Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
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SPJ Int’l connections?
SPJ prez Dana Neuts writes….
“Our International Committee has been fairly dormant the last couple of years. It hasn’t been disbanded, so to speak, but nothing is really happening. We have an inactive blog, a Twitter account and some other tools that aren’t really being utilized. There has not been a significant amount of interest in our recent history — until now. After reading my diversity post yesterday, a member of the St. Louis chapter urged me to devote some SPJ resources to addressing international journalism issues. He’s willing to chair the committee and he’s already got a list of ideas…but he’ll need a team to help. I heard from one or two others at EIJ that they would like to be involved too.
“If you, your colleagues, students or chapter members have an interest in international journalism, please let me know or share this email with them. Thank you!
Contact Dana at spj@virtuallyyourz.com
UTEP hosting workshop on immigration reporting
From our friends at the Rio Grande chapter:
The University of Texas-El Paso will host an institute for reporting on immigration in late September.
Borderzine, Reporting Across Fronteras, invites professional and independent journalists in the United States to apply to its first McCormick Specialized Reporting Institute on Immigration Reform. Fifteen journalists will be selected to take part in the intensive training Sept. 26-29.
The goal of the workshop is to give reporters the tools and a substantive understanding of immigration policy and research to do “compelling, nuanced and well-researched stories about the human face of immigration in their communities.”
The application deadline is Aug. 5. The Robert R. McCormick Foundation furnishes everything from tuition to housing, food and transportation. Find out more and apply here.
– See more at: http://www.nmspj.org/?p=3061#sthash.2I0CkZUO.dpuf
Durango, Colorado, wants to outlaw photography of public records
A great way to cut down on the cost of obtaining public records is to make your own copy.
In the past, that would have meant bringing in your own portable photocopier or one of those 110 spy cameras like they show in old movies on late-night TV. But today, with high-resolution digital cameras, cellphone cameras and tablet computers, it’s really easy.
So easy that Durango, Colo., wants to outlaw it.
The Durango Herald reports the city is going to vote on an ordinance Tuesday to bar records requesters from taking pictures of the documents they are seeking. City Clerk Amy Philips said the practice is costing the city money, in that the staff takes time to assemble “the records and let people come in and observe the records and tag which ones they want copies of, but we’re finding out now that people are able to come in with a phone and just (photograph) the copies.
“Then we don’t retrieve the money we spent.”
Along with banning photography, the city is planning to charge people $30 an hour for records requests to cover staff time spent filling the request on top of the 25-cent fee for copies.
The Durango City Council will vote on the proposal at the June 17 meeting.
We saw a similar argument in Utah, when that state’s legislature pushed through a bill gutting the state’s Government Records Access and Management Act. One of the changes it proposed was to add overhead costs — employee benefits, building utilities, rent, etc. — to the fees charged for records.
There are a couple problems with calls to “recoup” fees for public documents.
The fees charged for copying usually go well above and beyond the actual costs. When adding the costs of paper, toner and depreciation on the photocopier, the actual cost is about 1.5 cents per copy, which explains how copy centers can charge 7 cents a copy and stay in business.
I’ve personally seen a 911 dispatch center in Utah charge $20 for a recording of an emergency call on a compact disc. Depending on where you shop, a CD can cost about 25 cents a copy, and if Apple can get away with selling songs for 99 cents, a $1.25 would be a reasonable cost.
As far as the employees’ time, filling a records request, especially if it is a request that benefits the public, is just part of their job, which the public is already paying for through their taxes. Essentially, a records requester is being asked to pay twice for the same employee.
High fees can be used as a tool to deny access, especially for people of modest means.
A real-life example of this happened when the Utah Democratic Party sought records and correspondence releated to the Republican-dominated Legislature’s redistricting efforts. The Legislature charged them almost $15,000 for three boxes.
Officials only backed down when media outlets asked for the records.
A records fee could be justified in cases where a business is making the request solely for self-interest. But bureaucrats shouldn’t use public records as a revenue stream.
2013 Top of the Rockies Winners
The Top of the Rockies contest, our unofficial regional contest, were recently announced. Congratulations to those who entered.
CLASSIFICATION D: Circulation Less than 10,000
Info Graphic
Third Place: Chad Collins and Molly Armbrister, “Inside the Max,” Northern Colorado Business Report
Second Place: Mike Reid, “Market Snapshot,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
First Place: Mike Reid, “Memorial: the constant topic and blockbuster deal that shaped 2012,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Single Page Design
Third Place: Robert L. Ortiz, “Thunderstorms jump page,” The Southern Ute Drum
Second Place: Chad Collins, “2012 Energy Book,” Northern Colorado Business Report
First Place: Mike Reid, “More retail steps up to fill Tejon vacancies,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Feature Page Design
Second Place: Robert L. Ortiz, “Tribal Fair,” The Southern Ute Drum
First Place: Mike Reid, “People who shaped the year,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Front Page Design
Third Place: Mike Reid, Colorado Springs Business Journal
Second Place: Travis Kelly, Four Corners Free Press
First Place: Travis Kelly, Four Corners Free Press
Headline Writing:
First Place: Ace Stryker, “Bluegrass grows in Ignacio sun/Bearly hanging on/Glomerulonephritis,” The Southern Ute Drum
Special Section
Second place: Staff, “Discoveries 2012: Universities, Labs and the Economy,” Northern Colorado Business Report
First Place: Rowdy Tompkins, Rob Larimer, “Engage Colorado Springs,” Colorado Business Journal
Sports Photography
Third Place: Jeremy Wade Shockley, “Tri-Ute athletes face off in Towaoc,”The Southern Ute Drum
Second Place: Jeremy Wade Shockley, Christopher R. Rizzo, “Youth bull riding finals come to Ignacio,” The Southern Ute Drum
First Place: Jeremy Wade Shockley, “Dancers welcome top cyclists,” The Southern Ute Drum
Feature Photography
Third Place: Christopher R. Rizzo, “Youth workers clock out as summer’s end nears,” The Southern Ute Drum
Second Place: Robert L. Ortiz, “Cabin fever takes hold in Ignacio,” The Southern Ute Drum
First Place: Randy Siner, “Joe Badal,” New Mexico Business Weekly
News Photography
Second Place: Jeremy Wade Shockley, “20th Ignacio Bike Week kicks into gear,” The Southern Ute Drum
First Place: Jeremy Wade Shockley, “Hozhoni Days Powwow rocks the Fort,” The Southern Ute Drum
Spot News Photography
Third Place: Robert L. Ortiz, “Walking together,” The Southern Ute Drum
Second Place: Jeremy Wade Shockley, “Southern Ute Tribe rings in spring with traditional Bear Dance,” The Southern Ute Drum
First Place: Robert L. Ortiz, “Thunderstorms prompt worries of new fire starts,” The Southern Ute Drum
Blog
First Place: John Hazlehurst, Colorado Springs Business Journal
Health: Enterprise Reporting
First Place: Amy Gillentine, “Mental Illness: It’s the elephant in our room,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Health: General Reporting
Second Place: Sonja Horoshko, “Living with poison,” Four Corners Free Press
First Place: Amy Gillentine, “Mental health task forces to address gaps in care,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Environment: Enterprise Reporting
First Place: Jim Mimiaga, “Ute tribe challenges uranium-mill license renewal,” Four Corners Free Press
Environment: General Reporting
Third Place: Gail Binkly, “A balancing act for Sand Canyon,” Four Corners Free Press
Second Place: Anne Minard, “A bird on the brink,” Four Corners Free Press
First Place: Amanda Miller, “Green building LEEDs way to a sustainable future,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Legal: Enterprise Reporting
Second Place: Amanda Miller, “Burglary? Investors seize houses before they officially own them,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
First Place: Amy Gillentine, “Religious lawsuits fill court dockets,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Legal: General Reporting
Third Place: Ace Stryker, “Fiscal limbo,” The Southern Ute Drum
Second Place: Jim Mimiaga, “Reefer gladness,” Four Corners Free Press
First Place: Gail Binkly, “A taxing situation,” Four Corners Free Press
Politics: Enterprise Reporting
First Place: Ace Stryker, “Mr. Olguin goes to Washington,” The Southern Ute Drum
Politics: General Reporting
Second Place: Gail Binkly, “All Republican, all the time,” Four Corners Free Press
First Place: Sonja Horoshko, “A dispute over representation,” Four Corners Free Press
Agriculture: Enterprise Reporting
First Place: Amy Gillentine, “Industrial hemp could jump-start economy,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Agriculture: General Reporting
First Place: Anne Minard, “Oil-seed crops take root in the region,” Four Corners Free Press
Education: Enterprise Reporting
First Place: Monica Mendoza, “UCCS: Driving the region’s economic growth,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Education: General Reporting
Third Place: Gail Binkly, “Far-reaching teaching,” Four Corners Free Press
Second Place: Jeremy Wade Shockley, “’Secret Garden’ teaches kids about health, stewardship,” The Southern Ute Drum
First Place: Deb Hurley Brobst, “A Strong Soul,” Evergreen Newspapers
A&E: Enterprise Reporting
First Place: Sonja Horoshko, “An identity crisis for the cultural center?,” Four Corners Free Press
A&E: General Reporting
Third Place: Sonja Horoshko, “Native filmmakers share the spotlight,” Four Corners Free Press
Second Place: Gail Binkly, “Part Libertarian, part granola-cruncher, Fayhee offers a distinct perspective,” Four Corners Free Press
First Place: Monica Mendoza, “Forbes gives nod to remake of Jay-Z, Beatles‚ mash-up,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Business: Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Amy Gillentine, “Mayor Bach sets aggressive jobs goal, but is it possible?” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Second Place: Monica Mendoza, “City of Fountain pitching itself to national retailers,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
First Place: Steve Lynn, “Abound Solar plagued by defective panels,” Northern Colorado Business Report
Business: General Reporting
Third Place: Monica Mendoza, “Women’s Chamber plots new strategy,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Second Place: Steve Lynn, “Refugees place big burden on schools,”Northern Colorado Business Report
First Place: Amy Gillentine and John Hazlehurst, “Marijuana: Economic stimulant, or just a can of worms,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Sports: General Reporting
First Place: Christopher R. Rizzo, “Sun Ute lifeguard laces up for international championships,” The Southern Ute Drum
Personal or Humor Column
Third Place: Suzanne Strazza, Four Corners Free Press
Second Place: John Hopkins, Four Corners Free Press
First Place: David Fryxell, Desert Exposure
News Column
Third Place: Gail Binkly, Four Corners Free Press
Second Place: Katharhynn Heidelberg, Four Corners Free Press
First Place: Allen Greenberg, Northern Colorado Business Report
Editorials
Third Place: David Fryxell, Desert Exposure
Second Place: Ralph Routon, Colorado Springs Business Journal
First Place: Gail Binkly, Four Corners Free Press
News Feature
Third Place: Amanda Miller, “Developers opting not to build apartments downtown,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Second Place: Deb Hurley Brobst, “A Century of Fortitude,” Evergreen Newspapers
First Place: Deb Hurley Brobst, “When all winds become ill winds,”Evergreen Newspapers
Investigative/Enterprise Reporting
First Place: Dennis Domrzalski and Steve Ginsberg, “Labs in the balance,”
New Mexico Business Weekly
General Reporting: Series or Package
Third Place: Monica Mendoza and Amanda Miller, “The business of aging,” Colorado Springs Business Journal
Second Place: Jeremy Wade Shockley and Ace Stryker, “Southern Ute wildlife series,” The Southern Ute Drum
First Place: Ace Stryker, “Utes bless Christmas tree destined for U.S. Capitol/Tribal members tour Meeker historical sites,”The Southern Ute Drum
Breaking News
Second Place: Ace Stryker, “It’s official: Chimney Rock a national monument,” The Southern Ute Drum
First Place: Megan Kamerick, “Sony Pictures Imageworks to leave New Mexico,” New Mexico Business Weekly
General Reporting: Single Story
Third Place: Ace Stryker, “Pair of Christmas trees blessed by Ute elders arrives in D.C.,” The Southern Ute Drum
Second Place: Sonja Horoshko, “A firestorm over water,” Four Corners Free Press
First Place: Jeremy Wade Shockley, “Traditions live on in Buffalo Harvest,”The Southern Ute Drum
Public Service
First Place: Amy Gillentine and John Hazlehurst, “City hasn’t learned from long-ago wildfires,”Colorado Springs Business Journal
CLASSIFICATION: RADIO
Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Storee Powell, “Women’s Education,”Utah Public Radio
Second Place:Grace Hood, “Overworked and Underpaid? Teacher Staffing at Colorado Virtual Academy,”KUNC
First Place: Grace Hood, “With District Changes Looming, Colorado’s Largest Online School Considers Split,” KUNC
Feature Reporting
Third Place: Grace Hood, “A Day in the Life of a Wildfire Evacuee,” KUNC
Second Place: Megan Kamerick, “ISEA artists explore intersections of nature and technology,” KUNM
First Place: Nathan Heffel, “El Sistema: Transforming Youth Through Classical Music,”KUNC
Multimedia Story
First Place: KUNC News Staff, “Nano Beer Series,” KUNC
General Website Excellence
First Place: KUNC
Political Reporting
First Place: Storee Powell, “Democratic Congressional Candidates Debate this Week: Get to Know Them Before the Primary,” Utah Public Radio
A&E Reporting
First Place: Storee Powell, “Introducing the Logan Film Festival,” Utah Public Radio
News Feature
First Place: Storee Powell, “From New York to Utah: An Eyewitness Account of Hurricane Sandy,” Utah Public Radio
News Reporting
Third Place: Storee Powell, “Analyzing Women Voters: How They’ll Vote and Why,” Utah Public Radio
Second Place: Nathan Heffel, “The High Park Fire Base Camp: A Respite From The Blaze,”KUNC
First Place: Grace Hood and Nathan Heffel, “High Park Fire Displaces People, Animals,” KUNC
Public Service
Second Place: Storee Powell, “Concerns Raised for Seniors Over Voter ID Laws,” Utah Public Radio
First Place: Storee Powell, April Ashland, Kerry Bringhurst and Ryan Cunningham, “Mental Illness Awareness,” Utah Public Radio
General Broadcast Excellence
First Place: Megan Kamerick, “Public Square: Bullying,” KNME
CLASSIFICATION: TV
Feature Reporting
First Place: Ben Winslow, “Brigham Young’s Secret Wife?”KSTU FOX 13
News Reporting
First Place: Ben Winslow and Paul Sanchez, “Steven Powell Guilty,” KSTU FOX 13
Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Keli Rabon and Jason Foster, “Moving Mess,” KMGH 7 News
Second Place: Gadi Schwartz, Peter St. Cyr and Laurie Passman, “4 On Your Side: Campaign workers caught offering alcohol to voters” KOB TV
First Place: Keli Rabon and Jason Foster, “Testing the System: Justice for Rape Victims,” KMGH 7 News
CLASSIFICATION C: Circulation between 10,001-29,999
Info Graphic
Third Place: Luis Uribe, “Denver Home Market,” Denver Business Journal
Second Place: Boots Gifford, “Regulatory Reform Progress,”Denver Business Journal
First Place: Kiah Staley, “Beer cruise,”Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Agriculture: Enterprise
First Place: Joel Dyer, “Monsanto’s point of no return,”Boulder Weekly
Agriculture: General Reporting
Third Place: Pamela Hasterok, “Shares of LOVE Small-scale farms supply healthy, organic produce,”Durango Herald
Second Place: Elizabeth Miller, “Sprayed trespass,”Boulder Weekly
First Place: Cathy Proctor, “Coming up dry: Companies adjust as drought boosts food prices / Lack of water ripples through economy,”Denver Business Journal
Single Page Design
Third Place: Boots Gifford, “Single page 9-28-12,”Denver Business Journal
Second Place: Boots Gifford, “Single page 3-2-12,”Denver Business Journal
First Place: Angela St. Clair, “Jake Byrd presents,”Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Front Page Design
Third Place: Cynthia Miller, “Slices of History”Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
Second Place: Kristina Dunham, “Red-letter moment,”Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
First Place: Brian Barker, “Obama,” Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
Headline Writing
Second Place: Bruce Goldberg, Denver Business Journal
First Place: Dave Shelles, Spencer Elliott, Wyoming Tribune Eagle
News Column
Third Place: Joel Dyer, “Is City Council above the law?” Boulder Weekly
Second Place: Neil Westergaard, “Gaylord’s proposal wasn’t right from the start,” Denver Business Journal
First Place: Jefferson Dodge, “Papers, please: An attempt to infiltrate a closed meeting of a Boulder County board” Boulder Weekly
Feature Page Design
Third Place: Carlos Lopez, “Taste,” Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
Second Place: Carlos Lopez, “Turn up the steam,” Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
First Place: Angela St. Clair, “The monster in us,”Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Special Section
Third Place: Staff, “Forty under 40,”Denver Business Journal
Second Place: Staff, “Power Book,” Denver Business Journal
First Place: Staff, “Outstanding Women in Business,” Denver Business Journal
Sports: Enterprise Reporting
Second Place: Alex Riley, “South bound for success,”Wyoming Tribune Eagle
First Place: David Accomazzo, Jefferson Dodge, “Colorado football players collected scholarship money despite legal troubles,”Boulder Weekly
Sports Photography
Third Place: James Brosher, “East beats the clock,”Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Second Place: Steve Lewis, “STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS,” Durango Herald
First Place: Michael Smith, “Lassoed by the lens,”Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Feature Photography
Third Place: Kathleen Lavine, “Jetlinx,”Denver Business Journal
Second Place: Miranda Grubbs, “You know what you’re doing, right?”Wyoming Tribune Eagle
First Place: Jane Phillips, “Cozy Coats for Kids,”Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
News Photography
Third Place: Jane Phillips, “Slow Burn”Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
Second Place: Jane Phillips, “Best from behind the lens,”Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
First Place: Michael Smith, “Defender of democracy,”Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Spot News Photography
Third Place: Jerry McBride, “Search on for shooter,” Durango Herald
Second Place: Jane Phillips, “2 Killed ‘execution style’ in Rio Arriba,” Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
First Place: Jane Phillips, “Smoky Skyline,” Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
Multimedia Story
Second Place: Staff, “Forty under 40 multimedia,” Denver Business Journal
First Place: Staff, “Outstanding Women in Business multimedia,” Denver Business Journal
Mobile Applications
First Place: Staff, “Outstanding Women in Business multimedia,” Denver Business Journal
Blog
Second Place:Neil Westergaard, Denver Business Journal
First Place: Mark Harden, Denver Business Journal
General Website Excellence
Third Place: Staff, “WyoSports,” Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Second Place: Staff, Durango Herald
First Place: Staff, Denver Business Journal
Health: Enterprise Reporting
Second Place: Ed Sealover, “Proposed trauma center changes spark worry,” Denver Business Journal
First Place: Deborah Busemeyer, “A cannabis catch 22,”Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
Health: General Reporting
Third Place: Bruce Krasnow, “Doctor’s dismissal leaves questions,”Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
Second Place: Hadley Vandiver, “Penny wise,” Boulder Weekly
First Place: Ed Sealover, Keeley Blakely, Allison Sylte, “Health Care Quarterly: Looking toward the future,”Denver Business Journal
Environment: Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Cathy Proctor, Kathleen Lavine, “College student’s filing blocks Gates’ demolition,” Denver Business Journal
Second Place: Elizabeth Miller, “A road too far,”Boulder Weekly
First Place: Joel Dyer, ”Fracking lessons,” Boulder Weekly
Environment: General Reporting
Third Place: Cathy Proctor, “Initiatives worry water world,”Denver Business Journal
Second Place: Elizabeth Miller, “Blue Colorado,” Boulder Weekly
First Place: Joel Dyer, Jefferson Dodge, “Waste injection wells: The Earth’s invisible dump,”Boulder Weekly
Science: Enterprise Reporting
First Place: Greg Avery, “Why Accelr8 left Colo. for new Tucson home,”Denver Business Journal
Science: General Reporting
Second Place: Paul Weideman, “Disgruntled Ancestors: Scott G. Ortman on the conflicts that drive migration” Santa Fe New Mexican – 1
First Place: Greg Avery, “Ball picked for first private deep space project,”Denver Business Journal
Legal: General Reporting
Third Place: Steve Weishampel, “Boxed in: Resident says he turned to shipping containers after pressure,” Boulder Weekly
Second Place: Jefferson Dodge, “Trampled anti-war veteran gets his day in court,” Boulder Weekly
First Place: David Accomazzo, “A tale of two predators,” Boulder Weekly
Politics: Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Jefferson Dodge, “Heavy hitter to fight Longmont fracking ban,”Boulder Weekly
Second Place: Jefferson Dodge, “Can your vote be traced?,”Boulder Weekly
First Place: Jefferson Dodge, Joel Dyer, “Unzipped,” Boulder Weekly
Politics: General Reporting
Second Place: Trevor Brown, “Hunting RINOs,” Wyoming Tribune Eagle
First Place: Staff, “Election 2012: What happens next?” Denver Business Journal
Education: Enterprise Reporting
Second Place: Robert Nott, “When you are hungry and you are tired, how can you learn?”Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
First Place: Jefferson Dodge, “Fracking and academic freedom,”Boulder Weekly
Education: General Reporting
Third Place: Bruce Goldberg, “Tomorrow’s workforce STEMs from today’s young students,” Denver Business Journal
Second Place: Aerin Curtis, “We have a bullying problem,”Wyoming Tribune Eagle
First Place: Chase Olivarius-McAllister, “DHS aims to work some magic,” Durango Herald
A&E Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: David Accomazzo, “In the heart of Cirque du Soleil,”Boulder Weekly
Second Place: Joel Dyer, “Pilgrims of the stage,” Boulder Weekly
First Place: Elizabeth Miller, “The reintroduction of Clyfford Still,” Boulder Weekly
A&E Criticism
Third Place: Elizabeth Miller, “Written with a needle,” Boulder Weekly
Second Place: Elizabeth Miller, “Of adverbs and experimentation,” Boulder Weekly
First Place: Adele Oliveira, “Faith in Love: Paloma at Teatro Paraguas,”
Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
A&E Single Story
Third Place: Paul Weideman, “First Faces: Native American portraits at the New Mexico History Museum,” Santa Fe New Mexican – 1
Second Place: Josh Rhoten, “Jake Byrd presents,” Wyoming Tribune Eagle
First Place: Adele Oliveira, “A Wild Domesticity: Randall Davey and the Audubon Center,” Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
Business: Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Ed Sealover, “Pinnacol’s pricey push / Insurer paid Huggins’ salary as chairman,”Denver Business Journal
Second Place: Heather Draper, “The New Janus: CEO of battle-hardened money manager plots comeback,” Denver Business Journal
First Place: Emery Cowan, “SUDS & CRAFTS As appreciation for microbrews grows, makers rewarded for exploring and pushing boundaries,”Durango Herald
Business: General Reporting
Third Place: Bruce Krasnow, “Charter school bonds: A day of reckoning,” Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
Second Place: Heather Draper, Dennis Huspeni, “With Amendment 64 law, what’s next for Colorado?,” Denver Business Journal
First Place: Ed Sealover, “Behind United’s Tokyo deal,” Denver Business Journal
Sports: Columns
Third Place: Dale Shrull, Cortez Journal
Second Place: Alex Riley, Wyoming Tribune Eagle
First Place: Robert Gagliardi, Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Sports: General Reporting
Third Place: Jayme Moye, “New Heights” Women’s Adventure Magazine
Second Place: Elizabeth Miller, “One stage to rule them all,” Boulder Weekly
First Place: Josh Rhoten, “A big night at Big Country,” Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Editorials
First Place: Reed Eckhardt, Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Personal or Humor Column
Third Place: Neil Westergaard, Denver Business Journal
Second Place: John Peel, Durango Herald
First Place: Dale Shrull, Cortez Journal
Public Service
Third Place: Joel Dyer, Jefferson Dodge, Elizabeth Miller, “The Ghosts of Valmont Butte series,” Boulder Weekly
Second Place: Emery Cowan, “A HISTORIC PROMISE,” Durango Herald
First Place: Heather Draper, “Denver Public Schools bonds,” Denver Business Journal
News Feature
Third Place: Julie Ann Grimm, “Chief at Crossroads,” Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
Second Place: Elizabeth Miller, “Chasing the White Horse,” Boulder Weekly
First Place: Joel Dyer, “Motive behind the madness in Sikh shooting,” Boulder Weekly
Investigative/Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: James Chilton, “Secret agenda at city hall?” Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Second Place: Joe Hanel, “The state’s No. 1 dangerous pass is … Herald looks at snow, accidents, switchbacks to make determination,” Durango Herald
First Place: Julie Ann Grimm , Geoff Grammer, “Small Change Hustle,” Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
General Reporting- Series or Package
Third Place: Jefferson Dodge, Don Tartaglione, Michael Callahan, Travis Mannon, “Crews continue battling Flagstaff Fire outside of Boulder,” Boulder Weekly
Second Place: Dale Rodebaugh, Jordyn Dahl, “Missionary Ridge 10 Years later 39 DAYS OF DESTRUCTION,” Durango Herald
First Place: Staff, “The changing face of patriotism,” Boulder Weekly
Breaking News Story
Third Place: Shane Benjamin, “Family of 3 survives explosion,”Durango Herald
Second Place: Heather Draper, “Michael Van Gilder steps down as brokerage CEO amid trading probe,” Denver Business Journal
First Place: Becky Orr, Trevor Brown, Josh Mitchell, “American Eagle leaving,” Wyoming Tribune Eagle
News Reporting- Single Story
Third Place: Josh Rhoten, “Homeless in the Capital City,” Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Second Place: Nico Roesler, “Jury watches interview with man charged in child‚Äôs death,” Santa Fe New Mexican – 2
First Place: Ed Sealover, “Bidding on this state contract may cost your company 7 iPads,” Denver Business Journal
CLASSIFICATION B: Circulation between 30,000-74,999
Single Page Design
Third Place: Joshua Joye, “We Can be Queereos, Just For One Day,” SLUG Magazine
Second Place: Joshua Joye, “Ross Imburgia,” SLUG Magazine
First Place: Joshua Joye, “INVDRS,” SLUG Magazine
Feature Page Design
Third Place: Joshua Joye, “Super Top Secret,” SLUG Magazine
Second Place: Joshua Joye, “Torche,” SLUG Magazine
First Place: Joshua Joye, “Handcrafted Hacking,” SLUG Magazine
Front Page Design
Third Place: Robin Banks, “April 2012 – Record Store Day,” SLUG Magazine
Second Place: Joshua Joye, “November 2012 – A Place To Bury Strangers,” SLUG Magazine
First Place: Sean Hennefer, “June 2012 – Torche,” SLUG Magazine
Sports Photography
Third Place: Andy Wright, “Parker Duke,” SLUG Magazine
Second Place: Weston Colton, “Devin York,” SLUG Magazine
First Place: Lindsay Pierce, “Rocky Mountain Scottish Athletes practice,” YourHub Arvada
Feature Photography
Third Place: Seth A. McConnell, “Franktown students ride horses to school,”YourHub Douglas County
Second Place: Lindsay Pierce, “Preparing Hercules, a 290-pound pig, for JeffCo Fair,”YourHub Arvada
First Place: Seth A. McConnell, “Colorado Vintage Base Ball Association,” YourHub Douglas County
News Photography
Third Place: Seth A. McConnell, “Westernaires Practice,” YourHub Golden
Second Place: Lindsay Pierce, “Aurora Police program steps up DUI enforcement efforts,” YourHub Aurora
First Place: Seth A. McConnell, “Northern Arapaho Tribe at Arapahoe High School,” YourHub Arapahoe County
Mobile Application
First Place: Staff, SLUG Magazine iPhone App
Blog
Second Place: Gavin Sheehan, “Gavin’s Underground,” Salt Lake City Weekly
First Place: Colin Wolf, “The Secret Handshake,” Salt Lake City Weekly
Multimedia Story
Third Place: Candida Duran, “Summer of Death – Roughside 3,” SLUG Magazine
Second Place: Staff, “African-American infants die twice as often,” Colorado Public News
First Place: Matt Pothier, “Joshua James Album Release,” SLUG Magazine
General Website Excellence
Third Place: EdNews Colorado
Second Place: Colorado Public News
First Place: SLUGMag.com
Health: Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Erika Gonzalez, Carol McKinley, “Be healthy, win a bonus from the boss,” Colorado Public News
Second Place: Erika Gonzalez, Carol McKinley, “Bankruptcies up as medical costs soar,” Colorado Public News
First Place: Staff, “Drug prices in Colorado all over the map,” Colorado Public News
Health: General Reporting
Third Place: J. Adrian Stanley, “In a smoke-filled room …” Colorado Springs Independent
Second Place: Ann Imse, Carol McKinley, “State touts healthy population to entice companies, boost jobs,” Colorado Public News
First Place: Cara DeGette, Carol McKinley, “Dental issues in pregnant women put babies at risk,” Colorado Public News
Environment: Enterprise Reporting
Second Place: Stephen Dark, Jason Crosby, “Toxic Secret in Sandy: Dry-cleaning chemicals fester beneath Canyon Shopping Center,” Salt Lake City Weekly
First Place: J. Adrian Stanley, “Fifty shades of green,” Colorado Springs Independent
Environment: General Reporting
Third Place: Ann Imse, Drew Jaynes, “Colorado has backlog of 1,800 air pollution permits for oil and gas,” Colorado Public News
Second Place: Jayme Moye, “Cry Wolf,” Elevation Outdoors
First Place: Laura Paskus, “Death By A Thousand Cuts: Will Santa Fe’s campaign to buy up water rights kill the Rio Grande?,”Santa Fe Reporter
Science: General Reporting
First Place: Beth Potter, “Biotech on quest to market gel,” Boulder County Business Report
Legal: Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Stephen Dark, “Lost in the Hole: Mentally ill felons are locked in their own circle of hell,” Salt Lake City Weekly
Second Place: Eric S. Peterson, “The Wild Bunch: Public lands office goes in guns blazing, hiring cronies and sparing no taxpayer expense fighting the feds,” Salt Lake City Weekly
First Place: Chet Hardin, “Blood and circus; the vapor trail,” Colorado Springs Independent
Legal: General Reporting
Third Place: Ann Imse, Carol McKinley, Stephen Swofford, “Marijuana arrests up despite medical cards,” Colorado Public News
Second Place: Stephen Dark, “Warped Desire: A look inside the mind of a child pornographer,” Salt Lake City Weekly
First Place: Steve Knopper, “After Columbine,” Super Lawyers
Special Section
First Place: Staff, “InSider: 2012 Annual Manual to the Pikes Peak Region,” Colorado Springs Independent
Sports: Enterprise Reporting
Second Place: Joe Vaccarelli, “Denver’s Yvonne Phan climbs ranks in growing sport of roller derby,” Your Hub Denver,
First Place: Staff, “USA Pro Challenge preview,” Colorado Springs Independent
Sports: General Reporting
Third Place: Joe Vaccarelli, “New Denver minor league hockey team has passionate fan base,” YourHub Denver
Second Place: Katie Panzer, “Julian Carr,” SLUG Magazine
First Place: Dylan Chadwick, “Ultra Championship Wrestling,” SLUG Magazine
Politics: Enterprise Reporting
Second Place: Chet Hardin, “Liar, liar,” Colorado Springs Independent
First Place: Stephen Dark, “An Audit They Couldn’t Refuse: To help a church friend, Utah Lt. Gov. Greg Bell put DCFS on the hot seat,” Salt Lake City Weekly
Politics: General Reporting
Third Place: Bill Forman, “Western Tradition Partnership reporting,” Colorado Springs Independent
Second Place: Chet Hardin, “Left out,” Colorado Springs Independent
First Place: Jonathan Thompson, “Red State Rising,” High Country News
Agriculture: General Reporting
Third Place: Emilie Rusch, “Jeffco considers allowing backyard chickens, bees in residential lots,” YourHub Lakewood
Second Place: Tanya Ishikawa, “Veterans to Farmers – Iraq Vet Finds a Fresh Start in the Greenhouse,” Boulder Magazine
First Place: Matt Jenkins, “Water Warrior,” High Country News
Education: Enterprise Reporting
Second Place: Clayton Woullard, “Douglas County teachers react to uncertainty,” YourHub Douglas County
First Place: Staff, “Medical marijuana and K-12 schools,” EdNews Colorado
Education: General Reporting
First Place: Nancy Mitchell, Rebecca Jones, Burt Hubbard, Todd Engdahl, “State investigating two Denver schools,” EdNews Colorado
A&E Enterprise Reporting
Second Place: Scott Renshaw, “Funny Business,” Salt Lake City Weekly
First Place: Colin Wolf, “Heavy Metal: With swords at the ready, Utah history re-enactors wage a protest against the 21st century,” Salt Lake City Weekly
A&E Criticism
Third Place: Bryce Crawford, “Appetite reviews,” Colorado Springs Independent
Second Place: Bill Frost, “True TV Guide Fall Preview,” Salt Lake City Weekly
First Place: Scott Renshaw, “Shhhhhh!” Salt Lake City Weekly
A&E Single Story
Third Place: Mike Furness, “The Mormon Masterpiece,” Salt Lake City Weekly
Second Place: Kirsten Akens, Matthew Schniper, Sara Michael, “How to succeed in film,” Colorado Springs Independent
First Place: Colin Wolf, “Latter-Day Reality: Reality TV shines a spotlight on Utah stereotypes,” Salt Lake City Weekly
Business: Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Joe Vaccarelli, “Denver’s Rockbar losing liquor, cabaret licenses,”
YourHub Denver
Second Place: Eric S. Peterson, “Deserted News: From family values to Windergate, the Deseret News, one year after mass layoffs,” Salt Lake City Weekly
First Place: Pam Zubeck, “Close UP,” Colorado Springs Independent
Business: General Reporting
Third Place: Greg Hanscom, “The Hardest Climb,” High Country News
Second Place: Matthew Schniper, “Adventures in crowdfunding,” Colorado Springs Independent
First Place: Jason Stevenson, “Why Outdoor Retailer and its $40 million convention may be about to “Take a Hike””Salt Lake City Weekly
Personal or Humor Column
Third Place: Rich Tosches, “Ranger Rich,” Colorado Springs Independent
Second Place: Doug Storum, Boulder County Business Report
First Place: John Rasmuson, “Man of Words,”Salt Lake City Weekly
News Column
Third Place: Laura Paskus, “First Person,” Santa Fe Reporter
Second Place: Rebecca Walsh, “Wright Wrong, Women’s Work, Rich Mitt,” Salt Lake City Weekly
First Place: Ralph Routon, “Between the Lines,” Colorado Springs Independent
Editorial
First Place: Boulder County Business Report
News Feature
Third Place: Pam Zubeck, “Cracks in the code,” Colorado Springs Independent
Second Place: Eric S. Peterson, “What I Saw: A reporter’s eyewitness account of the Main Street police standoff,” Salt Lake City Weekly
First Place: Leticia Steffen, “THE END IS NEAR … or maybe not,” Pueblo Chieftain
Investigative/Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Carolyn Campbell, “Sweetheart Swindlers: In the pursuit of love, smart women can be easy prey for scoundrels,” Salt Lake City Weekly
Second Place: Colin Wolf, “Steal this Bike: What does it take to get someone to steal a bike in this town?” Salt Lake City Weekly
First Place: Eric S. Peterson, “Campaign Confidential, Dialing for Dollars and Phone Predators,” Salt Lake City Weekly
General Reporting- Series or Package
Third Place: Joey Kirchmer, “Brighton pit bull remains in quarantine after reported attacks; Detained Brighton pit bull, Dre, set to go home,” YourHub Adams County
Second Place: Joey Kirchmer, “More budget cuts heading to Adams 12 Five Star Schools,” YourHub Adams County
First Place: Staff, “Waldo Canyon Fire coverage,” Colorado Springs Independent
News Reporting- Single Story
Third Place: Joey Kirchmer, “Aurora Police program steps up DUI enforcement efforts,” YourHub Aurora
Second Place: Joey Kirchmer, “Fundraiser for victims of Aurora theater shootings,” YourHub Aurora
First Place: Josie Klemaier, “Denver-Glenwood Springs bike path nearing reality,”YourHub Golden
Public Service
Second Place: Joey Kirchmer, “Aurora Warms the Night cools down homeless during heat wave,” YourHub Aurora
First Place: Jason Stevenson, Joseph Jarvis, “The Great Obamacare Scare: Ten reasons Utahns greatly fear the Affordable Care Act, even if none is true,” Salt Lake City Weekly
CLASSIFICATION A: Circulation more than 75,000
Info Graphic
Third Place: Cathryn Cunningham, “Spring Fling,”Albuquerque Journal
Second Place: Severiano Galvn, “”We weren’t novices”: Getting out of hand”Denver Post
First Place: Severiano Galvn, ““Missile” Missy ready for launch” Denver Post
Agriculture: General Reporting
Third Place: Steve Raabe, Tender Wagyu muscles onto meat scene, makes stock-show exhibition debut, Denver Post
Second Place: Marjorie Cortez, Cattle branding ritual endures as Western ranchers await new regulations on animal ID, Deseret News
First Place: Carol McGraw, Still tall in saddle, Colorado Springs Gazette
Single Page Design
Second Place: Elizabeth Trujillo, Last Bell, Albuquerque Journal
First:Jenna Busey, BYU Passing Offense: 40 years in the air, Salt Lake Tribune
Front Page Design
Third Place: Leah Derrington, Duke City’s ‘Bad’ Boy, Albuquerque Journal
Second Place: Leanna Efird, A BRIGHTER DAY IS GOING TO COME, Denver Post
First Place: Staff, All eyes on the sky; ‘Something better awaits us’;’This was just evil’; Emilie, the way she was, Salt Lake Tribune
Headline Writing
Third Place: Dale Ulland, Denver Post
Second Place: Dale Ulland, Denver Post
First Place: Dale Ulland, Denver Post
News Column
Third Place: Peg McEntee, Salt Lake Tribune
Second Place: Barry Noreen, Colorado Springs Gazette
First Place: Joline Gutierrez Krueger, Albuquerque Journal
Feature Page Design
Third Place: Jennifer Swanson, Rising to a crescendo, Albuquerque Journal
Second Place: Francisco Kjolseth, Salt Lake Tribune
First Place: Rudy Mesicek, Salt Lake Tribune
Special Section
Third Place: Staff, “New Mexico — 100 Years of Statehood,” Albuquerque Journal
Second Place: Staff, “Fire Heroes,” Colorado Springs Gazette
First Place: Staff, “Heroes Among Us,” Denver Post
Sports: Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Benjamin Hochman, “Larry Eustachy, CSU Rams basketball coach, past addiction, problems,”Denver Post
Second Place: Benjamin Hochman, “Nuggets GM Ujiri works overtime in pursuit of greatness,” Denver Post
First Place: Mark Smith, “Kenny Thomas Foundation,”Albuquerque Journal
Sports Photography
Third Place: Bryce Boyer, “Golden Girl,” 5280
Second Place: Mark Reis, “color run,” Colorado Springs Gazette
First Place: Helen H. Richardson, “Cowboy Wave,” Denver Post
Feature Photography
Third Place:Dana Romanoff, “The Happy Shrewdness of John Hickenlooper,” 5280
Second Place: RJ Sangosti, “Snow Day,”Denver Post
First Place: Joe Amon, “Heroin in Denver,” Denver Post
News Photography
Third Place: Francisco Kjolseth, Border agent laid to rest in Utah, Salt Lake Tribune
Second Place: Staff, “Colorado Fire Season,” Denver Post
First Place: Staff, “Aurora Theater Shooting,” Denver Post
Spot News Photography
Third Place: Mark Reis, The President’s Shoes, Colorado Springs Gazette
Second Place: RJ Sangosti, Neighborhood on Fire, Denver Post
First Place: Al Hartmann, “’Wall of fire’ devastates,”Salt Lake Tribune
Multimedia Story
Second Place: Staff, “Titanic Anniversary: 100 years later,” Denver Post
First Place: Staff, “Heroin in Denver,” Denver Post
Mobile Applications
Second Place: Staff, Ski Guide, Denver Post
First Place, Staff, Denver Post
Blog
Third Place: Staff, “The Spot,” Denver Post
Second Place: Staff, “First Drafts,” Denver Post
First Place: Staff, “Plog,” Denver Post
General Website Excellence
Second Place: Staff, Denver Post
First Place: Staff, Salt Lake City Tribune
Health: Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Heather May, Julia Lyon, Melinda Rogers, “Who is Nicola Riley?” Salt Lake Tribune
Second Place: Kirsten Stewart, “A Prescription for Health,” Salt Lake Tribune
First Place: Michael Booth, “Heroin in Denver,” Denver Post
Health: General Reporting
Third Place: Barbara Cotter, “Victims of violence fine relief from pain, fears at hands of fornsic nurses,” Colorado Springs Gazette
Second Place: Lois M. Collins, “Life’s final journey series,” Deseret News
First Place: Kirsten Stewart, Scott Sommerdorf, “Saving Buddy,” Salt Lake Tribune
Environment: Enterprise Reporting
Second Place: Brandon Loomis, “Our Dying Forests,” Salt Lake Tribune
First Place: Amy Joi O’Donoghue, “The fight for water: Here’s why the West’s oldest battle could hit you at the tap,” Deseret News
Environment: General Reporting
Third Place: Scott Rappold, “See Colorado’s glaciers while you still can,” Colorado Springs Gazette
Second Place: Andrew Wineke, “Drilling requires water – lot’s of it,” Colorado Springs Gazette
First Place: Amy Joi O’Donoghue, “Clearing the air: That air you’re breathing may be slowly killing you,” Deseret News
Science: General Reporting
First Place: Andrew Wineke, “Wastewater disposal after drilling a nagging problem,” Colorado Springs Gazette
Legal: Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Aaron Falk, “Roman trial: Doubt takes hold,” Salt Lake Tribune
Second Place: Brooke Adams, Melinda Rogers, “Warrants built case against husband,” Salt Lake Tribune
First Place: Nate Carlisle, Cimaron Neugebauer, “UHP’s blind spot: patrolling itself,” Salt Lake Tribune
Legal: General Reporting
Third Place: Marjorie Cortez, “Homeless court metes out justice in accessible setting,” Deseret News
Second Place: Sara Israelsen-Hartley, “Colliding causes: gay rights and religious liberty,” Deseret News
First Place: Aaron Falk, “The Price of Freedom,”Salt Lake Tribune
Politics: Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Matt Canham, “The birth of a politician; 1977: Hatch takes office as a freshman fighter,” Salt Lake Tribune
Second Place: Peggy Stack, Lee Davidson, Matt Canham, “Will black Mormons vote their race or their religion?” Salt Lake Tribune
First Place: Nic Garcia, “Anger spurs action,” Out Front
Politics: General Reporting
Third Place: Benjamin Wood, “Cedar Hills residents look for healing and a fresh start following decade of controversy,” Deseret News
Second Place: Lynn Bartels, Jessica Fender, Tim Hoover, “Civil Unions,” Denver Post
First Place: Sara Israelsen-Hartley, “Mending Marriages: States Consider Divorce Reform in Attempt to Preserve Families,” Deseret News
Education: Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Celia Baker, “Flipped classrooms: Turning learning upside down,” Deseret News
Second Place: Celia Baker, “Credit hours vs. competency debate continues for classes,” Deseret News
First Place: Celia Baker, “Crushing debt: Students finding solutions to avoid or survive loans, Deseret News
Education: General Reporting
Third Place: Kevin Simpson, “Hickenlooper’s 2004 pledge to students of Denver’s Cole Middle School fulfilled, failed,” Denver Post
Second Place: Kevin Simpson, “Rise in student plagiarism cases attributed to blurred lines of digital world,” Denver Post
First Place: Hailey Heinz, “Diploma Costs Weekend and $200,” Albuquerque Journal
A&E Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Karen Schwartz, “THE PASSION OF THE CHRISTO: Monumental artist talks about unbreakable bond with late wife Jeanne-Claude,” The Daily
Second Place: John Wenzel, “Behind the velvet rope: Getting into Denver’s hottest nightclubs can be a controversial process,”Denver Post
First Place: Rachel Lowry, “The telling of a tale: Christmas stories teach, persuade, define us,” Deseret News
A&E Criticism
Second Place: Scott D. Pierce, Salt Lake Tribune
First Place: Sean P. Means, Salt Lake Tribune
A&E Single Story
Third Place: Adrian Gomez, “Duke City Bad Boy,” Albuquerque Journal
Second Place: Lindsey B. Koehler, “The Battle Hymn of OneRepublic,” 5280
First Place: Ben Fulton, “The Business of ‘Les Miz’:Why are Utahns so in love with the epic musical?” Salt Lake Tribune
Business: Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: Luc Hatlestad, “The Strangest Show on Earth,” 5280
Second Place: Staff, “UTOPIA: Fiber-optic nirvana or nightmare with no way out?” Salt Lake Tribune
First Place: Staff, “Will City Creek’s opening help downtown SLC reclaim its glory,” Salt Lake Tribune
Business: General Reporting
Third Place: Derek P. Jensen, Dawn House, “LDS mall rules bad for biz?” Salt Lake Tribune
Second Place: Mark Jaffe, “Xcel’s SmartGridCity plan fails to connect with Boulder,” Denver Post
First Place: Tony Semerad, “Records: Incidents at Utah refineries numerous,” Salt Lake Tribune
Sports: Columns
Third Place: Paul Klee, Colorado Springs Gazette
Second Place: Kurt Kragthorpe, Salt Lake Tribune
First Place: Mark Kiszla, Denver Post
Sports: General Reporting
Third Place: Bill Oram, “Letters to Lily: Utah football player writes his own story,” Salt Lake Tribune
Second Place: Benjamin Hochman, “Ty & Chico: Lawson, alter ego playing star roles with Nuggets,” Denver Post
First Place: Robert Sanchez, “Golden Girl,” 5280
Editorials
Second Place: Sharon Hedrix, Albuquerque Journal
First Place: D’Val Westphal, Albuquerque Journal
Column Personal/Humor
Third Place: Jay Evensen, “On Second Thought,” Deseret News
Second Place: Bill Vogrin, “Vogrin columns,” Colorado Springs Gazette
First Place: Robert Kirby, “Robert Kirby columns,” Salt Lake Tribune
Public Service
Third Place: Jeff Proctor, “Officers Get Union Checks After Shootings,” Albuquerque Journal
Second Place: Julie Dugdale, Chris Outcalt, “Beneath the Surface,” 5280
First Place: Staff, “Failed To Death,” The Denver Post
News Feature
Third Place: Robert Sanchez, “Chasing A Ghost,” 5280
Second Place: Barbara Cotter, “Victims of violence find relief from pain, fears at hands of forensic nurses,” Colorado Springs Gazette
First Place: Kevin Simpson, “Denver woman feels the power of restorative justice after son murdered,” Denver Post
Investigative/Enterprise Reporting
Third Place: John Ingold, “Decade after Hayman fire, questions linger about fire’s start,” Denver Post
Second Place: Mike Gallagher, “New Mexico’s love affair with drugs,” Albuquerque Journal
First Place: Jennifer Brown, “Grades out on consultants,” Denver Post
General Reporting- Series or Package
Third Place: Staff, “Coming to our Census,” Deseret News
Second Place: Olivier Uyttebrouck, Charles Brunt, Rene Romo, “Returning Veterans Need Help To Heal Invisible Wounds,” Albuquerque Journal
First Place: Lois M. Collins, Jamshid G. Askar, “The war on boys/Losing ground,” Deseret News
News Reporting- Single Story
Third Place: Brooke Adams, “Adoption ordeal: Hope, doubts,” Salt Lake Tribune
Second Place: Dennis Romboy, “In search of hope along the U.S.-Mexico border,” Deseret News
First Place: David Montero, Kimball Bennion, “Emilie, the way she was,” Salt Lake Tribune
Breaking News Story
Third Place: Staff, “Waldo Canyon fire,” Denver Post
Second Place: Staff, “This was just evil’,”Salt Lake Tribune
First Place: Staff, “Midnight Massacre,” Denver Post
University of Wyoming will release names of finalists for presidency, depsite law
This blog entry also appears on the SPJ FOI blog
It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster ride in Laramie for open-government advocates.
First, in January a district court judge ruled in favor of media organizations that the names for the finalists for the University of Wyoming’s presidency should be public record. The university was planning a secret selection process, using the shop-worn argument that good candidates wouldn’t bother applying if their current employers knew they were looking for a job.
But the ink on the court ruling was barely dry when Wyoming House Majority Leader Kermit Brown, R-Laramie, introduced legislation that would make the finalists information secret. At a committee hearing, university officials testified that four of the eight semi-finalists for the job withdrew after the court decision. The fact that the bill went through the Minerals Committee instead of either a higher-education or judiciary committee raises questions about intent.
SPJ’s FOI Committee weighed in, with Chairwoman Linda Petersen and National President Sonny Alborado writing a letter urging the bill’s veto.
The bill passed through the legislature quickly, and Gov. Matt Mead allowed the bill to become law without his signature, on Feb. 8 due to the veto-proof majorities in the Legislature that passed the bill. There was a glimmer of hope in Mead’s warning that the Legislature should not further erode the state’s open-records law.
But it looked like the presidential search would be shrouded in secrecy. Then, as the Student Press Law Center reported Feb. 22, the university decided that it would make the finalists public.
But the law is still on the books, which means the Wyoming media may have to fight this battle again. But at least it can rely on this presidential search to show that sunlight did not scare off qualified candidates.
It Wasn’t All Fun and Games in Florida
It was great seeing fellow Region 9 members at the Excellence in Journalism conference in Fort Lauderdale. Three of our four pro chapters were well represented, and I saw a few of our student members there.
Like other SPJ conventions, it was a great time to meet with folks from other parts of the country, build up the network and renew friendships. But we also got a lot of work done as well.
One great piece of news that came up during the convention was Rio Grande Pro’s decision to host the 2013 regional convention. As those of you who have hosted a regional conference know, this is not a light undertaking. I’ve been there. I’ve pledged my support to help in any way I can, and I want to urge everyone in the region to pitch in, whether it is expertise, planning assistance or even money. While the folks in New Mexico are gracious enough to host the chapter, let’s remember it is a regional conference and work together to again demonstrate why this is one of SPJ’s greatest regions. If you are interested in helping, contact Julie Ann Grimm in New Mexico or me. And our good friend and now immediate past-president John Ensslin said he would try to adjust his schedule to come to the regional to represent SPJ’s executive committee.
Here’s a recap of what happened at the national board meeting.
The board voted to create a traveling Ted Scripps Leadership Institute. SPJ used to conduct this great training program at IUPUI’s hotel/conference center in Indianapolis, but the university is closing it to use the space for classrooms and dorms. To replace it, the board voted to give staff the go-ahead to launch a traveling program. The goal is to visit four regions a year, at a place that will be no more than eight hours’ drive for any SPJ member in the region. The program will allow for more people from chapters to get the leadership training and bring it home to strengthen the chapters. Those of you who have been through the training know what a valuable resource this is, so it is exciting to see that it will continue in a way that will make it accessible to more SPJ members than before.
Starting in January, you’ll be able to pay for your SPJ membership with a credit card. Joe Skeel, our national director, told us the office finally has the software package in place to make this possible. This will allow people to set up an automatic renewal on their membership, as well as to pay their dues on a monthly basis rather than yearly. That should make membership a bit affordable. However, you’ll have to opt in to the program, and it will cost an extra $5 a year to cover the cost of processing credit cards. But it has the potential to reduce dues to a $6.67 monthly payment. I’ll post more details as they become available.
The board also voted to roll out an institutional membership program. This will allow a news outlet to join SPJ and get its employees a $15 discount on annual dues. The program will have three tiers — bronze, silver and gold — with additional benefits for the higher levels. For example, a gold member would pay $1,250 a year and get a free national convention registration for one person and an in-person in-house training program for all employees. Other benefits include a free regional conference registration, free job postings and customized webinar, which would be available to gold and silver institutional members. If you weigh the costs of sending one employee to Poynter, SPJ National or other training programs, the gold membership can be a bargain when you figure you can bring in a high-quality training program for your entire staff each year. Joe Skeel said the program came about after interviewing newsroom managers about what they wanted out of SPJ. One of the goals is to get the SPJ culture into more newsrooms.
SPJ also prepared guidelines for the best practices in chapter finances in the wake of the embezzlement scandal that rocked Region 8 this year. I will send out copies to the chapter leaders, but essentially it calls for additional oversight of chapter accounts and recommends such things as having second signers on checks and regular reviews of the finances.
The board also adopted procedures for creating chapters overseas. This is a response to journalists overseas who see what SPJ stands for and want to see it in their countries.
During our Sunday meeting, the SPJ national board voted to give each of the national committees that meet during the national convention one free convention registration. This is a measure I fought hard for. At points, I felt like Benjamin Franklin working the salons of Paris trying to convince the French to support American independence. But I believe that the national committee chairs are some of the hardest-working people at SPJ’s national level. And for many of them, it is a serious sacrifice to take time away from jobs and families to come to the convention to conduct committee meetings and other tasks at the convention. While a free convention registration doesn’t fully make up for that, it is a way to thank these people for their service. We’re going to do it for one year, with the option to review it at next year’s convention, which will be at the Anaheim Marriott, next door to DisneyLand.
Utah Headliners and Colorado Pro were both recognized in SPJ’s Circle of Excellence for work in FOI and campus relations respectively. Congratulations to those chapters.
I also want to thank you all for your support. You all are the people who truly make SPJ a worthwhile organization. You are the ones in the trenches fighting the battles for open government, encouraging students that journalism is a worthy profession at a time when others are writing its epitath and carrying SPJ’s standards into newsrooms around the region. You are the folks who make SPJ great, and I consider it a privilege to serve as your representative and voice on the national board.
Why I’m an SPJ Member
The Sanpete Messenger, a weekly newspaper serving the communities in Utah’s rural Sanpete County, was in an open-records fight with the Utah Highway Patrol.
Christian Probasco, a reporter with the Messenger, was seeking information on an accident where a teenage boy who wandered away from a group home was hit and injured by a car on a rural highway at night. The UHP provided the information, but redacted the information on the boy. Probasco said he was told that the patrol had a policy to not release minors’ names, despite state laws saying that the media had access to accident reports.
Probasco wasn’t willing to let it go, especially with the possibility that the denial was politically motivated; he and his publisher said the investigating officer might be the co-owner — with a local mayor —of the group home the boy was living at.
Probasco appealed this denial through the Department of Public Safety and was denied, all claiming that releasing the boy’s name would constitute an “unwarranted invasion of privacy.” The next level of recourse was the Utah State Records Committee, a body that hears appeals under the state Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA). Appearing before the committee can be intimidating for the average person. Those who speak have to swear to tell the truth under pain of perjury charges. They have to present their cases in about a half-hour. And they have to face the people withholding the records and their attorneys.
In this case, Probasco and his publisher, Suzanne Dean, were facing an assistant Utah Attorney General. And, they had to take off an entire day to make the trip to Salt Lake City.
Adding to the potential stress level were the consequences if they lost. If the board agreed with the highway patrol, it would set a precedent for withholding minors’ names, and embolden bureaucrats to further shroud records in secrecy.
Fortunately, Dean and Probasco didn’t go in alone. SPJ was at their side.
SPJ National FOI Chairwoman Linda Petersen was there, testifying that the state’s arguments for privacy were a ridiculous twisting of GRAMA. “It is a very dangerous thing when law enforcers become interpreters of the law,” Petersen said.
Sheryl Worsley, president of the Utah Headliners Chapter was there as well. She told the committee that having information like Probasco sought is what helps journalists tell the stories that make a difference, that put human faces on problems and motivate people to right wrongs.
Joel Campbell, a former National FOI chairman, also reminded the committee that the state Legislature said journalists could have all names listed in a motor-vehicle accident report, giving them the historical background on the legislation.
I was there as part of the contingent of reporters covering the hearing, many of whom were alerted by Campbell, Petersen and Worsley to the significance of the hearing.
The good news is that Probasco won. The committee ruled that the state, which even went as far as to suggest the teen should not be named because there was a possibility he might be criminally charged for walking in the road at night, failed to prove the request was a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. I can’t say if SPJ’s presence tipped the scales, but it showed that someone was watching and willing to stand up for the public’s right to know.
The case is not over just yet; the state is mulling a possible appeal to district court. But Dean and Probasco know if that should happen, they have friends in SPJ who will stand beside them at the barricades.
And that is why I’m an SPJ member.
Utah Court issues new rules for electronic media
The Utah Judicial Council is considering new rules that would allow electronic media, including video and audio, coverage of trials in the state. Currently, the state only allows still photography in district court cases. Another rule allows for the use of computers, cellphones and other electronic devices in courtrooms, with the judge’s permission. These rules represent a significant change. The comment period is open until Aug. 14. You can comment here. I posted the following there:
As regional director for the Society of Professional Journalists, the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, I fully support adopting Rule 04-0401.01, which would allow electronic media coverage of court proceedings.
The rule would allow the public to see and hear more accurately what actually takes place in Utah’s courtrooms. For many Utahns,this might provide their first look into the judicial system. This rule change will place Utah’s courts at the forefront of transparency, which benefits the courts, those who appear before its bar and the public it serves.
An open court has been one of the hallmarks of American society. Our nation’s founders understood the abuses of England’s Star Chamber and secret tribunals, and made sure that trials would be for the most part open to the public. Indeed, the U.S. Supreme has recognized the First Amendment right of the public and press to attend court proceedings. Increasing accessibility is a logical extension of the right.
Today, the judicial branch is one of the more powerful branches of government. It not only defines and enforces the laws, but it also has the power to deny people of property, liberty and — in some cases — life. But it is one branch that is partly shrouded in mystery. Most people usually do not have occasion to go to a courtroom. And past rules on media coverage have helped further obscure the court’s operation from the public eye. Permitting journalists’ video cameras and audio recorders into courtrooms will allow people to see better how the courts operate, giving them a better perspective than they would otherwise have.
The court is currently engaged in a campaign to encourage more Utahns to perform their civic duty as jurors. Opening up the courts to digital media would help advance that effort as people would have a better understanding of what happens at a trial, rather than having to rely on what they see in entertainment media.
Openness would also further ensure a defendant’s right to a fair trial. With more people being able to watch or hear a trial, it would allow the public to see whether a defendant truly had his day in court and that the justice that was being administered in their name was done without fear or favor.
This rule, and 04-0401.02, recognize the realities of our modern digital age. It makes sense to allow journalists to use the modern tools of their profession to provide the public with an accurate account of the court’s proceedings. Utah’s journalists have demonstrated their professionalism in following the rules governing still photography, and they will do so with electronic technology as well.
I respectfully urge the judicial council to adopt these rules and allow Utah to serve as an example of transparency.