MEDIUM PUBLICATIONS
B1.
General reporting
19
entries
Judge: David Postman is chief political writer for The Seattle Times and a National Headliner award winner.
First place
Leo Banks
Tucson
Weekly
“At War on the Border”
“Banks does a great job of getting out front of an emerging border story. He tells the story of Glenn Spencer and American Border Patrol without falling back on political stereotypes. He mostly lets Spencer tell the story and leaves it to readers to make up their mind about the rise of vigilantism.”
Second place
Jim Nintzel
Tucson Weekly
“Balancing Act”
“A great mix of an insider political tale and hard facts about the city’s budget struggle. In the end readers learn much about the mayor and the city.”
Third place
Anne Denogean and C.T. Revere
Tucson Citizen
“At Kino, all eyes on the ax”
“This is a comprehensive look at a complicated debate about a public hospital. The breadth of one day’s of coverage is impressive. It is clearly written and packed with information. The presentation of the story showcased the reporters’ work well and made it clear to readers that the Citizen was taking this local story seriously.”
B4. Sustained coverage/series
Judge: Sheila Toomey, a senior reporter for the Anchorage Daily News, has won numerous awards for her writing and was a member of the Daily News team that won the 1989 Pulitzer Prize Gold medal for Public Service for a series on alcoholism and forced acculturation in Alaska’s indigenous communities.
First place
Patrick Cavanaugh
Northwest
EXPLORER
“The chief”
“The investigation of the Marana Police Department is a hands-down winner in this category. The resources, energy and space devoted to this project by what I assume is not a very large newspaper are impressive. The depth of the reporting, the amassing of telling detail, the number of sources, and the controlled tone produced absolutely convincing stories, made even more shocking by the periodic voices of local politicians insisting that the chief was great and enjoyed full support.
“I must admit, when I first pulled out this entry I groaned at the bulk. ‘Do I really have to reads this whole thing?’ I thought. Then I started it, and couldn't put it down until I’d read every word.” (Note: Different stories on the same subject were entered in this category and the C1. Investigative Reporting category.)
Second place
Joyesha Chesnick
Tucson
Citizen
“Hidden crimes”
“The depressing facts about the amount of child molesting that goes on in
any city have been told many times, but they cannot be told too often. This
series improved on the genre by tackling the difficult issues of recidivism, and whether children who are molested must grow up to be abusers themselves. A very competent package.”
Third place
Patrick Cavanaugh
Northwest
EXPLORER
“Marana contracting scandals”
“The series of stories on contracting practices in Marana appears to have grown out of the reporter delving into circumstances behind a story that could have been handled routinely, then following his nose and the money where they led him. The plowing through city records, which must have taken forever, was impressive. Add this to the investigation of the police department and I'll bet several Marana officials would like to see the back of Mr. Cavanaugh, if only to take a shot at it.”
MEDIUM PUBLICATIONS
B2. Feature writing
35 entries
Judge: Fabiola Franco is an executive producer at KPBS Television in San Diego.
First place
Lynn Trimble
Raising Arizona’s Kids
“Playing with fire — understanding juvenile fire setting “
“A very informative and educational article. It keeps you interested until
the last paragraph.”
Second place
Joanna Dodder
Daily Courier
“Day of the Dead”
“This article is a great understanding of one of the most intriguing
Mexican traditions.”
Third place
Ginger S. Eiden
Scottsdale Life
“A culture within — the story of Penjamo, Scottsdale’s Yaqui Village”
“This article transports the reader’s mind to a different era and location.”
B3. Personality profile
18 entries
Judge: Robert McClory is an associate professor at the Medill School of
Journalism at Northwestern University. He was a longtime writer with the
Chicago Reader and is a freelance magazine writer and author of several
popular books dealing with the history of religion.
First place
Leo W. Banks
The Tucson Weekly
“La Pistolere — Eva Wilbur-Cruce
“It is far and away the best in the category by reason of scope, research, historical interest and presentation. It almost cries for a movie version.”
Second place
M.B. Roberts
Valley Guide Quarterly
“Bo: Portrait of a Contemporary Artist:
“A model, short profile of an interesting, somewhat independent man who combines native and traditional techniques. It’s complete with color, description, and background.”
Third place
Margaret Regan
Tucson Guide Quarterly
“Empie’s Arizona”
“Catches the passion and pride of a veteran artist, providing a you-are-there
picture of him in his workplace along with a nice assessment of his place in Western Art history. A short sidebar adds depth.”
Honorable Mention
Kathy Montgomery
Phoenix Magazine
“The Final Cut”
“A fascinating, gripping picture of what a forensic pathologist does, in this case Dr. Mark Fascione. But the emphasis is on his work and we really don’t know all we need to about him outside the autopsy room to fill out the profile.”
MEDIUM PUBLICATIONS
B6. Sports reporting
Judge:
Gerry Ahern is pro sports editor of The
Orange County Register. He is a former sports editor with The
Detroit News, Lansing (Mich.) State
Journal and The Huntington (W. Va.) Herald-Dispatch.
First place
Tom Danehy
Tucson Weekly
“All-American girl”
“Insightful and cleverly written profile/column on University of
Arizona softball pitcher and budding celebrity Jennie Finch. This piece
captures just how revered Finch has become in the community and beyond.
Second place
Matt Simpson
Scottsdale
Views
“Law of the links:
“Interesting look into the sometimes confusing and often confounding rules of golf and how they’ve impacted high school athletes in competition. Good anecdotal examples of the rules and their impact.”
Third place
Marc Buckhout
Northwest Valley News
“This report on the controversy surrounding Deer Valley boys basketball
coach Dave Hodges. The story used multiple sources to provide a balanced
look at the situation that has split loyalties of players and their parents.”
MEDIUM PUBLICATONS
B5. Commentary/analysis
12 entries
Judge: Michael Daly is a columnist with the New York Daily News. A finalist for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize in commentary, he started in journalism at Flatbush Life and has published one novel, “Under Ground.”
First place
Matthew Heil
Echo
Magazine
“Reluctant hero: learning from Richard Heakin”
“He goes inside himself and presents you with what is starkly and undeniably true. He is a writer who understands the importance of words, in this case the difference between a ‘sacrifice’ and a ‘murder.’”
Second place
Corky Simpson
Tucson
Citizen
“A dad, a son, a game of catch”
“He has the clear, distinct voice of somebody who knows to write with his ear. His column reminds you that the biggest events often are not news or even new. He imparts a heartbeat to the timeless.”
Third place
Mark Kimble
Tucson
Citizen
“Hull speech boring, but the dog part was good”
“His political writing is of the very best kind, which is to say political writing that you actually like to read. This is true even when you are a New Yorker who knows a lot more about dogs than Arizona politicians.”