A JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
A1 PRINT (Over 100K circulation)
David Evans, Bloomberg Markets. Judges’ comments: This was a very close call with the second place finisher. But the financial meltdown was the top story of the year, and Mr. Evans was well ahead of the pack on a story that affected the lives of billions of people. His well-written, excellent stories presaged many of our country’s economic woes. When historians look back and ask why the press didn’t do a better job of revealing the world’s economic problems before the crash, they’ll have to make an exception for David Evans.
Second Place: Christine Pelisek, LA Weekly.
Honorable Mention: Miriam Jordan, Wall Street Journal.
A2 PRINT (Under 100K circulation)
Brad A. Greenberg, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, Judges’ comments: Mr. Greenberg is a treasure. His insightful and illuminating work offers key insight into the spiritual and religious life of Southern California, while tackling religious racism and revealing the effects of the economic meltdown on the non-profit world.
Second Place: Anna Scott, Los Angeles Downtown News.
Honorable Mention: Matt Welch, Reason.
A3 TELEVISION
Tie: Ana Garcia and Fred Mamoun, KNBC and Eric Longabardi, TeleMedia
Comments: Ana Garcia & Fred Mamoun are a formidable investigative team. All 3 stories were solid, well-crafted and informative–a true public service.
Animal lovers would be appalled by vicious vets who cared more about the dollars made off dogs than the actual puppy patients.
CNA is scandiulous in its treatment of our most vulnerable population. Seniors paid thousands for insurance coverage that was wrongly terminated.
Parents panicked when Carters-wearing kids developed rashes from tagless garments made in China–yet the company continued to sell the clothing.All of these combined can easily make the case that this team deserves to be recognized as ‘Journaliast of the Year’
Longabardi: The judges found the Rev. Wright story to be infinitely interesting and a political ‘aha moment’ of conscience.
The Drama of Obama Jet Incident story made our toes curl. But it was the 9/11 Redux investigative piece that left us absolutely fearful and flabbergasted. The TSA is supposed to be one of our nation’s guard dogs but we learned the federal agency is all bark and no bite. It is unconscionable that ‘thousands of aliens’ are enrolled in US flight schools for pilot training with no background check. Does no one remember Mohammad Atta and the twin towers? Where is the oversight? Excellent investigative work!
2nd Place: Robert Kovacik, KNBC News.
A4 RADIO
Frank Stoltze, KPCC 89.3
Comments: Solid, professional radio reporter. Great public radio delivery and pacing. Very good grasp on the subject matter he was reporting on. Great use of natural sound.
Second Place: John Rabe: KPCC 89.3
Honorable Mention:. Brian Watt: KPCC 89.3
A6 ENTERTAINMENT
Alex Pham, Los Angeles Times
Second Place: George Pennacchio, KABC-TV
Second Place Tie: Monica Rizzo – People Magazine
A7 PHOTO JOURNALIST
Rick Loomis, Los Angeles Times
Comment: Loomis portfolio is strong, powerful and engaging. It is well edited.
Second Place: Don Bartletti, Los Angeles Times
Honorable Mention Michael Robinson Chavez
A8 DESIGNER
Derek Simmons, Los Angeles Times
Comments: Talent and versatility show in these examples. No matter what Simmons designs or lays out, his artist abilities shine.
Second place: Kelli Sullivan, Los Angeles Times
Honorable Mention: Wes Bausmith, Los Angeles Times
A10 ONLINE JOURNALIST
Chris Hedges, Truthdig
Comments: Chris Hedges combines reporting, links, personal experience and magazine-style commentary to bring important new topics to light.
Second Place: Bennet Kelley, Huffington Post
Third place: Robert Scheer, Truthdig
A11 POLITICAL JOURNALIST, PRINT
Daniel Heimpel, LA Weekly, Los Angeles political coverage. Judges’ comments: Mr. Heimpel’s thoughtful columns dare to challenge political correctness and the status quo, making him an essential voice in Southern California’s political scene.
Second Place: Ted Johnson, Variety, The world of celebrity politics.
Honorable Mention: Bill Boyarsky, Truthdig, On the campaign trail.
A12 POLITICAL JOURNALIST, BROADCAST
Warren Olney, KCRW, To the Point
Comments: Conversational, approachable style coupled with engaging topics an deft interviewing skills make this program interesting, even for the politically unaware. Very listenable.
Second Place: Frank Stolze, KPCC 89.3, Political Coverage
A13 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL COVERAGE, PRINT
David Evans, Bloomberg Markets, “The Risk Nightmare.” Judges’ comments: Mr. Evans’ extraordinary reports about the causes of the financial meltdown, before it happened, are remarkably prescient. He was writing about the frightening problems of credit default swaps and the precariousness of banks well before those issues became part of our national consciousness.
Second Place: Steven Leigh Morris, LA Weekly, “City Halls ‘Density Hawks’ Are Changing LA’s DNA.”
Honorable Mention: Staff, Los Angeles Business Journal, “Market Meltdown.”
A14 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL COVERAGE, BROADCAST
Brian Watt, 89.3 FM KPCC
Comments: Mr. Watt makes effective use of ambient sound, revealing interviews, and strong writing to tell interesting and compelling stories, from the actors’ union struggles to the financial mess caused by America’s banking system.
Second Place: Susan Valot, 89.3 FM KPCC.
B. DAILY/WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS (Over 100K circulation)
B1 HARD NEWS
Christine Pelisek, LA Weekly, “Billboards Gone Wild.” Judges’ comments: Ms. Pelisek’s dogged pursuit of LA’s illegal billboard industry is a must read, from the incompetence and greed she uncovers to the backroom deals she exposes.
Second Place: Los Angeles Daily News Staff, Los Angeles Daily News, “Complete Chaos: Metrolink, Freight Trains Collide.”
Honorable Mention: Patrick McDonald, LA Weekly, “Proposition 8 Coverage.”
B2 FEATURE
Christine Pelisek, LA Weekly, “Raven, the Death of a Hollywood Beauty.” Judges comments: This is an eye-opening, poignant look at Southern California street runaways. And, it’s a terrific, heartbreaking profile to boot.
Second Place: Patrick McDonald, LA Weekly, “The All-About-Me Mayor.”
Honorable Mention: Scott Gold, Los Angeles Times, “Out There.”
B3 INVESTIGATIVE/SERIES
Christine Pelisek, LA Weekly, “Grim Sleeper.” Judges comments: Ms. Pelisek represents the best of what investigative journalism should be: Dogged determination, skepticism of authority, and insatiable curiosity. A serial killer was on the loose in Southern California, and not even the victims’ families knew about it until Ms. Pelisek came along.
Second Place: Beth Barrett and George B. Sanchez, Los Angeles Daily News, “Top-Heavy District.”
Honorable Mention: Christine Pelisek, LA Weekly, “Billboards Gone Wild.”
B5 COMMENTARY
Devra Maza, Los Angeles Daily News, “Love on the Lines”
Comments: An entertaining column that puts a fun twist on a serious topic.
Second place: Amy Alkon, Creators Syndicate, Advice Columns
Honorable Mention: Robert David Jaffe, Los Angeles Times, Op-ed
Fourth place: Mariel Garcia, Los Angeles Daily News, Editorial
B6 COLUMNIST
Gendy Alimurung, LA Weekly, “LaVida”
Comments: An interesting range of topics and a flair for language make this entrant the winner.
Second place: Dennis McCarthy, Los Angeles Daily News, Columns
Honorable Mention: Jonathan Gold, LA Weekly, Columns
B7 REVIEWS/CRITISM/COLUMN
Christophe Knight, Los Angeles Times, “Precious Stone”
Comment: Crisp, clean words that paint a picture in one’s mind of being at the exhibit.
Second Place: Ann Powers, Los Angeles Times, “Niel Diamond”
Honorable Mention: Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, “Hurricane Mama”
B8 ENTERTAINMENT NEWS OR FEATURE
Nancy Rommelmann, LA Weekly, “No Exit Plan,”
Comment: Nancy Rommelmann performs a skillful autopsy on the JT LeRoy myth. In dissecting the motivations of a liar, Rommelmann did not depend solely on the deceiver for the answers. She spins the story from its crazy beginning in Brooklyn Heights, and holds back enough to keep the reader’s interest all the way through.
Second Place: by Ella Taylor, LA Weekly, “Sacreligulous: Bill Maher’s Cross to Bear,”
Honorable Mention: Scott Gold, Los Angeles Times, “Enough About Me” and other stories
B9 SPORTS
Brian Dohn, Los Angeles Daily News, “It is positively a negative day for UCLA”
Comment: Well written. An interesting look at the losing side of college football.
B10 HEADLINE WRITING
Amy Alkon, Creators Syndicate, “From Beer to Eternity”
Comment: The headline is a clever takeoff on the title of a famous movie, but it also could be readily understood by anyone who hadn’t heard of the movie (As editors of the baby boom generation get older, they need to keep in mind that younger readers might not get certain cultural references.)
Second Place: Peter Fuertes, Los Angeles Daily News, “Deep-Sixed”
Honorable Mention: Peter Fuertes, Los Angeles Daily News, “Safety Concern”
B11 DESIGN
Derek Simmons, George Wilhelm and Jay Clendenin, Los Angeles Times, “Olympic Special Section”
Comments: The combination of outstanding photography, the subtle use of typography and clean, refined, conservative design that doesn’t compete with the image, creates a mood of pomp and pageantry not usually connected with sporting events. This reflects the uniqueness of the Olympic experience. This design works perfectly on every zoned cover.
Second Place: Darrick Rainey, LA Weekly, “Death of a Hollywood Beauty”
Honorable Mention: Kelli Sullivan, Michael Whitley, Mary Vignole, Doug Stevens, Thomas Suhlauder et al, Los Angeles Times, “Out of Control”
C. DAILY/WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS (Under 100K circulation)
C1 HARD NEWS
First Place: Joel Russell, Los Angeles Business Journal, “Univision Battle with Televisa.”
Comment: This is a strong, hard news story that not only breaks some important news for readers, but also is written well.
Second Place: Andre Coleman, Pasadena Weekly, “Body of Evidence.”
Honorable Mention: Alfred Lee, Pasadena Star-News, “Alleged Bribery Being Probed.”
C2 NEWS FEATURE
Brad A. Greenberg, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, “The Professor the Anti-Semites Love.” Judges’ comments: A well-written and thoughtful look at a bigoted college professor, who has become the pied-piper of racial discrimination while toiling unmolested at a California state university.
Second Place: Greg Mellen, Long Beach Press-Telegram, “Davik’s Heart.”
Honorable Mention: Carl Kozlowski, Pasadena Weekly, “Life on the Edge.”
C3 INVESTIGATIVE/SERIES
Anna Scott, Los Angeles Downtown News, “The Downtown Diamond Caper.” Judges comments: This is very interesting look into the relatively secret world of Los Angeles diamond dealers, and it provides insight into how one man could defraud his friends and colleagues. Great research and great interviews makes for a fabulous story.
Second Place: Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Business Journal, “Busted Ventures.”
Honorable Mention: Evan George, Los Angeles Daily Journal, “Citing Legal Fears, County Turns to Cops to Help Mental Patients.”
C4 BUSINESS
Richard Clough, Los Angeles Business Journal, “IndyMac’s Last Gasps”
Comments: Richard Clough not only explains what happened to IndyMac, he does so with compelling storytelling skills, crafting a hard-earned narrative of the decline and fall of a local institution set against the looming crisis nationwide.
Second Place: Richard Guzman, Los Angeles Downtown News, “Money Troubles and Conflicts at El Pueblo” and “City Looks to Boost Olvera Street Rents,”
Honorable Mention: Karen Robes Meeks, Long Beach Press-Telegram, “Retail vacancies a drag on reinvigorating iconic L.B. Street,” “Perceptions of crime cost Pine,” “Classy, but costly”
C5 COMMENTARY
Dr. Mauricio Heibron Jr., Long Beach Press-Telegram, “A Heart That Can’t Be Mended”
Comments: A column that makes this country’s gun debate heartbreakingly personal.
Second Place: Calvin Naito, Los Angeles Business Journal, “ Los Angeles Times Ripe for Some Advice on Reaching Local Readers”
Honorable Mention: Thomas D. Elias, California Focus Syndicated Column
C6 COLUMNIST: Columnist (Daily/Weekly Newspapers under 100,000 circulation)
David Suissa, Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
Comments: Thought-provoking columns filled with telling details.
Second Place: Rob Eshman, Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
Honorable Mention: Tim Grobaty, Long Beach Press-Telegram
C7 ENTERTAINMENT REVIEWS/CRITICISM/COLUMN
Joel Beers, OC Weekly, “Bloodless Passion,” “Float On,” “Hare Raising,” “Wacky Iraqi,”
Comments: Beers writes lively and thoughtful theater reviews with a strong sense of authority and tone to match a variety of material.
C8 ENTERTAINMENT NEWS OR FEATURE
Matt Coker, OC Weekly, “Rock Angel,”
Comments: This is a beautiful example of the rare well-written, tension-filled story about the artistic process. It’s also extremely entertaining – not only in Coker’s descriptions of the characters involved, but in the implicit suggestion that in the entertainment industry, it’s hard to follow Christian principles.
Second Place: Alfred Lee, Los Angeles City Beat, “Something 2 Dance 2,”
C9 SPORTS
Bob Keisser, Long Beach Press-Telegram, “A Century of Dominance,”
Comments: After a fun trick lead, this is a well-meaning story about a team that clearly deserves some attention.
Second Place: David Nusbaum, Los Angeles Business Journal, “In the Swim?”
C10 HEADLINE WRITING
Jon Regardie, Los Angeles Downtown News
Comments: In a field of strong contenders, Los Angeles Downtown News rises to the top with witty headlines that don’t rely too much on puns or teenage double-entendres, nor do they oversell the stories. Fun yet classy; not too aggressive.
Second Place: Steve Silkin, Los Angeles Business Journal
Honorable Mention: Kevin Uhrich, Pasadena Weekly
C11 DESIGN
Kelly Lewis, OC Weekly, “Best of OC”
Comments: Blurb-heavy packages are always a design challenge, but a fun, bright, celebratory cover, with clean and consistent internal design, makes for a winning combination. Extra points for making spot illustrations so distinct from ads.
Second Place: Daniel Kacyinski , The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, “Is our fate really sealed?”
Honorable Mention: Brian Allison, “Don’t Miss Summer,” Los Angeles Downtown News
D ART/PHOTOGRAPHY
D1 PHOTO OF THE YEAR
Barbara Davidson, Los Angeles Times, “School Tragedy”
Comments: This is a haunting powerful photo from coverage of the earthquake in China. It is a striking image that was also part of a photo essay that was not edited tightly enough. .
Second place: John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News, “Aerial photo – fires”
Honorable Mention: Carolyn Cole, Los Angeles Times, “ Kenya protest deaths”
D2 PHOTO ESSAY
Michael Robinson Chavez, Los Angeles Times, “Divided by death”
Comments: This is a moving, well-edited story. It brings a terrible human dimension to a story that is often over-simplified and trivialized in rhetoric.
Second place: Michael Robinson Chavez, Los Angeles Times, “Osettia”
Honorable Mention: Staff, Los Angeles Times, “Orange County Fires”
D3 EDITORIAL CARTOONING
Doug Davis, Los Angeles Downtown News, “Urban Scrawl”
Comments: Though Zell is an easy target, Doug Davis finds entertaining ways to keep the pressure on.
E TELEVISION
E1 BREAKING NEWS
Bret Marcus, Justin Schmidt, Linda Burns, Val Zavala, et al, SoCal Connected, KCET, “After the Burn”
E2 FEATURE
Bret Marcus, SoCal Connected, KCET “Foreclosure Alley”
Comments: Very creative and intriguing way to look at the foreclosure crisis that builds a strong connection with the viewer.
2nd place: Bret Marcus, SoCal Connected, KCET, “Gold Diggers”
Honorable Mention: Chris Blatchford, KTTV, “No Guns Fraud”
E3 INVESTIGATIVE/SERIES
Fred Mamoun and Ana Garcia. KNBC News, “Fighting For A Claim”
Comments: A story with wide-ranging impact. Very thorough reporting. Extensive interviews, well-sourced with powerful evidence. The interviews were compelling, the writing was crisp and clear. Great story that makes you think twice about whether you can really trust your insurance company.
2nd place: Bret Marcus, KCET, “Billboard Confidential”
Honorable Mention: Eric Longabardi, Vic Walter and Brian Ross. ABC News. “9-11 Redux Flight Schools”
E5 DOCUMENTARY
Bret Marcus, KCET, “Inside Locke High”
Comments: We all have heard about the problems facing children in disadvantaged neighborhoods. This story took us inside and introduced us to the faces of innocent children struggling to survive in the community crumbling around them. It was inspirational watching the teachers and mentors who are trying to make a difference and the children who are making great strides despite the adversity. Every civic leader who makes funding decisions regarding education should be forced to watch this must see story. Best thing we’ve seen in years.
2nd place: Kimber Liponi, KNBC, “A Child On Schindler’s List”
F RADIO
F1 BREAKING NEWS
Shirley Jahad, Frank Stoltze, Kitty Felde, KPCC 89.3, “Metrolink Crash”
Comments: Very good breaking news coverage of a tragic event. Anchor and reporters are calm and paint a vivid picture of the crash scene. Good information.
F2 FEATURE
Patricia Nazario, KPCC 89.3, “Her Three Sons”
Comments: Reporter had great access to the subjects of her stories. Very good use of sound bites and NATS. Fast-paced and interesting. Judges felt a connection to the family through the story.
2nd Place: Frank Stoltze, KPCC 89.3, “Prison Desegregation”
Honorable Mention: Queena Kim, KPCC 89.3, “California Dreaming”
RADIO INVESTIGATIVE/SERIES
Molly Peterson, Frank Stoltze, Patricia Nazario, Queena Kim, Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, KPCC 89.3, “Ashes of Oakridge”
Comment: Series captured the plight of people who lost everything. In-depth coverage was compelling to listen to. Great series.
2nd Place: Susan Valot, Frank Stoltze, Patricia Nazario, KPCC 89.3, “Mental Health”
Honorable Mention: Cason Smith, KSAK 90.1, “A Voice in Your Life”
F4 RADIO ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT REVIEWS/CRITICISM
Rob Long, KCRW, “Martini Shot” WHERE IS JUDGE COMMENT?
2nd Place: James Taylor, KCRW, “Theatre Talk”
F5 RADIO ENTERTAINMENT FEATURE
Kim Masters, KCRW, “Hollywood Magic”
Comments: Good job of taking a current event and making it an interesting “how do they do that?” piece. Great comparison tape and very good use of sound. Very interesting story.
2nd Place: Soo Ah Youn, Matt Holzman, KCRW, “She-pap”
Honorable Mention: Gail Eichenthal, Chris Stanley, KUSC, “The Mysterious Man-on-Wire”
F6 RADIO SPORTS
Susan Valot, KPCC 89. 3, “Olympic Badminton”
F7 RADIO PUBLIC AFFAIRS
John Rabe, Queena Kim, Frank Stolze, Marc Haefele, Kitty Felde, Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, Rico Gagliano, KPCC 89.3, “Tom Bradley”
Comments: Interesting look back into a part of LA history. The producers put a lot of work into finding old sound from Bradley’s tenure. The sound took the judges back in time and made the segment come alive.
2nd Place: Air Talk, KPCC 89.3, “Prop 8-Jerrry Brown”
Honorable Mention: Patt Morrison, KPCC 89.3, “RFK Tragedy Frozen in Time”
F8 RADIO DOCUMENTARY
Cason Smith, KSAK 90.1, “A Voice in Your Life”
Comments: Fascinating look behind the curtain of movies and TV voice-over work, with affectionate and loving memories of the best VO actor who ever lived. Fast-paced and well-produced.
2nd Place: Lincoln Myerson, Ariana Morgenstern, Sarah Spitz, JC Swiatek, KCRW, “McCabe’s at 50”
Honorable Mention: Jon Kalish, Sarah Spitz, KCRW, “Barrack 18”
MAGAZINES
G1 MAGAZINE NEWS/INVESTIGATIVE
David Evans, Bloomberg News, “Way Ahead of the Curve”
Comments: It is rare to find business reporting so clear and understandable on the topic of credit derivative swaps. Evans makes a complex system understandable and human. The fact that he did so early in the credit crisis makes his work seem downright prophetic. Excellent journalism on a consistently high level.
2nd Place: Joe Domanik, Playboy, Saving Los Angeles
Honorable Mention: Radley Balko, Reason Online, “Guilty Before Proven Innocent”
G2 MAGAZINE FEATURE/COMMENTARY
Seth Lubove, Bloomberg News, “Aegon Calling”
Comments: A compelling, well-researched and well-written article on a little-known side of the financial industry.
2nd place: Lorenzo Benet, People, “Family Matters”
Honorable Mention: Richard Siklos, Fortune, “The Man Who Would be Robbins, Covey and Chopra”
G3 MAGAZINE ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW/CRITICISM/COLUMN
Tim Cavanaugh, Reason, “When Free Love Died: Why the Sexual Revolution Plays Only in Reruns”
Comments: A great job of deconstructing some myths of popular culture, and a raw look at sexual mores.
G4 MAGAZINE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS/FEATURE
Richard Siklos, Fortune, “The Player”
Comments: Great insight into the rapidly changing world of providing (and measuring) television entertainment, as well as a fine personality piece on Ben Silverman. Siklos does a solid job of sorting out a complicated world.
2nd Place: Alexis Chiu, People, “Shania Twain”
Honorable Mention:, Cynthia Wang, People, ”Miichael Phelps”
G5 IN-HOUSE OR CORPORATE PUBLICATION
Jim Perry, Los Angeles Firefighter, “United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112”
Comments: It’s not slick or flashy, but this is a classic union publication that works hard to keep its members informed.
2nd Place: Monday Memo, Internet Law Center, Bennet Kelley.
G6 MAGAZINE DESIGN
Terry Colon, Reason, “What Part of Legal Immigration Don’t You Understand? A guide to America’s labyrinthine immigration bureaucracy”
Comments: The cartoon says it clearly: Welcome, but leave -– even though you have respectable jobs in nursing and carpentry.
H. NEWS BUREAUS AND CORRESPONDENTS
H1. BREAKING NEWS
Cathy Franklin, City News Service, “Molest Videotape”
Comments: Solid reporting.
H2 INVESTIGATIVE/SERIES
Eric Longabardi, Vic Walter, Brian Ross, ABC News/TeleMedia News, “9-11 Redux: Thousands of Aliens in US Flight Schools Illegally”
Comments: A thoroughly-researched and well-written story of national and international importance. A sobering account of what still has not been accomplished in a post 9-11 world that rightfully put pressure on officials to explain themselves and account for their failings. Investigative journalism at its finest.
2nd Place: Gary Cohn and Darrell Preston, Bloomberg News, “AARP’s Stealth Fees Often Sting Seniors with Costlier Insurance”
HM: Seth Lubove, Bloomberg News, “Business Jet Crashes Expose Rule-Breaking Brokers”
H3 Entertainment News/Feature
Richard Siklos, Fortune, “The Player”
Comments: An extremely well-written, detailed and throughout account of a major and unique player in the TV industry. Great reporting that shows impressive insight into the industry. It gives a very balanced presentation of a complex and distinct personality.
2nd place: Champ Clark, Ken Lee, Frank Swertlow, K.C. Baker and Alex Tresniowski
People Magazine, “The O’Neal Family Hollywood Tragedy”
HM: George Pennacchio, KABC-TV, “The Reality of Covering Hollywood”
I ONLINE
I1 ONLINE NEWS STORY, FEATURE, SERIES OR PACKAGE
Scott Ritter, Truthdig, “Dinner With Ahmed”
Comments: The author transported us back to the fateful meetings he had and made it clear the circumstances under which events were transpiring. Vivid details bring the experience to life. An important, well-told story that lets us know that more chapters may yet be written.
2nd Place: Wellford Wims, Truthdig, “Liberating the Schoolhouse
Honorable Mention: David Weigel and Julian Sanchez, Reason, “Who Wrote Ron Paul’s Newsletters?”
I2 MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE
Robert Meeks, Joseph Dickson, Chris Berry, Paul Penzella, Presstelegram.com, “Examination of the Juvenile Justice System”
Comments: The blending of the media elevates the traditional in-depth newspaper series approach to a new level with the implementation of audio and video. In one sitting the audience can get the equivalent of a days-long newspaper series with the augmentation of audio and video. Very good example of using the multimedia technique to enhance, rather than replace, a traditional journalistic approach to an important topic that demanded in-depth analysis.
2nd Place: Jon Gerung, Los Angeles Daily News, “2008 Holiday Film Preview”
Honorable Mention: Jon Gerung, Los Angeles Daily News, “The Dark Knight Returns”
I3 ONLINE COLUMN/COMMENTARY/CRITICISM
Chris Hedges, Truthdig, “Party to Murder”
Comments: Boldly presents the sad dilemma for the communities, profound commentary, presents a different perspective on this ongoing battle
2nd Place: Bill Boyarsky, Truthdig, “The End of an Institution”
Honorable Mention: Rip Rense, The Rip Post, “Making Funny”
I4 BLOGGING
Ted Johnson, Variety/Wilshire & Washington, “September 5th – Arrested Development and The Night at St. Paul”
Comments: compelling story and great descriptions, affected many members of the media, a great read.
2nd Place: Pat Saperstein, Eating L.A., “Denise Hamilton Embraces Vanishing Hollywood in ‘The Last Embrace’”
Honorable Mention: Bennet Kelley, The Huffington Post, “Candy Bombers, Obama and the End of Wal-Mart Nation”
J INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM
J1 HARD NEWS
Tom Walters and Adam Blair, CTV News, “Sylmar Fire”
Comments: In a segment that included striking visuals of fire-ravaged communities, the reporting team explained why the blaze spread rapidly and how homeowners reacted – using quotes and images to show the physical and emotional devastation.
J2 NEWS FEATURE
Rajesh Mirchandani, Regan Morris and Nick Atkins, BBC, “Vallejo Bankruptcy”
Comments: The report humanizes the bankruptcy of the city of Vallejo, skillfully mingling the voices of concerned citizens with the verbal battle involving public employee unions and city managers seeking to cut municipal labor costs. The feature includes background on the factors involved in the city’s economic decline and explores the possible impact on fire and emergency services.
2nd Place: David Willis, Regan Morris and Mark Walker, BBC, “Nevada Election”
Honorable Mention: Tom Tugend, Jerusalem Post, “Cooper profile”
J3 ENTERTAINMENT NEWS/FEATURE
Tom Tugend, Jerusalem Post, “Like Father, Like Son”
Comments: Tugend captures the wit of Carl and Rob Reiner in an article based on an interview with the entertainers. He explores their personal relationship, their careers, identity and politics in a report that makes great use of snappy quotes
2nd Place: Tom Walters and Adam Blair, CTV News, “Lucha Va Voom”
Honorable Mention: Tom Walters and Adam Blair, CTV News, “Heston Orbit”
J4 COLUMNIST/CRITIC
Izumi Hasegawa, TV Station Marugoto Zenbu Kaigai Drama, “Battlestar Galactica: A Journey of Fate”
Comments: The writer displayed keen knowledge of the original Battlestar Galactica and ably compared and contrasted it with the recent series. The reviewer provides background on the story line of the new series and ably explains how and why the character-driven nature of this program made it successful.
2nd Place: Tom Walters and Adam Blair, CTV News, “The Other Wall Street”
K2. Best STUDENT News Story College
Theresa Adams handled this shocking Wilshire district murder, allegedly committed by a college professor. With great aplomb. Her stories were rich with multiple sources, solid information, and great enterprise. Her writing about the murdered wife was particularly insightful.
2nd Place: Virginia Bulacio, Jamie Hong, Victoria Safarian and Jessica Russell of LA City Collage, Newspapers Tell Tale of Three Cities
HM: Theresa Adams, LA City Collage, Nurse Betsy
