2008 Sigma Delta Chi Award Honorees
The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2008 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for excellence in journalism.
Judges chose the winners from over 900 entries in 53 categories including print, radio, television and online. The awards recognize outstanding work published or broadcasted in 2008.
Dating back to 1932, the awards originally honored six individuals for contributions to journalism. The current program began in 1939, when the Society granted the first Distinguished Service Awards. The honors later became the Sigma Delta Chi Awards.
Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well- informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.
Newspaper/Wire Services
Deadline Reporting (circulation of 100,000 or greater)
“The Spitzer Scandal,” Staff, The New York Times
Deadline Reporting (circulation of less than 100,000)
“Great Flood of 2008,” Staff, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Non-Deadline Reporting (circulation of 100,000 or greater)
“Double Dipping,” Lucy Morgan, St. Petersburg Times
Non-Deadline Reporting (circulation of less than 100,000)
Child Prostitution series, Kamika Dunlap, Barbara Grady & Tammerlin Drummond, Oakland Tribune/ Bay Area Media News group
Investigative Reporting (circulation of 100,000 or greater)
“The Battle Within,” David Olinger & Erin Emery, The Denver Post
Investigative Reporting (circulation of less than 100,000)
“Casino Kings,” Jonathan Ellis, Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Feature Writing (circulation of 100,000 or greater)
“The Accidental Artist,” Amy Ellis Nutt, The Star-Ledger
Feature Writing (circulation of less than 100,000)
“The Man who Stood on the Bridge,” Rosette Royale, Real Change, Seattle, Wash.
Editorial Writing
“The Illinois culture of political sleaze,” John P. McCormick, Marie Dillon & Bruce Dold, Chicago Tribune
Washington Correspondence
“Message Machine,” David Barstow, The New York Times
Foreign Correspondence
“Kremlin Rules,” Clifford J. Levy, The New York Times
General Column Writing
“Column Collection,” Joseph Galloway, McClatchy Newspapers
Sports Column Writing
“Sports Columns,” Sally Jenkins, The Washington Post
Public Service (circulation of 100,000 or greater)
“Test of Convictions,” Staff, The Columbus Dispatch
Public Service (circulation of less than 100,000)
“Disposable Heroes,” Staff, The Washington Times
Magazines
Magazine Writing
“Our Battles Joined,” Christian Parenti, Playboy Magazine
Public Service in Magazine Journalism
“The Green Light,” Staff, Vanity Fair
Magazine Investigative Reporting
“The Lie We Love,” E.J. Graff, Foreign Policy, Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism
Arts/Graphics
Photography Spot News
“A People in Despair: Haiti's Year Without Mercy,” Patrick Farrell, The Miami Herald
Photography Features
“Girl in the Window,” Melissa Lyttle, St. Petersburg Times
Photography Sports
“0.01,” Heinz Kluetmeier & Jeff Kavanaugh, Sports Illustrated
Editorial Cartooning
“2008 Cartoons,” Chris Britt, The State Journal-Register
Informational Graphics
“Big Burn,” Staff, Los Angeles Times
Radio
Breaking News Reporting
Chengdu, China Earthquake coverage, Melissa Block & Andrea Hsu, National Public Radio
Investigative Reporting
“Dirty Money,” John Burnett, Marisa Penaloza, Quinn O'Toole & Tanya Ballard Brown, National Public Radio
Feature Reporting
“Working,” Staff, Homelands Productions, Ithaca, N.Y.
Documentaries
“Stories from Third Med,” Bob Edwards & Ariana Pekary, Sirius XM Radio
Public Service in Radio Journalism
“Impact of War on Children,” Staff, KPLU Public Radio, Seattle, Wash.
Television
Breaking News Coverage (Network/SS/Program Service)
“Tip of the Spear,” Alexandra Wallace, Mary Laurence Flynn, Richard Engel & Madeleine Haeringer, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams
Breaking News Coverage (Large Market Station 1-50)
“Overturned Tanker,” Staff, Bay News 9, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Breaking News Coverage (Small Market Station 51+)
“TVA Ash Spill,” Alison Morrow, Gerry Owens & John Martin, WBIR TV 10, Knoxville, Tenn.
Investigative Reporting (Network/SS/Program Service)
“The Wasteland,” Staff, CBS News 60 Minutes
Investigative Reporting (Large Market Station 1-50)
“Charity or Con?” Keli Rabon & Jim O’Donnell, WREG-TV Memphis, Tenn.
Investigative Reporting (Small Market Station 51+)
“Yonkers Raceway Casino Probe,” Brian Conybeare & Eric Leeds, News 12 Westchester, Yonkers, N.Y.
Feature Reporting (Network/SS/Program Service)
“The War at Home,” Rick Kaplan, Kimberly Dozier & Ashley Velie, CBS News
Feature Reporting (Large Market Station 1-50)
“The Land of 10,000 Stories,” Boyd Huppert & Jonathan Malat, KARE-TV, Minneapolis, Minn.
Feature Reporting (Small Market Station 51+)
“Shawn’s Long Wait,” Jason Moore & Scott Jensen, KTUU, Anchorage, Alaska
Documentaries (Network/SS/Program Service)
“Dear Zachary: a letter to a son about his father,” Kurt Kuenne, MSNBC
Documentaries (Large Market Station 1-50)
“Love Child,” Clay Johnson, Jay Jennings, Gerald Owens & Laura Riddle, WRAL-TV, Raleigh, N.C.
Documentaries (Small Market Station 51+)
No Award
Public Service in Television Journalism (Network/SS/Program Service)
“AIDS in the African American Community,” Staff, CBS Evening News: Weekend Edition
Public Service in Television Journalism (Large Market Station 1-50)
No Award
Public Service in Television Journalism (Small Market Station 51+)
“Ted Stevens’ Criminal Trial,” Staff, KTUU, Anchorage, Alaska
Newsletters
Public Service in Newsletter Journalism
“EPA rollback on drinking water protections,” Staff, Inside Washington Publishers
Research
Research about Journalism
“The African Press, Civic Cynicism, and Democracy,” Minabere Ibelema, Dept. of Communication Studies, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Online Reporting
Deadline Reporting (affiliated)
“Kirkwood City Hall Shootings,” Staff, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Read online story
Deadline Reporting (independent)
“Vaccine Ruling Ignites Autism Debate,” Staff, WebMD
Read online story part 1
Read online story part 2
Read online story part 3
Read WebMD blog coverage
Non-Deadline Reporting (affiliated)
“Mexico Under Siege,” Staff, Los Angeles Times
Read interactive online story
Non-Deadline Reporting (independent)
“Autism: Searching for Answers,” Staff, WebMD
Read online stories
Investigative Reporting (affiliated)
“I Didn’t Do That Murder,” Christine Young, John Pertel, Christopher Mele & Patrick Mullen, Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y.
Read interactive online story
Investigative Reporting (independent)
“Off the Record and Out of Order,” Erica Christoffer, Becky Schlikerman & Suzanne McBride, ChicagoTalks.org/ The Beachwood Reporter
Read online story part 1
Read online story part 2
Public Service in Online Journalism (affiliated)
“Your Right to Know/Know It series,” Staff, The Oklahoman
Read online story
Public Service in Online Journalism (independent)
“Perils of the New Pesticides,” Staff, The Center for Public Integrity
Read online story