Travers Mackel, Gina Swanson, Heath Allen, Randi Rousseau, Jeremy Burson, Ethan Broussard, Norman Robinson and Mark Chapman, WDSU TV

Feature Reporting (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market)
Sing me a story - by Jason Lamb and Catherine Steward, WTVF-TV

Feature Reporting (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
Water, water - by Lee Cowan, Sari Aviv, David Small and Rand Morrison, CBS Sunday Morning, CBS News

Feature Reporting (Small-Market Station: 50+ market)
Eric Hanson's This is Iowa - by Eric Hanson, Glen Biermann and Michael Sims, KCCI-TV

Investigative Reporting (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market)
LA's nuclear secret - by Joel Grover, Matthew Glasser, Matt Goldberg and Andres Pruna, KNBC-TV

Investigative Reporting (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
Sea dragon down - by Mike Hixenbaugh, The Virginian-Pilot newspaper; Anna Schecter, NBC News Investigative Unit; Cynthia McFadden, NBC News Investigative Unit; Jason Paladino, UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program, NBC News, the Virginian-Pilot, UC Berkeley I.R.P.

Investigative Reporting (Small-Market Station: 50+ market)
Swiped: Financial mismanagement - by Lee Zurik, Jon Turnipseed, Tom Wright and Greg Phillips, WVUE-TV

Public Service in Television Journalism (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market)
Police and the public - by KSL-TV, KSL

Public Service in Television Journalism (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
60 Minutes: The Storm After the Storm - by Sharyn Alfonsi, Michael Rey, Oriana Zill de Granados, Patrick Lee, and Jack Weingart, CBS News

Public Service in Television Journalism (Small-Market Station: 50+ market)
Trafficked: Web of despair - by Staff, KRGV TV

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund, or give to the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation.

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