B1 General reporting

Judge: Michael Moore, a reporter at the Missoulian in Missoula, Montana, won first-place in general reporting in the 2000 Best of the West Contest for a series of articles about the Missoula Supreme Court.

"A River Runs Through It"

"This story does what we too often fail to do in journalism — it puts things in historical context. And when the topic is water, context is everything. A very nice tapestry of past, present and future. Good characters, sharp observations, clear writing."

"The Crossroads"

"A thorough look at Tucson's troubled transportation system. Lots of numbers and dry facts here could have spelled trouble. Instead, the stories are full of people who bring the numbers and facts to life. Important information that people need to make important decisions."

"All About Meth"

"This is solid, daily treatment of an ongoing problem. Good use of anecdotal stories mixed with factual information. Could have perhaps included a bit more about the clean-up problems associated with meth, but on whole, this is clear writing that makes the point that meth is a bad actor without being melodramatic."

"Death in the Desert"

"This story has a nice lead — bringing the image back at the end would have made the story more powerful. Even so, the story does a good job challenging authorities and their slow start in finding the missing woman. Solid reporting on a story that probably made the cops mad."

B2 Feature writing

Judge: Liz Ruskin is a Washington-based reporter for the Anchorage Daily News. She won best short news feature in the 2000 Best of the West journalism.

"Off Camera"

"This examination of local television news is both smart and smart-alecky. It has great character description and brilliantly portrays how competitive pressures shape the product we know so well. The detailed observation and droll style of this piece is just about perfect."

"Hope Lives in Paradise Valley"

"This story shows the fortitude and optimism of a family raising an autistic son."

"The blind see here"

"A suspenseful story about bringing sight to the blind."

B3 Personality
profile writing

Judge: Christine Evans, a reporter with the Palm Beach Post, won the 2001 Eugene S. Pulliam National Journalism Writing Award. She has won the Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists, a national feature writing award from the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors, and the Gold Medal for Public Service from the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. At the Miami Herald, she shared in the 1991 Pulitzer for spot news and in 1993 she was a Pulitzer finalist for team spot news coverage.

"Arizona Irish"

"Mim Walsh's diary is a real find. The writer allowed Mim’s voice to shine through, illuminating this odd slice of Arizona-Irish history."

"Fish Tricks"

"Funny piece about a funny guy. The writing sings."

"Fish Out of Water"

"A colorful glimpse of a young athlete who still doesn't know what he’s going to do with his life. Leaves you wondering what’s ahead. Smooth reading."

"Confluence of Life and Death"

"Intriguing tale, nicely told. The lede draws you right in."

B4 Sustained coverage/series

Judge: Jim Strauss is executive editor of the Great Falls Tribune, which last year won the Pulitzer Prize in explanatory reporting for a story on alcohol abuse. The paper’s other recent awards include first place for spot news reporting in Best of the West, a National Society of Professional Journalists 2000 Sigma Delta Chi Award for deadline and a first-place C.B. Blethen Memorial Award for distinguished enterprise.

"Opposition to Cement Plant Rising"

"This selection of articles about the problems a cement plant was creating in an unincorporated part of Pima County provided in-depth analysis and strong human emotion. The continuing coverage let readers know what it is like coping daily with the plant’s pollution and reported in detail federal investigations into the facility. The coverage also raised the issue of whether poor neighborhoods are too often the victim of high-pollution industries and outlined the growing health concerns for area residents."

"Left Out in the Cold"

"This journalist went beyond merely reporting the news of the death of two homeless men in Flagstaff. The reporter delved into the problem of the homeless and the challenges it presents the community. A separate piece also explored solutions, launching a community discussion about the need for a drop-in shelter."

"Council Races"

"Previewing local elections is part of the nuts and bolts of what newspapers do, but this reporter brought energy, fresh angles and insight to the Tucson elections. Coverage outlined candidate stands in easy-to-follow grids and summaries. Separate articles dug into the increasing costs of local elections. The reporting was thorough and the writing clear and engaging."

B5 Commentary/analysis

Judge: Jane Eisner is editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer’s editorial page. Her column, American Rhythms, is syndicated nationally. She teaches at Penn State University and is a senior fellow at the Fox Leadership Program and the Center for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society.

"Give Me a Break"

"A lovely, engaging piece on why recess is so important for children of any age. Makes you think in a new way about this staple of childhood and its value for adults."

Second place

"They Shouldn’t Be There, But They’re Glad Enough to be in it"

"A spunky, well-written piece about the Diamondbacks that even I enjoyed — and I'm not a sports fan!"

"Double Standard"

"A muscular argument that home-schooled children should not be allowed to play high school sports."

B6 Sports reporting

Judge: Dale Phelps is Senior Editor-Sports for The (Tacoma, Wash.) News Tribune: His section has twice been voted among the naton’s Top 10 for Sunday and daily in its circulation category in the APSE (Associated Press Sports Editors) contest.

"Weight Gains"

"Good idea for a story. Solid lede. Good sources and facts throughout the piece. Describing one of the players as having the ‘physique of a G.I. Joe’ was a nice touch of writing."

"Scar Tissue"

"Good lede. Good use of sources. Good quote use. I especially like the one where an athlete said he was ‘counting down the minutes to take another pain pill. Really gave a reader a feel for the pain involved. Story was a touch too long. Tighter editing would have helped."

"The Boys are Back"

"Nice tale about a father and son making a road trip. Strong anecdotes and good use of quotes."

"Booster Rocket"

"Great idea for a story. Good sources. The piece was too long and a little too dense, however."

B7 Layout/design

Judge: Carmen Dybdahl, presentation team leader of The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash., is Region 7 director of the Society for News Design.

"Superkids"

"Nice use of photos, played well and large. Drop caps, pull quote show attention to detail. Nice typography. Long story does not look daunting. Nice touches all the way through."

"Tied and True"

"Very classy. Lots of thought went into these pages before anyone ever picked up a camera. Nice colors. Clean layout. Nice typography. These people know their audience."

"Moda de Ultima"

"Fun, well organized. Numbers are an effective way to lead readers through the story. Great to get it all on one page. And wonderful to have dominant art in all that's going on. Colorful. Good typography.

"A la Altura de las Montanas"

"I loved many La Voz pages. Their designers do wonders with what appears to be handout art. They know their audience. Lots of color makes the layout sing. Again, color is used well. Good typography. Lively pages."

"Airy, attractive front page. Lots of entry points. Good use of dominant art on the photo page inside. I liked the breakout on the medical team."

B8 News photography

Judge: Photo staff of The Seattle Times, including Alan Berner, Steve Ringman, Angela Gottschalk and Tom Reese.

"Semi Fire"

"This photo has strong framing with the firefighter seen through the smoke but the white car on the left should have been cropped."

"Air Crash"

"It’s a thoughtful, day-late solution to an air crash after the wreckage and news moment are gone."

"Funeral for coach"

"All the symbolic elements are present and the use of reflection is appropriate visually and metaphorically."

"K-9 Training"

"Peak moment in a visually absurd situation where a work dog, eyes wide, runs with a gun instead of a chew toy during a training session."

B9 Feature
photography

Judge: Photo staff of The Seattle Times, including Alan Berner, Steve Ringman, Angela Gottschalk and Tom Reese.

"Wild Skies"

"A little luck, a double lightning strike, and technical excellence makes this a stunning pictorial. One judge, who does much 4 x 5 landscape work, said he'd love to have this image in his portfolio."

"Red Hat"

"A little humor and intimations of Rene' Magritte give this picture its personality."

"Monkey"

"A herding dog with a monkey in a cowboy suit attached makes for moment of absurdity and animal exploitation."

"Sunset Dirt Bike"

"Are the skies really that orange in Arizona?"

B10 Sports photography

Judge: Photo staff of The Seattle Times, including Alan Berner, Steve Ringman, Angela Gottschalk and Tom Reese.

"Eating Dirt"

"This rider is up to his ears in dirt combining peak moment with humor. We would have cropped it leaner from the top."

"Submerged Swimmer"

"An abstract approach to a championship race."

"All Nighter"

"This is a sunset pictorial approach to another baseball game and is 180-degrees from tight action. It's a little overworked in Photoshop, though."

"Celebration"

"All the celebrants are a blur except for one and we like that."