NEW JOURNALIST AWARD: PRINT

First Place: Katie E. Leslie (Frederick News-Post)

Judges’ Comments: Katie E. Leslie’s reporting and writing ability is far beyond what someone would expect to see in a novice. She is able to capture a sense of the story and place the reader into the action, whether a feature or a spot news event. Her stories have a smooth flow and a natural structure and progression, signs of a strong veteran journalist. Her stories reflect that she wants to portray the characters behind the events and happenings. Those aspects make her stories deeper than just a “five houses burned down” kind of story.

Second Place: Steve Matrazzo (Dundalk Eagle)
Judges’ Comments: Steve Matrazzo’s stories reflect a reporter who is willing to get our from behind a desk and hit the pavement. His reporting is thorough and analytical and carries the readers from point to point well. He shows a breadth of topics he’s capable of covering. He’s able to find stories in unconventional places and translates them to the paper in a way that’s easy to read. As experience makes his writing stronger, he has the potential to develop into a strong enterprise journalist.

NEW JOURNALIST AWARD: BROADCAST

First Place: Tom Hall (WYPR Radio)

Judges’ Comments: Does a commendable job, great voice & decent delivery.

Second Place: Mary Rose Madden (WYPR Radio)

MAGAZINES

COVER DESIGN

First place: Karen Longanecker, Michelle Moy (Columbia Magazine)

“Women at Work”

Judges’ Comments: The artwork and design jump off the page at the reader- very eye catching. The fact that the woman on the cover is not behind a desk and not wearing a three-piece suit made the cover more attractive. The photo is a great action shot with plenty of impact. The cover’s background color is subtle enough that the use of pink is not overwhelming, and the touch of same green used at the top and for the word “work” ties the package together very nicely.

Second Place: Susan Connell, Bill Peterson, Jeanette Kendall

(Columbia Magazine) “Think Spring”

Honorable Mention: Michelle Moy, Karen Longanecker

(Columbia Magazine) “2006 Best of Howard County”

GRAPHIC DESIGN

First Place: Michelle Moy, Karen Longanecker (Columbia Magazine)

“Women at Work”

Second Place: Karen Longanecker, Sherry DiBari

(Columbia Magazine) “Surveying the Past”

Honorable Mention: Amanda White-Iseli, David Colwell,

Michael A. Hill (Baltimore Magazine) “Small Wonders”

GENERAL REPORTING

First Place: Linda Strowbridge (Tradition Magazine)

“Abuse: A Cause of its Own”

Judges’ Comments: Interesting topic choice. Clearly needed to do some research. There was also obviously trust between reporter and sources.

Second Place: Jim Duffy (Baltimore Magazine) “Small Wonders”

PUBLIC SERVICE

First Place: Hannah Feldman (Baltimore Magazine) “As Close as your Breath”

Judges’ Comments: This is an important and sensitive topic. The reporter seems to understand that, which probably put the people she interviewed at ease. There’s a variety of sources, and the analogy between crime and AIDS is interesting.

Second Place: Donna Owens (Urbanite Magazine)

“Take it from the Top”

DEPARTMENTS

First Place : Susan Connell, Michelle Moy, Karen Longanecker, Diane Pajak ( Columbia Magazine) “Calendar”

Judges’ Comments: This was the most intricate and creative entry. It is colorful and catches the eye. It is also informative.

Second Place: Mary J. Zajac (Style Magazine)

“Food for Thought: Home Ec, Home Wreck”

Honorable Mention: Susan Connell, Michelle Moy, Karen Longanecker, Diane Pajak (Columbia Magazine) “First Look”

EDITORIAL

First Place: Christopher Corbett (Style Magazine) “The Empty Nest”

Judges’ Comments: This is a topic many parents can relate to. This is a light editorial that addresses a stage of life. The personal comments bring the story to the reader’s attention and make them think about their own experiences, either as a child or as a parent.

Second Place: Joseph M. Giordano (What’s Happening Magazine)

“Night Crawler: The Last of the Old Guard”

HUMAN INTEREST

First Place: “A Long and Winding Road”

Sarah Achenbach (anonymous) (Style Magazine)

Judges; Comments: Sarah Achenbach’s account of her quest to have another baby is ultimately compelling, as well being both occasionally comical and often tragic. The author emerges as a sympathetic figure, negotiating the emotional, economic and medical mind field of fertility treatments. While telling her own tale, Achenbach weaves a vivid account of how fertility treatments are performed, creating a solid journalistic base on which to stand.

Second Place: John Lewis (Baltimore Magazine) “Reason to Believe”

Third Place: Donna M. Owens “Making it Happen”

Honorable Mention: Mary K. Zajac (Style Magazine) “Final Sale”

Honorable Mention: Laura Wexler (style Magazine) “The Power of the Purse”

Honorable Mention: Charlotte Stoudt (Style Magazine)
“Costume Drama”

FEATURE PHOTO

First Place: Joseph M. Giordano (What’s Happening Magazine) “Parke Art”

Judges’ Comments: Interesting perspective. The hands are important in this photo. They make the art happen.

SPORTS PHOTO

First Place: Joseph M. Giordano

(What’s Happening Magazine) “In the Ring”

Judges’ Comments: “Eye catching. The colors are bright and bold. The gloves are in a perfect position, and they draw attention to the eyes, which show intensity.

FASHION PHOTO

First Place: Nemo Niemann (Style Magazine) “Beloved Black”

Judges’ Comments: Lots of preparation and thinking went into these photos. The idea of a pet cemetery is interesting and different. This is a series of photos that dares to be different. Risky!

Second Place : Amanda White-Iseli, David Colwell, Jon Timian ( Baltimore Magazine) “Legends of the Fall”

DAILY NEWSPAPERS

FEATURES

First Place: Liam Farrell (Frederick News-Post)
“The Legacy of a Crime”

Judges’ Comments: It was clear that Liam Farrell thoroughly researched the crime and subjects depicted in “The Legacy of Crime.” Through interviews, court documents and media reports, Farrell illustrated the story behind this gruesome crime, including the events which may have prompted Harris to kill. By sharing Harris’s love for painting, Farrell was able to expose a softer side of a killer, which in a way humanized him to the reader. Farrell did so, however, without painting Harris as the victim.

Second Place: Susan Guynn (Frederick News-Post) “Husky Power”

EDITORIAL

First Place : Lee Permenter (Frederick News-Post) “Smiley-Face Frowned On”

Judges’ Comments: Perhaps the least serious subject of the entries in this category, but the writing is direct, not without a sense of humor, and applies a common-sense approach to what is an increasingly difficult topic, the appropriate behavior of coaches, in this case cheerleading coaches. The writer delves into the details to explore what it means to follow the “rules.”

Second Place: Lee Permenter (Frederick News-Post)
“Troubling Secrecy”

Honorable Mention: Lee Permenter (Frederick News-Post)
“Dirty-and dumb”

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

First Place: Liam Farrell (Frederick News-Post)
“Stocked and Loaded”

Comments: The reporter uses a city’s contract with a quirky company, which deals in weapons as well as meals, to explore how and why a municipality relies on outside contractors.

BEST HEADLINE

First Place: Emily Salmon (Frederick News-Post) “Can’t quaff a half carafe? Bill Allows Bordeaux to go.”

Judges' comments: Clever headline. Makes you want to read the story to find out what it’s about.

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

First Place: Susan Guynn (Frederick News-Post) “Open Vision”

Judges' comments: Very descriptive story about a photographer and a retrospective of his work. It focused a little too much on photo techniques. I would have liked to read more about the photographer, who was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago, and how he was dealing with that. But overall, an interesting story.

SPECIALTY REPORTING

First Place: Nancy Hernandez, Erin Henk (Frederick News-Post) “Building Change”

Comments: This series successfully examines the many effects of urban gentrification, both positive and negative. The series courageously approached the racial questions involved in such a movement. Additionally, the series relies on excellent sources who demonstrate the ambivalent reaction to the trend.

Second Place: Nancy Hernandez (Frederick News-Post)
“Black history month series”

SPORTS REPORTING

First Place: John Cannon (Frederick News-Post) “A Veteran Keeper”

Judges' Comments: The juxtaposition of facing shots from soccer balls vs. bullets is an intriguing one, that most cannot have a true appreciation for. The story of Mary Leatherman is a unique situation that the local-sports scene deserves to hear about. Everyone knows the story of the former NFL player Pat Tillman, but it is stories like these that exist in our backyards and deserve a voice.

John Cannon gave Leatherman that voice. And in an attempt to localize the national Pat Tillman story, Cannon delivers on another mission: bringing the war in Iraq to the sports section, even in the smallest degree.

Second Place: Stan Goldbert (Frederick News-Post)
“A Butterfly’s Progress”

SPORTS COMMENTARY

First Place: Joshua R. Smith (Frederick News-Post) “Coach Dad paved the way to memory lane”

Judges' comments: The fact that the reader does not learn until the very end that this is a “Happy Birthday” for his father is heartwarming. Because in Little League, fathers are always the coach, everyone who has ever picked up a bat can relate to this story.

The lessons that Joshua Smith laid out over the course of the column through the use of anecdotes were not overbearing and just the right length to resonate with the reader in their own life experiences. Additionally, by weaving the morals and life lessons throughout the column, the play on words of “the shirt off his back” works at the end of the story.

Second Place: Joshua R. Smith (Frederick News-Post)
“Simms’ Injury Hard to Stomach”

WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS

GENERAL REPORTING

First Place: Andrei Blakely (Columbia Flier) “Vultures Descend on Columbia Community”

Judges’ Comments: Andrei’s tightly written story highlights an interesting issue and the extreme measure on neighborhood is taking to solve it. The lede gives great detail and helps the reader visualize the problems the vultures create.

Second Place: Brian Goodman (The Record) “Dad Protects to the End”

Judges' Comments: Brian’s thorough reporting really shows the reader the impact of this accident in the community. He also provides valuable insight into Paul Sohn’s last moments and actions.

PUBLIC SERVICE
First Place: Bryan P. Sears (The Jeffersonian) “Map Quest”

Judges’ Comments: this is a true reader service: The reporter identified a problem and by exposing it led to changes in public policy. Most people do not know their rights when it comes to public records and may have given up when told a document was not available to them. By showing the tangled process of trying to obtain one map, the reporter provided an educational review of people’s rights, from access to cost of records. The timeline was a nice addition. Something to consider: this type of story presents a time when first-person reporting might tell a better tale. The reporter could write about his own quest to obtain public records.

Second Place: Erika Compton (The Aegis)
“94 Molesters on List”

Judges’ Comments: The story exemplifies how journalists are watchdogs by letting the public know exactly where child sex offenders live and showing what they look like. The news hole devoted to this project shows the paper’s commitment to the issue. Even though the paper has been doing this story for five years, the reporter still made it fresh by updating readers on new laws and new offenders who had moved into the area.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

First Place: Edward Ericson, Jr. (Baltimore City Paper) “Collapse Series”

Judges’ Comments: This was careful research of a subject that would startle people in many cities. Historical context and nuggets of useful explanatory writing helped readers navigate unfamiliar terrains of bureaucracy and engineering.

Second Place: Bryan P. Sears (The Jeffersonian) “Phony Fliers, Real Lift”

Judges’ Comments: Complete reporting-records, research, phone work and door-knocking-covered all the bases in explaining a dirty campaign ploy. This piece was authoritative and compelling.

FEATURE REPORTING

First Place: Bret McCabe (Baltimore City Paper) “Back to School”

Judges’ Comments: Polished prose that really understands the importance of rhythm in writing. Perhaps a little overlong, but it’s rich with strong writing that pulls you along through each section. Exhaustive interviewing and reporting on a TV show that reflects life in the city where his readers live.

Second Place: Mary T. Robbins (Towson Times) “On Their Own”

Judges’ Comments: This is a remarkable real-life tale, a dream story for any reporter, and the writer was clearly up to the task. She resisted the temptation to overwrite or lapse into maudlin sentimentality, but instead made the wise decision to use telling details, and in particular, strong quotes, that drew a clear portrait of the people in her story.

BUSINESS REPORTING

First Place: Brian Goodman (The Record) “The IRS on MacGregors”

Judges’ Comments: Here’s a story that must have had the town of Havre de Grace buzzing for days! Good enterprise by Goodman getting the IRS subpoena and other court records that laid out the money skimming scheme that the owner of a popular local restaurant told to an IRS undercover agent posing as a prospective buyer of the business. Fascinating detail on how the restaurant owner took hundreds of thousands of dollars off the books and put it in his pocket. A riveting account well told.”

SPECIALTY REPORTING

First Place: Brian Goodman (The Record) “Kevin Mahan: A Warrior to the End”

Judges’ Comments: The writer tells the touching story without overwriting it. The story is sprinkled throughout with compelling details, which give the piece strong pacing. Smooth writing and strong reporting make this the winning entry.

Second Place: Jennifer Surface (Howard County Times)

“Breaking Barriers”

Judges’ Comments: The authority of the reporting makes this entry stand out. A comprehensive look at the center and its history, mixed with strong “people” elements. Well done.

SPORTS REPORTING

First Place: Tom Wargo (Northeast Booster) “Competitive Spirit Motivates Athlete to Follow Dreams”

Judges’ Comments: An interesting story on a man who prefers to play sports in a wheelchair, rather than hobble around with the aid of a leg brace. The writer told the story in a straightforward way without being melodramatic and included all the pertinent facts. A good read.

Second Place: Brent Kennedy (Howard County Times)

“Glenelg Wins County’s First Team Championship Trophy”

Judges’ Comments: A story routine in subject matter was nicely told with good reporting and solid writing.

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT REPORTING

First Place: Sean W. Wallace (Howard Co. Times) "Virtual Life in the Fast Lane"

Judges’ Comments: Good, solid detail.

Second Place: Alex Gayhart (Eldersburg Eagle) "Divided Opinion of United 93"

EDITORIAL

First Place: Jim Kennedy (The Aegis) "True Colors"

Judges’ Comments: Strong, fearless take on a serious local problem, clearly told.

SECOND PLACE: Doug Miller (Howard Co. Times) HCCC President"

COLUMN WRITING

First Place: Vincent Williams (City Paper) "Social Studies"

Judges’ Comments: Well and away the best work in the category. He writes with an entertaining voice and attitude yet succeeds in making a strong statement worth reading.

Second Place: J.K. O'Neill (Dundalk Eagle) "What's Up with That” Judges Comments: Writes with a clear, unique voice.

 CARTOONING

First Place: Glenn Foden (Howard Co. Times) "Election Repair"

Judges’ Comments: Incisive, pointed, wry, topical..

SECOND PLACE: Tom Chalkey (City Paper) "The Next Mayor is..."

Judges’ Comments: Not quite political cartooning, but an entertaining illustration.

BEST HEADLINE

First Place: Jim Kennedy (The Aegis) “A Case with a Hook”

Judges’ Comments: What seemed like a routine prostitution case took a different turn when the identities of some of the alleged clients were revealed. This headline writer knew when to use a lighter approach to draw readers into the story. Yes, it’s a pun, but it’s a clever one that makes you smile rather than groan.

Second Place: Angela Bornemann (Towson Times) “Donations Quid Pro Dough?”

Judges’ Comments: The headline is an amusing play on words that asks a question about political fundraising tactics. Headlines on campaign fundraising stories can be somewhat dry, but this one was intriguing enough to get readers’ attention.

ILLUSTRATION

First Place: Okan Arabacioglu (Baltimore City Paper) “Original Kings of Cinema”

Judges’ Comments: Got a nice edgy style and a modern feel.

PHOTOGRAPHY-NEWS

First Place: Matt Button (The Aegis) “Tragedy on the Susky”

PHOTOGRAPHY-GENERAL REPORTING

First Place: Joseph M. Giordano (Dundalk Eagle) “Electrocution Death”

PHOTOGRAPHY-FEATURE

First Place: Ryan Stevenson (Baltimore City Paper)
“Chris Robinson”

 RADIO

BREAKING NEWS REPORTING

First Place: Anne Kramer, Robert Lang, Mark Miller (WBAL) "Murder in Amish Country"

Judges’ Comments: There was only one REAL entry in this category as the others weren’t “breaking” news but were stories that had “broken” either earlier in the day or the day before. We encourage the present tense.

That said, WBAL does a commendable job of covering a true tragedy. We commend News Director Mark Miller and give special mention to Robert Lang and Anne Kramer. This is the stuff that real news departments do and do well. Thank you.

GENERAL REPORTING

First Place: Robert Lang, Scott Wykoff, Bill Vanko (WBAL) "Electric Shock"

Judges’ Comments: Good job in putting deregulation (a.k.a. you’ll pay more) into perspective. Nice to know that the Northeast isn’t alone.

Second Place : WBAL News Staff "WBAL: Where the News Comes First"

Judges’ Comments: Their entry had multiple submissions. We were impressed with all of them.

Honorable Mention: Bob Costantini (WYPR) "BRAC Relocation"

SPECIALTY REPORTING

First Place : Aaron Henkin (WYPR) "The Litter Skimmer"

Judges’ Comments: Well written and produced. In a world of garbage produced by the tens of thousands of tons every day, it is nice to know someone is at least talking about it.

Second Place: Sheilah Kast (WYPR) "Future of Hubble"

Honorable Mention: Scott Wykoff (WBAL) "In the Spotlight"

PUBLIC SERVICE

First Place: Sheilah Kast (WYPR) "Conflict Resolution"

Judges’ Comments: Good interviews. Well done. The best of the entries in this category.

Second Place: John Patti, Scott Wykoff (WBAL) "Good Neighbors, Good Neighborhoods"

Honorable Mention: Marc Steiner (WYPR) "Trauma Surgeons"

COMMENTARY

First Place: Chip Franklin (WBAL) "The Week Gone By"

Judges’ Comments: Well produced and expertly written. We commend Mr. Franklin for a job well done. We suggest he find a copy of “That was the Week that Was” by Tom Leher.

Second Place: Alan Walden (WBAL) "Walden Ponderings"

DOCUMENTARY

First Place: Sunni Khalid (WYPR) "Beyond the Badlands"

Judges’ Comments: We didn’t know what we were in for and were pleasantly surprised. Superb writing and excellent delivery.

Second Place: Aaron Henkin (WYPR) "Style Warz"

Honorable Mention: Lisa Morgan (WYPR) “ Pratt Street Riots”

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

First Place: Anne Kramer (WBAL) "Going Around in 911 Circles"

Judges’ Comments: Thank you. What radio news can do when its reporters are given the chance to do good work. Well written. We applaud WBAL and News Director Mark Miller for devoting the time and the resources.

HUMAN INTEREST

First Place: Aaron Henkin (WYPR) "You Talkin' to Me?"

Judges’ Comments: Thoroughly excellent. The concept behind a human interest story is that it gets us to hear how the “target” thinks, what he feels and how he reacts. Mr. Henkin does a superb job weaving his own narrative in with that of the cabbie. Nice job.

Second Place: Scott Wykoff (WBAL) "Pedal Power"

SPORTS REPORTING

First Place: John Patti (WBAL) “Pirates of the Caribbean”

Second Place: Scott Wykoff, John Patti, Keith Mills (WBAL) “Barbero Breaks Down”  

TELEVISION

SPECIALTY REPORTING

First Place: Tisha Thompson, John Anglim (WMAR-TV) “Deadly Hospitals”

Judges' Comments: Scary. Well researched. Eye opening results. We couldn’t wait for the next batch of information to be released.

Second Place: Donna Hamilton, Joyce Karp, Augusta Brennan-Jones, Greg Marsh, Charles Cochran, Howard Melnick (WBAL-TV) “Health Alert with Donna Hamilton”

Judges' Comments: Plastic surgery on a woman’s vagina – who knew? Creative storytelling on interesting topics.

Honorable Mention: Lou Davis (Maryland Public Television) “Legislative Coverage”

Judges' Comments: Good storytelling for the usually boring type of stories.

PUBLIC SERVICE

First Place: Tisha Thompson, John Anglim (WMAR-TV) Lights & Sirens”

Judges’ Comments: “Good storytelling, had all the bases covered. Relevant to all viewers.

Second Place: Deborah Weiner, Chuck Cochran, Greg Marsh, Joyce Karp, Augusta Brennan-Jones (WBAL-TV) “Prescription Drugs”

Judges’ Comments: Good subject told with two mini stories that drew more of us into the piece. Thorough and well done.

Honorable Mention: David Collins, Joyce Karp, Augusta Brennan-Jones (WBAL-TV) “Will Your Vote Count?”

Judges’ Comments: Good story, worked hard on this one, solid story.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

First Place: Tisha Thompson, John Anglim, Susan Kirkwood

(WMAR-TV) “The US Rental Network”

Judges' Comments: This is just darn good journalism. We didn’t hear enough about the conversation your producer had in the hidden camera part of the story. We loved the MySpace connection & the thoughtfulness of the other people involved in a past scheme. Excellent.

Second Place: Barry Simms, Charles Cochran, Augusta Brennan-Jones (WBAL-TV) “Robbing the Grave”

Judges' Comments: Well researched & great storytelling. Mr. Simms handles the courthouse steps interview well & mixes in those nice sound bites from one interview very well throughout the piece. Nice job.

Honorable Mention: Tisha Thompson, John Anglim (WMAR-TV “Get Out of the Way”

Judges' Comments: Great editing, incredible photography. We didn’t get much out of the story that we didn’t already know or haven’t seen. But we got to see it from 180-degrees different way.

HUMAN INTEREST

First Place: Tisha Thompson (WMAR-TV) “USS Fort McHenry”

Judges’ Comments: Good storytelling, good use of resources, good natural sound, great camera work and editing. It had all the elements. We got to know the characters of the story and care.

Second Place: Pete Gilbert, Jim Forner (WBAL-TV) “Carson Hall”

DOCUMENTARY/IN-DEPTH

First Place: Nick Alexopulos, Sean Filburn (WBFF-TV) “The Few, The Proud”

Judges’ Comments: Comments: Nice flow to the stories, & good transitions. Would have preferred that the station picked up its own tab for the trip to Parris Island, but kudos for full disclosure on the air.

Second Place: Michael English, Susanne Stahley, Robin Lloyd (Maryland Public Television) “Blind Spots”

Judges’ Comments: Superior videography, superior natural sound, superior editing.