DEADLINE NEWS REPORTING

Judged by Eliot Blair Smith, USA TODAY

"Deadline reporting is difficult and not always pretty. But it is essential. We call it 'feeding the beast.' And, as in ancient Rome, this year's winners are accomplished gladiators."

First Place
Jon Burstein, Inger Sandal, Sarah Tully Tapia, Enric Volante, The Arizona Daily Star, "She's Completely Ape" and "Devil Spirits"

"First place goes to the Arizona Daily Star's two-day breaking news coverage of Gracie Verduzco's shooting spree across Tucson in May 1998 that killed one man and wounded four. The Star's first-day report begins with a masterful overview story, detailed and dramatic, punctuated by action photographs and an annotated map that captures the scope of this tragedy in a space the size of a reader's palm. The main story clearly expresses the cacophony caused by one woman's rampage. It also raises significant questions about Verduzco's mental state and her purchase of the lethal weapon."

Second Place
Dennis Wagner, The Arizona Republic, "A Pattern of Abuse"

"The death of 16-year-old Nicholaus Contreraz, apparently for natural causes, the previous spring, was the starting point for state regulators' questions: how did Contreraz's body come to be covered with so many cuts and bruises? Why did so many Boys Ranch youths appear to be the victims of choking and punching assaults? One day in August 1998, a 4,000 page report on the state's findings dropped into the hands of Arizona Republic reporters.... Combining the punch of hard news with the packaging of a big project, the Republic powerfully narrates the state's findings, the swift reponse of the state legislature and the outrage of victim family members and child care experts."

Third Place
Ignacio Ibarra and Jim Erickson, The Arizona Daily Star, "The Panic, The Fear"

"The reporter begins with a stinging lead... packaged with high-impact photographs and a tip box on how to avoid being stung, the story authorititavely cites several witnesses and victims. And in a vignette on a distraught pet owner, the story answers Handel's lament, 'Death Where is Thy Sting?'"

Honorable Mention
Michael Murphy, Steve Yozwiak, Hal Mattern, Chris Moeser, Jeff Barker, Adrienne Flynn, Richard Ruelas, Keven Willey, The Arizona Republic, "The Death of Mo Udall".