2018 Sigma Delta Chi Award Honorees

The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for excellence in journalism.

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Newspaper/Wire Services
Magazines
Art/Graphics
Radio
Television
Newsletters
Research
Online Reporting
Podcast

Judges chose the winners from entries in categories covering print, radio, television and online. The awards recognize outstanding work published or broadcast in 2018.

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.

Sigma Delta Chi award winners will be honored at an awards banquet at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Newspaper/Wire Services

Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)

Capital Gazette shooting
Capital Gazette staff and Baltimore Sun staff, Baltimore Sun Media
Read online

Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 1-100,000)

Austin Bomber
American-Statesman staff, Austin American-Statesman
Download [PDF]

Deadline Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)

No Winner Chosen

Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)

Ambushed at Home
Joshua Schneyer, Michael Pell, Andrea Januta and Deborah Nelson, Reuters
Read online

Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 1-100,000)

How Florida ignited the heroin epidemic
Pat Beall, Palm Beach Post
Read online

Non-Deadline Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)

Sex Predator at the Pride Center
Jason Parsley and Damon Scott, South Florida Gay News
Read online

Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation 100,001+)

Myanmar Burning
Wa Lone, Kyaw Soe Oo and colleagues, Reuters
Read online

Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation of 1-100,000)

Unwatched
American-Statesman investigations team
Read online

Investigative Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)

Alabama’s ‘Beach House Sheriff’
Connor Sheets, Alabama Media Group
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation 100,001+)

Burned Out
Thomas Gryta and Ted Mann, The Wall Street Journal
Read online

Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation of 1-100,000)

The Strange Tale of Wolfie and the Addicts
Joe Capozzi, Palm Beach Post
Read online

Feature Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)

Alabama’s Dinosaur Adventure Land
Anna Claire Vollers, Alabama Media Group
Read online

Editorial Writing (Daily Circulation 100,001+)

The Invading Sea
The Palm Beach Post, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Miami Herald and WLRN Public Radio
Read online

Editorial Writing (Daily Circulation of 1-100,000/Non-Daily Publication)

Capital Gazette shooting
Staff, Capital Gazette
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Washington Correspondence

Abby Livingston, The Texas Tribune
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Foreign Correspondence

China Clamps Down
AP China Staff, Associated Press
Read online

General Column Writing (Daily Circulation 100,001+)

Children in Poverty in the Land of Plenty
Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

General Column Writing (Daily Circulation 1-100,000/Non-Daily Publication)

Frank Cerabino, Palm Beach Post
Download [PDF]

Sports Column Writing (Daily Circulation 100,001+)

Sally Jenkins, The Washington Post
Download [PDF]

Sports Column Writing (Daily Circulation 1-100,000/Non-Daily Publication)

Bob Wojnowski, The Detroit News
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Public Service Journalism (Daily Circulation 100,001+)

Denied Justice
Brandon Stahl, Jennifer Bjorhus, MaryJo Webster and Renée Jones Schneider, Star Tribune
Read online

Public Service Journalism (Daily Circulation of 1-100,000)

Minimally Adequate
Staff, The Post and Courier
Read online

Public Service Journalism (Non-Daily Publication)

No winner chosen

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Magazines

Magazine Investigative Reporting (National Circulation)

She Left Harvard. He Got to Stay.
Tom Bartlett and Nell Gluckman, Chronicle of Higher Education
Read online

Magazine Investigative Reporting (Regional/Local Circulation)

Too Big to Fine, Too Small to Fight Back
Naveena Sadasivam and Daniel Penner, The Texas Observer and Grist and Type Investigations
Read online

Magazine Writing (National Circulation)

Lost in the Storm
Sheri Fink, The New York Times
Read online

Magazine Writing (Regional/Local Circulation)

Dining While Black: Race and the Philly Food Scene
Ernest Owens, Philadelphia Magazine
Read online

Public Service in Magazine Journalism (National Circulation)

Critical Condition
Erika Fry, Fortune
Download [PDF]

Public Service in Magazine Journalism (Regional/Local Circulation)

Running Out of Water, Running Out of Time
Karen Dillon, Chris Green and staff, The Journal (Kansas Leadership Center)
Read online

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Art/Graphics

Breaking News Photography (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+, Affiliated Website, National Magazine)

Protestors confront Starbucks employees over discriminatory practices
Michael Bryant, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Breaking News Photography (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000, Regional Magazine, Non-Daily Publication or Online Independent)

Vine Road
Marc Lester, Anchorage Daily News

Editorial Cartooning (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+, Affiliated Website, National Magazine)

Rob Rogers, robrogers.com
Download [PDF]

Editorial Cartooning (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000, Regional Magazine, Non-Daily Publication or Online Independent)

Angelo Lopez, Philippines Today
Download [PDF]

Feature Photography (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+, Affiliated Website, National Magazine)

Inside the Caravan
Rodrigo Abd and Moises Castillo, The Associated Press

Feature Photography (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000, Regional Magazine, Non-Daily Publication or Online Independent)

Odyssey of Hope
Carol Guzy and Scott McKiernan, ZUMA Press
View online

Informational Graphics (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+, Affiliated Website, National Magazine)

The Outliers
Yan Wu, NJ Advance Media (NJ.com and The Star-Ledger)
Read online

Informational Graphics (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000, Regional Magazine, Non-Daily Publication or Online Independent)

Harvesting Peril
Paul Horn, Georgina Gustin, Neela Banerjee and John H. Cushman Jr., InsideClimate News
View online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Sports Photography (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+, Affiliated Website, National Magazine)

Catch to remember
Jim Davis, Boston Globe

Sports Photography (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000, Regional Magazine, Non-Daily Publication or Online Independent)

Missed Takedown
David Bitton, Stillwater News Press

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Radio

Breaking News Reporting (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)

Parkland Shooting
Staff, Westwood One News

Breaking News Reporting (101+ Market)

Borderline Bar And Grill Shooting/Hill And Woolsey Fires
Lance Orozco, KCLU AM/FM (NPR)
Read story and listen online

Investigative Reporting (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)

Abused And Betrayed: People with Intellectual Disabilities and an Epidemic of Sexual Assault
NPR Investigations
Read story and listen online

Investigative Reporting (101+ Market)

No winner chosen

Feature Reporting (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)

An Alaskan village is falling into the sea. Washington is looking the other way.
Amy Martin and Peter Thomson, PRI’s The World
Read story and listen online

Feature Reporting (101+ Market)*

Richmond Slave Trail
Mallory Noe-Payne and David Seidel, WVTF/Radio IQ
Read story and listen online

Documentaries (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)

The Red Line
Aaron Glantz, Emmanuel Martinez, Katharine Mieszkowski and Laura Starecheski, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX
Read story and listen online

Documentaries (101+ Market)

Alex Not Amy: Growing Up Transgender In The Rural West
Denise Dowling, KUFM Montana Public Radio
Read story and listen online

Public Service in Radio Journalism (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)

Wrongfully Jailed For 38 Years, Fred Clay Rebuilds His Life in Lowell
Christopher Burrell and Aaron Schachter, WGBH News and NECIR
Read story and listen online: Link 1 | 2

Public Service in Radio Journalism (101+ Market)

Caring: Stories from Virginia's Home Health Work Force
Mallory Noe-Payne and David Seidel, WVTF/Radio IQ

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Television

Breaking News Coverage (Large-Market Station, 1-50 market)

Tragedy in Santa Fe
Staff, KPRC2
Watch online

Breaking News Coverage (Small-Market Station, 51+ market)

Husky Oil Refinery Fire
Staff, WDIO News
Watch online

Breaking News Coverage (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)

California Bar Massacre
Staff, NBC Nightly News
Watch online

Documentaries (Large-Market Station, 1-50 market)

Double Billing the Badge: The Patrol Car Payback
A.J. Lagoe, Steve Eckert, Gary Knox and staff, KARE 11
Watch online

Documentaries (Small-Market Station, 51+ market)

"Medical Waste"
Lee Zurik, Jon Turnipseed, Kristen Palestina and Mike Schaefer, WVUE-TV
Watch online

Documentaries (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)

Hope & Fury: MLK, The Movement and The Media
Nina Weinstein, NBC News
Watch online

Feature Reporting (Large-Market Station, 1-50 market)

WTHR Storytellers
Chuck Lofton, Steve Rhodes and Scott Swan, WTHR
Watch online

Feature Reporting (Small-Market Station, 51+ market)

Jacy's Tabs
Eric Hanson and Glen Biermann, KCCI-TV
Watch online

Feature Reporting (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)

Burdened Beyond Their Years
Marcia Biggs, Javier Manzano, Hamada Hanour, Morgan Till and Sara Just, PBS NewsHour
Watch online

Investigative Reporting (Large-Market Station, 1-50 market)

School of Secrets
Chris Halsne, Isaias Medina, Chris Koeberl and Noah Skinner, Fox 31 Denver
Watch online

Investigative Reporting (Small-Market Station, 51+)

Misjudged
Lee Zurik, Jon Turnipseed, Nancy Decorte and Kristen Palestina, WVUE-TV
Watch online

Investigative Reporting (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)

CBS NEWS: National Flood Insurance Mismanagement
Jeff Glor, Len Tepper, Megan Towey and Kristin Steve, CBS News
Watch online

Public Service in Television Journalism (Large-Market Station, 1-50 market)

Failure to Report: Sex Abuse Victims Silenced
Vicky Nguyen, Michael Bott, Jeremy Carroll, Mark Villarreal and Ian Cull, NBC Bay Area
Watch online

Public Service in Television Journalism (Small-Market Station, 51+ market)

Government Failures
Lee Zurik, Tom Wright, Jon Turnipseed and Mike Schaefer, WVUE-TV
Watch online

Public Service in Television Journalism (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)

Kept Out
Aaron Glantz, Emmanuel Martinez, Rachel de Leon and Richard Coolidge, Reveal and PBS Newshour
Watch online

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Newsletters

Public Service in Newsletter Journalism

CEM Special Report: Spent Fuel in California
Staff, California Energy Markets
Download [PDF]

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Research

Research about Journalism

Tear Down These Walls
Charles Lewis, Investigative Reporting Workshop
Read online

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Online Reporting

Deadline Reporting (Affiliated)

Gunfire and Flames in California
Staff, Los Angeles Times
Read online

Deadline Reporting (Independent)

Tragedy in Thousand Oaks
Germany Kent, MediaSource
Read online

Investigative Reporting (Affiliated)

Case Cleared: How Rape Goes Unpunished in America
Newsy, ProPublica and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Investigative Reporting (Independent)

Driven Into Debt
Melissa Sanchez and Elliott Ramos, ProPublica Illinois and WBEZ Chicago
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Non-Deadline Reporting (Affiliated)

'You just gotta get out of here'
Julia Prodis Sulek, Matthias Gafni, Randy Vazquez and Pai, The Mercury News and East Bay Times
Read online

Non-Deadline Reporting (Independent)

Stuck Kids
Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica Illinois
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Online Column Writing (Affiliated)

Issac J. Bailey, Nieman Reports
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Online Column Writing (Independent)

Mehdi Hasan, The Intercept
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Digital Video

The Last Doctors
Christine Nguyen, Melanie Bencosme and Matt Toder, NBC News
Watch online

Public Service in Online Journalism (Affiliated)

Hidden Victims
Justin Pritchard, Reese Dunklin and Maud Beelman, The Associated Press
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Public Service in Online Journalism (Independent)

Stars and Struggles
Jackie Valley, The Nevada Independent
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Specialized Journalism Site

America First: The Legacy of an Immigration Raid
Almudena Toral, Andrea Patiño Contreras, Mauricio Rodríguez Pons and Selymar Colón, Univision News Digital
Visit website

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Podcast

Podcast

Lost in the Storm
Annie Brown, Lisa Tobin, Sheri Fink and Luke Mitchell, The New York Times
Listen online: Part 1 | Part 2

Subscribe: Apple | RadioPublic | Stitcher

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*Another winner previously was announced in the Feature Reporting (101+ Market) category, but turned out to be ineligible. [Jump back to entry]