The Diamond Journalism Awards will begin accepting entries for the 2023 contest on February 7. Sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Diamond Awards recognize excellence among journalists in seven states – Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Entry rules and categories will be posted on our website, arkansasspj.org, soon.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK – Reporters for Mississippi Free Press and KNWA-TV and the editor of the Pine Bluff Commercial took top honors at the 2022 Diamond Journalism Awards ceremony held June 30 at Diamond Bear Brewing Co.
Guest speakers Ellen Kreth, publisher, and Shannon Hahn, general manager, of the Madison County Record told the audience of journalists and guests about their newspaper’s reporting on the Huntsville school board’s attempts to cover up allegations of sexual assault by junior high school basketball players. The Record was awarded the 2021 Taylor Family Award for Fairness in Journalism by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University for its reporting on the scandal.
The Diamond Journalism Awards, sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, honor journalism excellence among professionals and students from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
This year’s competition, for work published or broadcast in 2021, drew 379 entries in more than 80 categories. Judges were members of the SPJ chapters in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming.
Byron Tate, editor of Arkansas’ Pine Bluff Commercial, received the Garrick Feldman Community Journalism Award for his reporting and editorials on and about Pine Bluff and Jefferson County.
Mississippi Free Press staff took three of the competition’s top honors:
Chad Mira of Fayetteville’s KNWA-TV was named Outstanding New Journalist, an award that recognizes journalists who have worked in their market five years or fewer. A complete list of winners, with judges’ comments, and finalists follows:
2022 DIAMOND JOURNALISM AWARDS WINNERS AND FINALISTS
Byron Tate, Pine Bluff Commercial/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Judge Comment: Byron stepped up to the challenge when called to run the Pine Bluff Commercial, and lucky for the community he did. He shows a clear nose for news, not just covering but digging into topics that matter to the people of Jefferson County. He displays a knack for switching gears, writing on the resurrection of a well-loved basketball tournament to the complexities of the interim police chief holding a liquor license to a drama-filled feature on Arkansas’ own Patient Zero. He clearly knows and loves the community well, as evidenced in his thoughtful and well-researched editorials. His work honors his community and Garrick Feldman’s legacy.
Entry Title: Black Women, Covid-19 and Education in Noxubee County
Entry Credit: Torsheta Jackson, Donna Ladd, Kristin Brenemen, Mississippi Free Press
Judge Comment: The strength of Torsheta and Donna’s BWC Project is in its approach. They returned to the roots of community journalism – listening to the people and honoring their experience. The stories dug into the community’s past, unapologetically unearthing and naming the systemic racism that still plagues Black women in Noxubee County today. But possibly the best contribution of this work – they know there’s more reporting to do, and they aim to continue to do it.
Entry Title: Focused coverage on City of Beebe, Arkansas
Entry Credit: Greg Geary, The Daily Citizen, Searcy
Judge Comment: As the only reporter for this outlet, Greg carries the heavy load of keeping his community informed with both vital and vibrant coverage. The range of his work reflects the range of news a community cares about – from the grind of municipal work to annual events like “Shop with a Cop” to a heartwarming story of a student overcoming a stutter to win a speaking contest – and a history I’m sure they appreciate having documented with such care. Competition Comment: This was a particularly difficult category to judge, as each entry highlighted a different reason why local journalism is so vital to our communities. The one- reporter newspaper, the paper resurrected to serve as the only local news source, the team digging and digging into the deep roots of inequities in a Mississippi county – all serve as a testament to the role dedicated journalists play in documenting, sharing and challenging our history.
Entry Title: What the Jackson Water Crisis Revealed
Entry Credit: Nick Judin, Mississippi Free Press, Jackson
Judge Comment: Nick Judin stands out for his relentless coverage, which not only included hard news and legislative reporting, but also beautifully researched and written human-centered stories. While many factors led to action for the citizens of the City of Jackson, I can’t help but believe Nick’s dogged commitment to the issue and to a community that has long felt forgotten contributed to that progress.
Entry Title: The Great Delta Divide
Entry Credit: Stephen Simpson, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock
Judge Comment: Stephen Simpson is clearly a talented and dedicated journalist who produced strong coverage that highlighted an area of the country that has long experienced inequities.
The conditions under which this project was produced – as a new staff member, reporting during a pandemic – make the package of stories even more remarkable.
Entry Title: Drug Unit Travails Hidden from Public View
Entry Credit: Christian Middleton, Grace Marion, Mississippi Free Press, Jackson
Judge Comment: Excellent use of both public records and old-fashioned watchdog reporting to uncover a disturbing issue that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. This is a perfect example of why access to public records is important to a democracy, and a perfect example of why journalists need to report from public records. Fantastic work!
Entry Title: Chad Mira – Robert S. McCord FOI Award Entry Credit: Chad Mira, KNWA News, Fayetteville, AR Judge Comment: None
Entry Title: ADG Flaherty McCord nomination
Entry Credit: Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock
Judge Comment: None
Kayode Crown, Mississippi Free Press, Jackson
Judge Comment: Kayode produces meticulously researched and reported work with a narrative flow that keeps the reader hooked. He gravitates to meaty and meaningful stories – a broken jail and a broken justice system, lead poisoning, people detained for months without
representation. He appears dedicated to shining the light in places that may otherwise not receive any.
Monica Quintero, KPEJ, Odessa
Entry Title: Monica Quintero – Passionate about People
Judge Comment: Monica is clearly a motivated journalist who is well versed in her storytelling. From inspiration pieces in the Be the Change series to emotional and compelling stories, like one of a mother grieving her lost child, she seems to know how to get to the heart of a story – and how to keep people at the center of it.
Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS, Little Rock
Judge Comment: Dwain is a talented narrative journalist, blending relevant detail, research and data into beautiful stories that are compelling no matter the topic.
Chad Mira, KNWA News, Fayetteville
Judge Comment: Chad clearly brings a lot to his market. He’s skilled in navigating public records, appears undeterred by roadblocks and challenges, and seasoned in weaving in the human element into a complex investigation. What an asset to the community.
Tess Vrbin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock
Judge Comment: Tess displays experience beyond her years, from digging through public documents to breaking down data to disaster coverage to breaking news and spurring change. Bright future ahead for this young journalist.
joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock
Judge Comment: Joseph demonstrates a strong dedication to open government, and seems to thrive while fighting for government transparency. Keep fighting the good fight!
Entry Title: Tornado coverage
Entry Credit: Tess Vrbin, Staci Vandagriff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock
Judge Comment: In a category filled with entries that all deserve recognition, I chose this piece because of the people it brought to life and the information it conveyed in the aftermath of a tragedy that affected so many. It takes a lot to balance our journalistic responsibilities with being empathetic and I think this piece delivered.
Entry Title: Interstate 40 Bridge Crack
Entry Credit: Andrew DeMillo, Adrian Sainz, Jill Bleed, The Associated Press, Little Rock
Judge Comment: The threads that were pulled to get to the heart of the bridge closure, and that the structural deficiency had been spotted before, shows the kind of tenacity and dogged reporting required in breaking news situations.
Entry Title: Covid Strikes Mississippi Children
Entry Credit: Ashton Pittman, Mississippi Free Press, Jackson
Judge Comment: I found these entries to be compelling and told with a point of view that tried to answer the question of why. And in an uncertain time, I found that act compelling.
Entry Title: The fight over Medicaid expansion in Missouri
Entry Credit: Jason Rosenbaum, St. Louis Public Radio
Judge Comment: Really solid reporting with solutions provided to problems and terrific cause and effect analysis. Also, a great understanding of dense legal documents was shown.
Entry Title: Teen Driver killing
Entry Credit: Teresa Moss, Ashton Eley, Thomas Metthe, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock
Judge Comment: Very well written and thorough articles discussing every element of the case, with well-timed and poised FOIA requests.
Entry Title: One Jail’s Tale of Abuse and Decay
Entry Credit: Kayode Crown, Mississippi Free Press, Jackson
Judge Comment: Good reporting on an astonishingly bad situation. Good background from start to finish.
Entry Title: Missouri’s Medicaid expansion fight
Entry Credit: Jason Rosenbaum, St. Louis Public Radio
Judge Comment: Essential reporting on state Medicaid law that had to go to the high court to overcome political opposition.
Entry Title: Drunk VA Doctor’s Fatal Mistakes
Entry Credit: Chad Mira, KNWA News, Fayetteville
Entry Title: The Great Mask Debate
Entry Credit: Ashley Bohle, WVLT, Knoxville
Entry Title: Missouri Repealed its Harshest Drug Law. Hundreds Were Left Behind
Entry Credit: Danny Wicentowski, Riverfront Times, St. Louis
Judge Comment: All of these entries did a great job using exhaustive investigative reporting to uncover serious, often tragic issues. This entry stood out for its depth of information, but also its storytelling, following multiple people remaining in prison despite a new law contradicting their terms. Along with explaining the issues well and at length, the reporting injected a humanity that often goes forgotten in detail-heavy journalism.
Entry Title: Betting on the Good Old Boys
Entry Credit: Edward Brown, Fort Worth Weekly
Judge Comment: Journalism is meant to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, and this story did the latter very well. Local politicians wielding influence unethically is likely the result of their perception they are not being watched in small communities, and I’m glad this reporter was.
Entry Title: Children in Peril finale
Entry Credit: Ginny Monk, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Judge Comment: The amount of research that went into this project was incredible. The result was a report as shocking as it was in-depth and was the kind of journalism known to result in policy reforms at the highest level.
Entry Title: Filthy and Abusive Conditions at Treatment Center for Kids
Entry Credit: Chad Mira, KNWA News
Judge Comment: Excellent pursuit of documents, data and interviews to expose negligence in a youth treatment center.
Entry Title: St. Louis homeless services falls perilously short
Entry Credit: Shahla Farzan, St. Louis Public Radio
Judge Comment: Excellent accountability coverage targeting St Louis policies and practices intended to help homeless people.
Entry Title: ‘Kids feel like they’re being erased’: Inside the clinic targeted by Arkansas’s new anti-trans law
Entry Credit: Rebekah Scott, Arkansas Nonprofit News Network, Little Rock
Judge Comment: Outstanding explanatory reporting that tells readers exactly how the new piece of controversial legislation will affect transgender people like Andrew. Well done!
Entry Title: Rising rents
Entry Credit: Jacob Steimer, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, Memphis
Judge Comment: An important topic, well-presented to readers.
Entry Title: Child abuse investigation
Entry Credit: Ginny Monk, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Judge Comment: Good job digging into the data. Storytelling could have been a bit stronger, but very solid analysis.
Entry Title: Ending the racial wealth gap through reparations: Local policies or federal payments?
Entry Credit: Chad Davis, St. Louis Public Radio
Judge Comment: The reason I picked the reparations piece is I think it qualifies the most in “explanatory reporting.” Reparations is something I enjoy reading about, but I often don’t think about what it would actually take to implement, and how it would impact national movements. This reporter broadened my understanding of race while letting its characters remain in the spotlight.
Entry Title: Sculptor Discusses Inspiration in Making Johnny Cash Statue for U.S. Capitol
Entry Credit: Michael Hibblen, KUAR-FM 89.1, Little Rock
Judge Comment: The interviewer in Arkansas is clearly well-researched, passionate about the subject, and ready to extract great soundbites (and live no less) from his subject.
Entry Title: Black St. Louisans Turn to Therapy, Nature and Family to Heal from Police Violence
Entry Credit: Marissanne Lewis-Thompson, Andrea Henderson, St. Louis Public Radio
Judge Comment: The reporter on the mental health feature gets great tape and dives into a significant and complex situation, and her voice and scripting shine through and very much deepen my understanding of an issue I often only read about in national publications.
Entry Title: Face to Face with a Killer
Entry Credit: Kevin Kelly, Stephen Goodale, Jessica Guy, KLRT-FOX 16 News, Little Rock
Judge Comment: I’ve never seen any situations like that on television, and it’s clear the reporter treated every single person in this situation with incredible respect. Each character is given their chance to speak, the three segments of the piece fit together as a story while standing alone by themselves, and, as a piece of explanatory journalism, there wasn’t much else from the case I felt I needed to know. I hope the reporter and station are proud of this achievement, and I can only hope to produce something half as good as this in my career. Looking on social media, it was clear that the victim’s family was incredibly grateful for the coverage in “Face to Face,” and that might be the most important part of this entire story. Thanks for reporting it.
Entry Title: Show Me Missouri: Celebrating 200 Years
Entry Credit: Brian Calfano, Sarah Scarlett, KOLR-TV, Springfield, MO
Judge Comment: “Show Me Missouri” as a full project gives me so many great nuggets of information about the Ozarks. I particularly enjoyed the historical interviews about the state during the Civil War and its complicated founding. It’s a great retrospective that I’m sure will be referenced for years to come in the Springfield area.
Entry Title: 100-year-old Unsolved Murder Mystery Haunts Maryville
Entry Credit: Ashley Bohle, WVLT, Knoxville
Judge Comment: It’s challenging to rank this with these longer documentaries, but it’s great explanatory journalism nonetheless on a topic that’s clearly well-known in the region. In some ways, small pieces like that can be more challenging, so I want to choose it as an alternate winner.
Entry Title: Tom Slaughter series
Entry Credit: Celia Storey, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Judge Comment: This is an incredible work of journalism to gather and present so much information, original sources, and then to also have a nice, if long, main story.
Entry Title: Black Women Firefighters on Gulf Coast
Entry Credit: Stacey Cato, Mississippi Free Press
Judge Comment: This was a great look into pioneers in firefighting. The reporter asked great questions and was able to reveal a great deal.
Entry Title: Pearl Harbor
Entry Credit: Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia, The Richmond News, Richmond, MO
Judge Comment: Good story that presents history in a historical format.
Entry Title: Within Their Hearts, She Lives Forever
Entry Credit: Dustin Jayroe, AY’s Mental Health Guide, Little Rock
Judge Comment: One of the best, and most heartbreaking, features I have ever read. Amazing job telling this story.
Entry Title: TOMMY SMITH
Entry Credit: Kelley Bass, Arkansas Money & Politics, Little Rock
Judge Comment: I was fascinated by this story, and it made me want to know even more about this man. This story was very well done. Fantastic job.
Entry Title: All Dogs Go to Gary
Entry Credit: Dwain Hebda, AY Magazine, Little Rock
Judge Comment: The ending quote of this story was perfect. I was hooked throughout. Great job.
Entry Title: At 96, Charlie Payne brings the hurt on the golf course
Entry Credit: Joel Phelps, The Arkadelphian, Arkadelphia, AR
Judge Comment: Nice job of intertwining Charlie Payne’s golf game with his history.
Entry Title: Missouri Inmates Sew Custom Quilts for Foster Children: ‘It Kind Of Breaks Your Heart’
Entry Credit: Shahla Farzan, St. Louis Public Radio
Entry Title: The mess in Room 304: ‘Breaking Bad’ at Henderson State
Entry Credit: Debra Hale-Shelton, Benjamin Hardy, Arkansas Nonprofit News Network
Entry Title: Missouri’s Oldest One-Room African American Schoolhouse Gets a New Chance At Life
Entry Credit: Marissanne Lewis-Thompson, St. Louis Public Radio
Judge Comment: I love the research the journalist put into finding out more about the building, and, especially, her ability to find characters (especially Doris) I’m likely to remember for a while. She also brings the story forward by explaining efforts to preserve the building and capture its history, and overall, I find this to be a snapshot of something the St. Louis community clearly finds important. It’s the definition of a great radio feature.
Entry Title: Rolla Becomes a Hub For Vacuum Cleaner Enthusiasts
Entry Credit: Jonathan Ahl, St. Louis Public Radio
Judge Comment: NPR stations were built on stories like the postcard from Rolla. It’s a quirky event with amazing characters, excellent sound, and facts about something I had never thought about before. It is clearly a worthy winner with humor, creativity, and clarity.
Competition Comment: This was an extremely close call because both of these are spectacular stories that are made so much better by the medium of radio.
Entry Title: Remembering 9/11: Arkansas woman remembers flight attendant sister killed in terrorist attack
Entry Credit: Chelsea Helms, Brad Horn, KNWA News
Judge Comment: Great use of natural sound, archive video, visuals weaving in with interviews. Felt connected to the story.
Entry Title: Teen with terminal cancer digitally documents battle to leave behind a legacy
Entry Credit: Chelsea Helms, Brad Horn, KNWA News
Judge Comment: Emotional story told compassionately.
Entry Title: Remembering 9/11: Fort Smith woman captured some of the most notable photos of act of terror
Entry Credit: Chelsea Helms, Brad Horn, KNWA News
Judge Comment: Every interesting story. Great use of archive video/sound while weaving in present day interview as the photographer described what she saw.
Entry Title: Pit, read
Entry Credit: Rick Kron, The Leader Newspaper, Jacksonville, AR
Judge Comment: Nice editorials with a resounding message of problem and injustice.
Entry Title: Mark Carter Editor’s Letters
Entry Credit: Mark Carter, Arkansas Money & Politics
Judge Comment: Nice, heartfelt pieces with great meaning and lessons.
Entry Title: Conservative Cronyism
Entry Credit: Edward Brown, Fort Worth Weekly
Judge Comment: Nice submission with great detail provided and connecting of dots. The only thing I’d like to have seen is one more submission at a conclusion point.
Entry Title: Racism and Police Violence in Today’s Mississippi
Entry Credit: Leo Carney, Mississippi Free Press
Judge Comment: These columns are moral without being sentimental, packed with reporting and history to back up pointed commentary speaking truth to power and to fellow citizens.
Entry Title: School districts correct to mandate masks
Entry Credit: Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia, The Richmond News
Judge Comment: Despite the pushback it likely received in its time, this strong editorial speaks bravely on behalf of people and the common good and calls out harmful messaging on public health.
Entry Title: Karen Martin columns
Entry Credit: Karen Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Entry Title: Stickball World Series Back After COVID Halt
Entry Credit: Roger Amos, Mississippi Free Press
Judge Comment: Excellent piece on cultural heritage, exposing the rich pride and traditions carried out by Native Americans in Mississippi. Also enjoyed the use of multimedia video.
Entry Title: Worst to First
Entry Credit: Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for Arkansas Catholic Newspaper Judge Comment: Really nice underdog tale with great details from the early days of the program.
Entry Title: SEC win
Entry Credit: Tom Murphy, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Judge Comment: Very nice gamer story. Only thing I would’ve liked to see was maybe a little info on the significance of the achievement for the Razorbacks program.
Entry Title: No Greater Love Than This
Entry Credit: Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for Arkansas Money & Politics
Judge Comment: This was an outstanding story that appeals to all kinds of different readers, which makes it even better. Football fans and those who know nothing about the sport could each find enjoyment in here. I was hooked from the very beginning. Outstanding!
Entry Title: COLLEGE SPORTS AND NIL: A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME
Entry Credit: Dwain Hebda, Arkansas Money & Politics
Judge Comment: This story dove deep on a topic that many people don’t know very much about. It was easy to understand and explained everything well. Very well done.
Entry Title: Higher Power
Entry Credit: Dwain Hebda, AY Magazine
Judge Comment: This was a highly emotional story that a lot of people would be able to relate to. It made me want to learn more about the entire family, which is a sign of a job well done. Great job!
Entry Title: In a New Year’s Day battle of soccer and sausage, St. Louis takes on the Metro East in Chorizo Bowl
Entry Credit: Brian Munoz, St. Louis Public Radio
Judge Comment: Using sports as an avenue to highlight a community’s culture, food, and history, was brilliant in the Saint Louis Public Radio story. Though there’s very little tape of an actual sport being played, the spirit of competition, playing to make family and friends proud, and true love for athletics, is present throughout.
Entry Title: Cowboys Legend talks Hall of Fame
Entry Credit: Monica Quintero, KPEJ, Odessa
Entry Title: Ride of a Lifetime
Entry Credit: Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for 501 Life Magazine
Judge Comment: Dwain Hebda has a way with words. His writing paints pictures and takes readers on a journey.
Entry Title: Hidden No More
Entry Credit: Dustin Jayroe, AY Magazine
Entry Title: Martin arts coverage
Entry Credit: Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Entry Title: St. Louis Arts Coverage
Entry Credit: Jeremy Goodwin, St. Louis Public Radio
Judge Comment: Excellent soundscape and diversity of voices in the Shakespeare piece.
Entry Title: Evensong Story
Entry Credit: Paul Ladd, World Christian Broadcasting
Entry Title: Eat It Up
Entry Credit: Amanda Jaeger , Skot Covert, Kelly Tibbit, Zach Keast, THV-11, Little Rock Judge Comment: Eat it up shines, and this is the reason I chose it as the winner, because it presents the perfect balance between host personality and newsiness. The Cajun food truck piece especially highlighted a really inspiring business owner who deserves to have his story told, and it certainly made me want to visit the region and try some gumbo.
Entry Title: Arts & Culture in the Basin
Entry Credit: Monica Quintero, KPEJ
Judge Comment: The Texas culture pieces are a bit more straightforward and newsy, with solid tracking shots, nice lines and an eye for great historical context.
Entry Title: Mornings On The Move
Entry Credit: Casey Wheeless, Harry Sullivan, WVLT
Judge Comment: The mornings on the move segment is all about the personalities of the anchors, and as a viewer in the area I imagine I’d love to be able to know a little bit more about the people that present the news to me every day.
Entry Title: ADG Business Coverage
Entry Credit: Nathan Owen, John Magsam, Noel Oman, Staci Vandagriff, Arkansas Democrat- Gazette
Judge Comment: The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s business desk had a great selection of stories to choose from. The quotes in “Businesses lament lack of staffers” by Nathan Owens made the story engaging. The “Lumber prices rocket on demand surge” article used great data points that pushed the story forward.
Entry Title: Business Boondoggles in Rural Mississippi
Entry Credit: Christian Middleton, Mississippi Free Press
Entry Title: Basin Businesses – People Behind them
Entry Credit: Monica Quintero, KPEJ
Judge Comment: None
Entry Title: ADG Education Coverage
Entry Credit: Jaime Adame, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Judge Comment: Neutral, comprehensive, clear coverage that shows evidence of dogged reporting to sniff out the facts for the public.
Entry Title: BWC Project: Education Disparities and Solutions in Noxubee County
Entry Credit: Torsheta Jackson, Donna Ladd, Kristin Brenemen, Mississippi Free Press
Entry Title: Bucking the Odds
Entry Credit: Dwain Hebda, Arkansas Money & Politics
Entry Title: Education Compilation
Entry Credit: Ashley Bohle, WVLT
Judge Comment: I really enjoyed the versatility in the compilation. The butter piece is of course delightful, and it really works perfectly for the visual medium. I also enjoyed the day 2 coverage after the capitol riot from an interesting education perspective (wish it was longer!) and the bus drivers one gets a whole lot of information to the viewer in a short amount of time. Excellent reporting overall.
Entry Title: Molding a middle schooler’s mind with movement
Entry Credit: Chelsea Helms, Brad Horn, Jacob Cotner, KNWA News
Judge Comment: The middle school piece is also well-done with nice video shots and a nice array of voices highlighting the program.
Entry Title: Child abuse investigation
Entry Credit: Ginny Monk, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Judge Comment: Outstanding reporting and writing, analyzing several years’ worth of public information from numerous agencies and a fight for records that were denied, to uncover surprising and informative patterns within a serious social and public health problem.
Entry Title: Solutions for Health Equity in Mississippi
Entry Credit: Nick Judin, Mississippi Free Press
Judge Comment: A solid solutions story about COVID-19 vaccine outreach efforts aiming for communities where trust, for many, has been lost.
Entry Title: Free at Last
Entry Credit: Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Entry Title: Dark Skies, Strange Clouds
Entry Credit: Dustin Jayroe, AY Magazine
Judge Comment: A creative writing style made this entry stand out, along with the unique and important topic covered in detail. The first-hand journal entries included by the writer also brought the reader into the moment and truly provided a unique experience.
Entry Title: Using Tech to Reverse Inequities
Entry Credit: Aliyah Veal, Mississippi Free Press
Judge Comment: Each story told the story of a different social issue and how technology was being used to address it. Good job on a solid series of articles that displays the intersection between science and humanity.
Entry Title: Finding Normal: Vaccines Ready, Incoming
Entry Credit: Dustin Jayroe, AY Magazine
Judge Comment: This was a very detailed account of the state’s battle to provide adequate vaccinations for COVID-19 as it plagued the rest of the country. Good job providing your readers essential information and explaining it well.
Entry Title: Lead Contamination of Black Jackson Children
Entry Credit: Kayode Crown, Mississippi Free Press
Judge Comment: A lot going on in this story. The news hook of an outside attorney suing on behalf of hundreds of local kids leads the story, but then there is this killer quote buried down low: “And so, in Flint, even if everybody drank as much water as they could, they were only drinking bad water for 14 or 15 months,” the attorney added. “In Jackson, they’ve been drinking bad water, in some instances, for their whole lives.” Good reporting trying to put all the pieces of this tragedy together under one headline.
Entry Title: Delta Dangers to Mississippi, and U.S., Children
Entry Credit: Ashton Pittman, Mississippi Free Press
Judge Comment: Comprehensive look at the pandemic and children. Well researched and reported.
Entry Title: Arkansas pandemic coverage
Entry Credit: Andrew DeMillo, The Associate Press
Entry Title: Pandemic Coverage
Entry Credit: Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Entry Title: St. Louis Public Radio pandemic coverage
Entry Credit: Sarah Fentem, St. Louis Public Radio
Judge Comment: Excellent in-depth series presented on radio and web covering pandemic from multiple angles over several months.
Entry Title: COVID-19 Infections Become the New Frontier of Work Comp Claims
Entry Credit: Brian Calfano, KOLR-TV
Entry Title: Mom Leaves Workforce to Homeschool Kids
Entry Credit: Ashley Bohle, WVLT
Entry Title: Digs of the Deal Series
Entry Credit: Katie Zakrzewski, Arkansas Money & Politics
Judge Comment: This was a great idea! The series stood out from other entries, which were largely traditional political news stories, and delved deeply into local landmarks, their place in history and was still able to convey the important political issues at play. Well done!
Entry Title: Lockwood politics beat
Entry Credit: Frank Lockwood, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Judge Comment: This was a harrowing account of the Jan. 6 insurrection, which will become one of the most infamous days in history as time goes on. I enjoyed all the detail and the unique perspective of the reporter woven with coverage of the state’s congressional leaders’ reactions.
Entry Title: Political Coverage
Entry Credit: Andrew DeMillo, The Associated Press
Judge Comment: None
Entry Title: Ozarks Tonight: Gas Price Dynamics
Entry Credit: Brian Calfano, KOLR-TV
Judge Comment: Very intelligent use of data reporting to isolate the small role politics plays in pricing at the gas pump.
Entry Title: In Post-Trump GOP Split, Gov. Asa Hutchinson Often at Odds with His Party
Entry Credit: Daniel Breen, NPR/KUAR
Entry Title: Sarah Huckabee Sanders kicks off 15-stop tour in campaign for Arkansas governor
Entry Credit: Michael Hibblen, KUAR-FM 89.1
Entry Title: Black Women, Systemic Barriers and COVID-19 Project
Entry Credit: DeAnna Tisdale Johnson, Azia Wiggins, Torsheta Jackson, Aliyah Veal, Kimberly Griffin, Kristin Brenemen, Donna Ladd, Mississippi Free Press
Judge Comment: An outstanding project by a team of journalists using superior written and visual journalism to trace historic roots of a public health phenomenon, educate on the consequences of systemic inequities, and illuminate solutions, all in an engaging digital package. Exceptional work.
Entry Title: 2021 Arkansas Mental Health Guide
Entry Credit: Heather Baker, Dustin Jayroe, Jamison Mosley, Mike Bedgood, Lora Puls, Emily Beirne, AY Magazine
Judge Comment: Stories like those in this special section highlight healing and hope, involving different faces and ages, both lifting the stigma of talking about behavioral or mental health and presenting resources to help others take the next step.
Entry Title: HOBBIES IN THE 501
Entry Credit: Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for 501 Life Magazine
Entry Title: Capitol & Scott
Entry Credit: Nick Popowitch, Lara Farrar, ArkansasOnline.com/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Judge Comment: Both entries are good podcasts, but Capitol and Scott is slightly more professional and well-produced. The sound quality could be a bit better, but otherwise, this is a very interesting podcast. Nicely done!
Entry Title: Reveille’s Tiger Talk Podcast
Entry Credit: Nick Ombrellaro, Gabby Jimenez, Piper Hutchinson, Reed Darcey, Dylan Sanders
Judge Comment: Very solid campus-based podcast with good sound quality. Well done!
Entry Title: Stuttgart Flooding
Entry Credit: Thomas Metthe, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Judge Comment: This photo places the viewer there with the victims of what is clearly a devastating moment. The hurt is visible in those in the foreground, the helplessness of those in the background is palpable, and the scope of the flooding can be felt in the entire frame. Still, in all of the sadness, there’s a sense of hope with the person in the boat being removed from the situation. This photo tells so much of the story.
Entry Title: Warehouse Fire
Entry Credit: Thomas Metthe, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Judge Comment: The devastation of this fire is obvious, as is the hopelessness of being able to put it out.
Entry Title: Voting Bill Protest
Entry Credit: Stephen Swofford, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Judge Comment: This captures what is clearly a unique moment, and it does so from a unique perspective.
Entry Title: Thousands of high schoolers put music in motion this weekend at the Dome in St. Louis
Entry Credit: Brian Munoz, St. Louis Public Radio
Judge Comment: Good angles and composition, and a couple of nice moments.
Entry Title: Oaklawn Opening Day
Entry Credit: Thomas Metthe, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Competition Comment: A spread, or essay, should be more than many pictures of the same thing. The two noted here did that, and the winner even found a couple of light moments.
Entry Title: Vandagriff Portfolio
Entry Credit: Staci Vandagriff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Competition Comment: The top three could have gone another way on another day. All had a couple of good images with a couple of weak ones. While the other two may have had more pretty pictures, the winner wins because she was looking for fleeting moments and found them.
Entry Title: Mosley Portfolio
Entry Credit: Jamison Mosley, AY Media Group
Entry Title: Metthe Portfolio
Entry Credit: Thomas Metthe, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Entry Title: Arkansas congressional district boundaries
Entry Credit: Jen Para, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Judge Comment: Impressive use of Datawrapper capabilities to link between several kinds of maps. That there are so many proposals, the time invested in acquiring, vetting and presenting this data is not trivial.
Entry Title: Carrie Hill art and graphics
Entry Credit: Carrie Hill, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Judge Comment: The Covid timeline for the one-year mark of the pandemic provides insightful context about the subject that – in retrospect – is dizzying. The Covid illustration meanwhile mixes a playfulness with the seriousness of the effects that the pandemic had on food service. The third illustration in this entry is just plain fun. Nice work.
Entry Title: Monica Quintero – Passionate about People
Entry Credit: Monica Quintero, KPEJ, Odessa
Judge Comment: Very nice video editing and production values. A pleasure to watch!
Entry Title: Stephen Goodale Video Portfolio
Entry Credit: Stephen Goodale, KARK/KLRT, Little Rock
Judge Comment: Good content, but the videos were a bit hectic at times. Editing could be a bit tighter.
Entry Title: Be Our Change – Positive, Inspirational Stories
Entry Credit: Monica Quintero, KPEJ
Judge Comment: Entertaining and fun profiles that have a point of view and a voice that resonates easily with the viewer.
Entry Title: AMP Layouts
Entry Credit: Jamison Mosley, Lora Puls, Arkansas Money & Politics
Judge Comment: I found these entries to be design appropriate for the stories and carried an understated – yet powerful – use of color, iconography and typography to allow the images and words to breathe and resonate with the reader.
Entry Title: AY Layouts
Entry Credit: Jamison Mosley, Lora Puls, AY Magazine
Entry Title: The Yellow Army
Entry Credit: Sarah Knight, Dwain Hebda, Jason Masters, Ashlee Nobel, Wheelhouse Publishing, Mountain Home, AR
Entry Title: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette / ArkansasOnline.com
Entry Credit: Maggie McNeary
Judge Comment: Article pages are clean with room for large images and inline embeds. Pages load fast and scale well across mobile devices and responsive breakpoints.
Entry Title: The day a white killed four Black men
Entry Credit: Rachel Mipro, Liz Ryan, Lara Nicholson, Louisiana State University, Manship News Service, Baton Rouge, published in The Shreveport Times, The Advertiser (Lafayette), The Town Talk (Alexandria), The Daily Comet (Thibodaux)
Judge Comment: I applaud these journalists and editors and all of the others who collaborated on this project to bring the past into greater context through the lens of a modern-day perspective.
Entry Title: COVID roundtable with Brimer sisters
Entry Credit: Alena Noakes, Wildcat Media, Louisiana Christian University (formerly Louisiana College), Pineville
Judge Comment: Incredibly informative and bringing three sisters together who have experienced the pandemic in different ways yet have so much in common is enlightening.
Entry Title: English professor removed from classes for fall 2021
Entry Credit: Addison Freeman, The Echo, University of Central Arkansas, Conway
Judge Comment: Great coverage of an issue that can be difficult to cover but is quite important to those on campus. Great depth of coverage, including from the professor at the center of the controversy. This story embodies so much of what journalism is about.
Entry Title: Students protest LSU’s handling of former French student accused of rape: ‘Safe not silenced’
Entry Credit: Maddie Scott, Domenic Purdy, Reveille, LSUReveille.com
Entry Title: Ida and LSU
Entry Credit: Ally Kadlubar, Aria Pons, Erin Rogers, Tiger TV, LSU
Entry Title: Segregated Cemeteries Still Haunt Louisiana
Entry Credit: Ally Kadlubar, Tiger TV, LSU
Judge Comment: Excellent use of digital storytelling to enhance the written story and increase credibility. Good variety of source support with solid video editing and shot selection. The story keeps a clear focus and moves along well. Newsworthy topic choice.
Entry Title: Lights, Camera, Drag
Entry Credit: Maria Pham, Tiger TV, LSU
Judge Comment: Newsworthy topic choice that fit the feature style well! Good variety of interviews with a clear focus. The story moves along well but could be edited tighter at times. Focus on maintaining good lighting as much as possible.
Entry Title: ‘It was a ride’: Clay Schexnayder went from racing cars to leading the Louisiana House
Entry Credit: Kathleen Peppo, Manship News Service, LSU, published in The Advertiser (Lafyette)
Judge Comment: Great quotes! The story moves along nicely with clear transitions and helpful section breaks. The focus of the piece is clear throughout. I suggest adding other viewpoints (interviews) to the story along with some digital storytelling to enhance the reader experience.
Entry Title: Side by Side, Lane by Lane
Entry Credit: Kendall Duncan, Tiger TV, LSU
Judge Comment: Excellent storytelling! Solid interviews and footage to capture the relationship between the brothers and the overall family dynamic. Newsworthy story with a clear focus.
Entry Title: LSU Diver Makes a Splash
Entry Credit: Haylee Kennedy, Tiger TV, LSU
Judge Comment: Newsworthy story with a clear focus! I suggest adding one more interview here from a teammate or family member to include that personal touch.
Entry Title: Collis Temple Jr. helped integrate LSU athletics 50 years ago
Entry Credit: Peter Rauterkus, Reveille/LSUReveille.com
Judge Comment: Newsworthy story that reads well. Good use of photos to help tell the story throughout. I suggest conducting additional interviews to help round out the piece.
Entry Title: Reveille Editorials
Entry Credit: Reveille Editorial Board, Reveille/LSUReveille.com
Judge Comment: The winning editorial not only presented a well thought out opinion but used extensive reporting to support the conclusions.
Entry Title: Being a student does not make less of a journalist or reporter Entry Credit: Madison Ogle, The Echo, University of Central Arkansas Judge Comment: This was a thoughtful, personal editorial.
Entry Title: UCA moving toward more inclusivity in women’s sports Entry Credit: Sarah Smythe, The Echo, University of Central Arkansas Judge Comment: Good reporting to support the argument made.
Entry Title: LSU’s responses to sexual assaults
Entry Credit: Claire Sullivan, Reveille/LSU Reveille.com
Judge Comment: Excellent use of facts to justify commentary. Strong voice! Newsworthy topic.
Entry Title: Social media doesn’t need your sonogram photos
Entry Credit: Olyvia Gonzalez, The Echo, University of Central Arkansas
Judge Comment: Strong column voice!
Entry Title: On renaming campus buildings
Entry Credit: Charlie Stephens, Reveille/LSUReveille.com
Entry Title: Transgender Bills Could Hurt Tourism
Entry Credit: Brooke Smith, Tiger TV, LSU
Judge Comment: The broadcast clip carries a professional tone and has a narrative structure that propels the viewer through a number of different scenarios and the potential effects on the state.
Entry Title: Flower Shortage
Entry Credit: Ally Kadlubar, Tiger TV, LSU
Judge Comment: Framing takes a national issue – the supply chain shortage – and brings a local lens to how it affects a particular local business segment. This is what we do in journalism, and I think it’s executed very well.
Entry Title: ‘Another blow’: 7,500 Louisiana oil and gas jobs lost in pandemic, furthering industry’s decline
Entry Credit: Brittney Forbes, Manship News Service, LSU, published in Houma Today
Entry Title: Faculty Senate enters unlawful executive session during meeting, kicks out non- Senate members
Entry Credit: Piper Hutchinson, Reveille/LSUReveille.com
Judge Comment: Great job by the reporter and others to investigate this matter, talk to people who were actually in the executive session, and hold the board’s feet to the fire on this.
Entry Title: ‘It’s very discouraging’: Louisiana teachers grapple with challenges of ongoing pandemic
Entry Credit: Margaret DeLaney, Olivia Varden, Chris Langley, Manship News Service, LSU, published in The News-Star (Monroe)
Judge Comment: Good reporting added to trend data make it a good story.
Entry Title: Pros and cons: How Louisiana college students were impacted by online learning Entry Credit: Masie O’Toole, Kirby Koch, Donald Fountain, Manship News Service, LSU, published in The Town Talk (Alexandria)
Judge Comment: It was nice to hear from a variety of students on their experiences.
Entry Title: Gas leak
Entry Credit: Mia Waddell, The Echo, University of Central Arkansas
Judge Comment: Nice framing of the key aspects, nice focus on the action, too, but with the mailbox in view for perspective. The trees provide a perfect backdrop as well that direct attention to the central aspects of the photo.
Entry Title: AUTO COLLISION
Entry Credit: Rangsiya Faihin, Delta Digital News Service, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro
Entry Title: Collage
Entry Credit: Ian Lyle, The Echo, University of Central Arkansas
Entry Title: SEARCHING FOR BLACKBERRIES
Entry Credit: Rangsiya Faihin, Delta Digital News Service, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro
Judge Comment: Nice framing, great color and well framed. Great capture of a nice moment.
Entry Title: Drag Show
Entry Credit: Madison Ogle, Addison Freeman, The Echo, University of Central Arkansas
Entry Title: Homecoming
Entry Credit: Madison Ogle, The Echo, University of Central Arkansas
Entry Title: LINEMEN AT WORK
Entry Credit: Rangsiya Faihin, Delta Digital News Service, Arkansas State University
Judge Comment: What the judges liked about this entry is the photographer took something that is somewhat mundane and turned it into art and a story at the same time. Great use of tight and wide shots to convey the work.
Entry Title: ARKANSAS ROOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL
Entry Credit: Rangsiya Faihin, Delta Digital News Service, Arkansas State University
Entry Title: ROAD SIGN WORK
Entry Credit: Rangsiya Faihin, Delta Digital News Service, Arkansas State University
Entry Title: LC v. ETBU, 23-17; LC v. LeTourneau, 90-65
Entry Credit: Alena Noakes, Wildcat Media, Louisiana Christian University
Judge Comment: Fantastic collection of photos with a variety of subjects, lighting and techniques.
Entry Title: Oct. 6, 2021 cartoon
Entry Credit: Madison Ogle, The Echo, University of Central Arkansas
Judge Comment: The five-panels build an engaging, newsy story and the illustrations provide contextual detail to deliver the hammer in the final frame. Great concept.
Entry Title: Look at those sheep; Scary costume ideas
Entry Credit: Sam Miller, Wildcat Media, Louisiana Christian University
Judge Comment: “Look at those sheep” provides the right balance between disbelief and side- eye snark at a newsy topic that all can relate to.
Entry Title: Sept. 15, 2021, cartoon
Entry Credit: Madison Ogle, The Echo, University of Central ArkansasJudge Comment: Straightforward and poignant and tone-appropriate for the anniversary.
Use this link to get tickets to the event: https://bit.ly/3NFpn6S
The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the finalists for its 2022 Diamond Journalism Awards, a regional competition that recognizes journalism excellence among professionals and students from Arkansas and six bordering states.
Arkansas SPJ will present the winners at an awards ceremony on June 30 at Diamond Bear Brewing, 600 N Broadway, North Little Rock. A reception starts at 5:30 p.m. with the awards presentations starting at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 for professionals and $10 for students, including heavy hors d’oeuvres and libations. Purchase tickets by PayPal or cash/check at the door.
This year’s competition for work published or broadcast in 2021 drew 379 entries in more than 80 categories, including Diamond Journalist of the Year and Outstanding New Journalist, the Robert S. McCord FOI Award, the Charlotte Tillar Schexnayder Public Service Award, and the Garrick Feldman Community Journalism Award.
Judges were members of the SPJ chapters in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming.
The list of finalists follows, along with the publications or broadcast outlets where their work appeared:
The Arkadelphian, Arkadelphia, Ark.
Joel Phelps
Arkansas Catholic, Little Rock
Dwain Hebda
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock
Lara Farrar, Stephen Simpson, Joseph Flaherty, Thomas Metthe, Stephen Swofford, Maggie McNeary, Carrie Hill, Ginny Monk, Philip Martin, Karen Martin, Byron Tate, Tess Vrbin, Staci Vandagriff, Teresa Moss, Ashton Eley, Celia Storey, Tom Murphy, Nathan Owen, John Magsam, Noel Oman, Jaime Adame, Frank Lockwood, Nick Popovich. Jen Para
Arkansas Money & Politics, Little Rock
Mark Carter, Kelley Bass, Katie Zakrzewski
Arkansas Nonprofit News Network, Little Rock
Rebekah Scott, Benjamin Hardy, Debra Hale-Shelton
The Associated Press, Little Rock
Andrew DeMillo, Adrian Sainz, Jill Bleed
AY Magazine, Little Rock
Dustin Jayroe, Jamison Mosley, Lora Puls, Ian Lyle, Dwain Hebda, Heather Baker, Mike Bedgood, Emily Beirne
Baxter Regional Pulse, Mountain Home, Ark.
Sarah Knight, Jason Masters, Ashlee Nobel, Dwain Hebda
The Daily Citizen, Searcy, Ark.
Greg Geary
Fort Worth Weekly, Texas
Edward Brown
FOX16 News, KLRT-TV, Little Rock
Kevin Kelly, Stephen Goodale, Jessica Guy
KOLR-TV, Springfield, Mo.
Brian Calfano, Sarah Scarlett
KNWA-TV, Fayetteville, Ark.
Chad Mira, Chelsea Helms, Brad Horn, Jacob Cotner
KPEJ-TV, Midland-Odessa, Texas
Monica Quintero
KTHV-11, Little Rock
Amanda Jaeger, Skot Covert, Kelly Tibbit, Zach Keast
KUAR-FM, Little Rock
Michael Hibblen, Daniel Breen, Sarah Kellogg, Alexandria Brown
The Leader Newspaper, Jacksonville, Ark.
Rick Kron
Mississippi Free Press, Jackson
Ashton Pittman, Christian Middleton, Donna Ladd, Aliyah Veal, Torsheta Jackson, Nick Judin, Kayode Crown, Grace Marion, Stacey Cato, Leo Carney, Roger Amos, DeAnna Tisdale Johnson, Azia Wiggins, Kimberly Griffin
MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, Memphis, Tenn.
Jacob Steimer
Richmond News, Missouri
Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia
Riverfront Times, St. Louis
Danny Wicentowski
St. Louis Public Radio
Jason Rosenbaum, Shahla Farzan, Chad Davis, Marissanne Lewis-Thompson, Andrea Henterson, Jonathan Ahl, Brian Munoz, Jeremy Goodwin, Sarah Fentem
World Christian Broadcasting, Franklin, Tenn.
Paul Ladd
WVLT-TV, Knoxville, Tenn.
Ashley Bohle, Casey Wheeless, Harry Sullivan
STUDENT MEDIA
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
Reveille/LSUReveille.com
Nick Ombrellaro, Gabby Jimenez, Piper Hutchinson, Maddie Scott, Domenic Purdy, Peter Rauterkus, Claire Sullivan, Charlie Stephens
Tiger TV
Ally Kadlubar, Aria Pons, Erin Rogers, Maria Pham, Kendall Duncan, Haylee Kennedy, Brooke Smith
Manship News Service
Rachel Mipro, Liz Ryan, Lara Nicholson, Kathleen Peppo, Brittney Forbes, Margaret Delaney, Olivia Varden, Chris Langley, Masie O’Toole, Kirby Koch, Donald Fountain
Arkansas State University, Jonesboro
Delta Digital News Service
Christine Miyawa, Tristan Bennett, Krishnan Collins, Chase Gage, Rangsiya Faihin
University of Central Arkansas, Conway
The Echo
Addison Freeman, Ian Lyle, Madison Ogle, Sarah Smythe, Olyvia Gonzalez, Mia Waddell
Louisiana Christian University, Pineville
Wildcat Media
Alena Noakes, Sam Miller
The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will hold its annual board election at a membership mixer in June. Want to get involved? Consider running for a seat.
The Arkansas SPJ Board of Directors has 11 seats that are up for election each year, including executive officers: president, vice president, treasurer and secretary.
Check out the following duties and responsibilities of board members and consider running for the board or an officer position. Send a photo and a brief bio that tells why you want to serve as an SPJ leader, your history with SPJ and what you will bring to the group, including any ideas you have for the coming year, to Arkansas SPJ President Steven Listopad at slistopad@icloud.com by Monday, May 16 (extended deadline).
A list of candidates and their bios will be posted 30 days prior to the election and emailed to our membership. Voting will take place at the annual meeting (time/date/location to be decided) and via email for those who can’t attend.
Don’t want to be a board member? Get involved in one of our committees.
ARKANSAS PRO CHAPTER BOARD
Duties and Responsibilities
To ensure the health of the Society of Professional Journalists Arkansas Pro Chapter, the members of the Board of Directors must be current on national dues and be accountable for the following duties and responsibilities:
Attendance
The Board of Directors meets monthly and sometimes calls special meetings via phone or email. Board members must attend a minimum of nine monthly meetings during their July-to-June term of office, but strive to make it to all meetings in-person or by Zoom. Absence from three consecutive meetings, or four or more monthly meetings during their term, will result in the appointment of a new director to the position.
Participation
Board members must actively participate in at least one of the following chapter committees: Freedom of Information Act, Programing, Contests, Membership and Marketing, or other special committees designated by the president. Active participation may include planning at least one event in a year, advancement of the FOIA through lobbying, contributions to the chapter’s website, newsletter or social media campaigns, or other efforts determined by the board.
Contact:
Sarah DeClerk, Arkansas SPJ chapter president, spjsarah@gmail.com
Sonny Albarado, contest co-chair, spjsonny@gmail.com
LITTLE ROCK – Writers of the Mississippi Free Press and AY Magazine took top honors in the 2021 Diamond Journalism Awards, which were announced Friday (June 18) in a virtual ceremony.
The awards, a regional competition sponsored annually by the Arkansas Pro Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists, recognizes journalism excellence in Arkansas and six neighboring states.
Ashton Pittman, Donna Ladd and Christian Middleton won the Robert S. McCord Freedom of Information Award for a three-part investigative series and subsequent reporting for the Mississippi Free Press that exposed racist and sexist email exchanges between powerful, wealthy donors and top administrators and faculty at the University of Mississippi.
“A truly amazing series of reports,” the contest judges wrote. “The public had a right to know what was going on at the University of Mississippi, and the Mississippi Free Press delivered.”
Pittman and the Mississippi Free Press, a nonprofit online media outlet based in Jackson, also were recognized with the Public Service Award for “an extraordinary series of stories documenting efforts by Mississippi officials to change polling locations of thousands of voters with very little communication,” judges wrote.
Judges also named Pittman the Diamond Journalist of the Year for a portfolio of work that included samples from the other two winning entries.
“This is an amazing writer who knows how to get to the heart of a story and make it mean something to the reader,” judges said.
Dustin Jayroe of Little Rock-based AY Magazine was named the Outstanding New Journalist, a distinction that recognizes excellence by a journalist who has been working professionally for five years or fewer.
“The mark of a good writer and storyteller is when the reader can glide through a story without stopping,” judges wrote. “It’s hard to believe he’s only been in the profession for fewer than five years.”
Winners of these four categories receive an engraved clear-acrylic trophy in the shape of a diamond.
The 2021 Diamond Journalism Awards honored work published or broadcast in 2020 and drew a record 393 entries in 75 categories. Members of the Cincinnati Pro Chapter of SPJ served as judges.
This year’s contest featured a category specifically recognizing reporting on the covid-19 pandemic.
Andrew DeMillo of The Associated Press took first place in the pandemic coverage category. Judges noted his “insightful coverage that shows that length is not a prerequisite for top-notch journalism.”
Student journalists with the Delta Digital News Service, based at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, took the top prize in another new category, Student Special Projects, for their coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Judges praised Christine Miyawa, Tristan Bennett, Chase Gage and Krishnan Collins, saying, “Despite the added barriers of the pandemic, the students were able to interview a variety of sources and cover issues and topics important to the local community.”
Below is the full list of winners:
Breaking News, Daily
1st place: “Tornado rips through Jonesboro,” Stephen Simpson, William Sanders, Jeanie Roberts, Joseph Flaherty and Thomas Metthe, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette displayed its outstanding deadline work in covering the devastating tornado that ripped through Jonesboro. The story was covered fully in words, photos and videos, giving readers a view of what can happen during such a violent storm. Not to be overlooked, the paper’s coverage of the protests and of the first execution in almost two decades were also extremely strong entries.
2nd place: Protest coverage, Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
3rd place: Danny Lee execution, Tony Holt, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Breaking News, Non-Daily
1st: “Reopen Missouri,” Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia, Richmond News (Richmond, Mo.)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Great work by the Richmond News in providing both sides of the COVID-19 lockdown debate, which raged across the country last year.
2nd: “Gov. Tate Reeves’ slow responses to COVID-19,” Nick Judin, Jackson Free Press (Jackson, MS)
3rd: Third place: “Mingues: Absolutely did it,” Bruce Guthrie, The Batesville Daily Guard (Batesville, AR)
Breaking News, Magazines
1st: “Waiting on empty,” Nathan Poppe, Curbside Chronicle (Oklahoma City, OK)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Readers can feel the frustration as they journey with the unemployed through their attempts to get jobless assistance. This category provided some great human-interest reporting.
2nd: “Behind the count,” Miguel Rios, Mollile Bryant, Nathan Poppe, Curbside Chronicle
3rd: “On hold,” Mollie Bryant, Nathan Poppe, Curbside Chronicle
Breaking News, Online
1st: “UM appoints acting ombuds” and “Mississippi nursing home employee tests positive for COVID-19,” Ashton Pittman, Mississippi Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Strong deadline writing from the Mississippi Free Press makes it the clear winner in this category.
2nd: “Searcy First Assembly burns down,” Greg Geary, The Daily Citizen (Searcy, AR)
Ongoing Coverage, Daily
1st: Covid coverage, Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock and Springdale)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The coverage that you would expect from a large newsroom during a pandemic.
Ongoing Coverage, Non-Daily
1st: “Small business, big mission,” Jeff Jeffrey, Chris Mathews, Margaret Barrientos, Sara Samora, Laura Gillespie and Shafaq Patel, Houston Business Journal
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Strong look at a variety of groups/individuals with different stories of economic dislocation due to the pandemic.
2nd: “Digging Deep for COVID-19 solutions in Mississippi,” Nick Judin, Jackson Free Press
Ongoing Coverage, Magazines
1st: Covid-19 coverage, Nathan Poppe, Miguel Rios and Mollie Bryant, Curbside Chronicle
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Good use of storytelling to reveal the dramatic and moving real-world impact of the ongoing global pandemic. By highlighting different aspects of the pandemic’s effect on life for people living on the margins—employment, housing, mental health, etc.—the author is able to paint a robust picture of the issues these people face, detail the programs (or lack thereof) available to help them, and reveal the overall fragility of the system that has been put into place to aid their survival. This coverage is timely, important, and powerful.
2nd: Food/agriculture series, Tyler Hale, Arkansas Money & Politics (Little Rock)
3rd: Substance use, Dustin Jayroe and Dwain Hebda, AY Magazine (Little Rock)
Ongoing Coverage, Online
1st: “Mississippi’s long, ugly road to changing its state flag,” Ashton Pittman, Mississippi Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Solid reporting and writing on the long and complex journey to change the Mississippi state flag. Good historical perspective in the first few segments detailing the outright venom against those who wanted things to change. Additional stories detailed how times changed and the state wanted to move on. Fair, balanced and important. Nice work.
2nd: “Crime Watch with Kevin Kelly,” Kevin Kelly, FOX 16 News, KLRT-TV (Little Rock)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This is a good example of public service in reporting crime stories.
However, there’s more to reporting of this type than just a blotter. It should include potential solutions from law enforcers and the communities in which they serve.
Investigative Reporting, Daily
1st: “Lives Remembered,” an investigation into Arkansas covid-19 deaths, Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Putting a face on the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for most journalists. Government officials haven’t made that task easier. The steps taken here went the extra miles to give human dimension to the story.
2nd: “Children in Peril,” Ginny Monk, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
3rd: Arkansas Human Development Centers series, Kat Stromquist, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Investigative Reporting, Non-Daily
1st: Jacksonville Police Chief Gary Sipes, Rick Kron, The Leader (Jacksonville, AR)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Policing the police is always a good thing for journalists to do. So is following the money. These stories do that.
Investigative Reporting, Magazines
1st: “A Republican crusader takes on Oklahoma’s prison machine,” Bret Schulte, Politico Magazine (Arlington, VA)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This meticulously reported story put a human face (actually, many of them) on the incarceration problems in Oklahoma. The writer’s in-depth investigation and brilliant narrative framing made this a compelling read from start to finish.
2nd: “Crossing Schools,” Ben Felder and Kassie McClung, The Frontier and Curbside Chronicle
Investigative Reporting, Online
1st: “The fabric is torn in Oxford’: UM emails investigation,” Ashton Pittman, Mississippi Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: These stories present a troubling pattern at a major institution.
Explanatory Reporting, Daily
NO WINNERS
Explanatory Reporting, Non-Daily
1st: “Of water, heat and asphalt: the science of road paving,” Kayode Crown, Jackson Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: People care a great deal about their roads. This story does a terrific job of explaining how complicated a seemingly simple repaving project can be. Well done.
2nd: Eviction crisis, Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for The Daily Record (Little Rock)
3rd: Beyond opioids, Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for The Daily Record
Explanatory Reporting, Magazines
1st: “Bringing the dead home,” Amal Ahmed, Texas Observer and the Economic Hardship Reporting Project (Austin, TX)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This entry rose to the top of a *very* competitive batch of contenders thanks to the writer’s highly effective approach to explanatory reporting. This story was written with a very compelling narrative approach and covered a neglected topic in a meaningful and impactful manner. I found the story fascinating from the get-go. Great, in-depth reporting and powerful storytelling.
2nd: Food/Agriculture series, Tyler Hale, Arkansas Money & Politics (Little Rock)
3rd: “A Republican crusader takes on Oklahoma’s prison machine,” Bret Schulte, Politico Magazine
Explanatory Reporting, Online
1st: “Farmers deal with pandemic conditions,” Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Arkansas Nonprofit News Network (Little Rock)
NO JUDGE COMMENT
2nd: “Farmers markets struggle with Covid-19,” Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Arkansas Nonprofit News Network
3rd: “The past isn’t dead: A fight over a statue and a cemetery,” Christian Middleton and Donna Ladd, Mississippi Free Press
Features, Daily
1st: “Sharon Giovinazzo,” Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The truth of the matter is: Entrants in this category had little chance at besting reporter Dwain Hebda, who entered five feature articles and pretty much knocked out the competition. Dwain nabbed the No. 1 & No. 2 spots in this category and could lead a master class in feature writing — particularly profiles. Dwain’s stories are artfully rendered, compelling human-interest reads. Each one of them was a joy to read. I had trouble picking the best in the lot, but Sharon’s story had all of the elements of a perfect feature article.
2nd: “Healing waters,” Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
3rd: “State history books carried Rebel slant,” Bill Bowden, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Features, Non-Daily
1st: “For Detective Sgt. Heather Taylor, SLMPD’s racism was her toughest case,” Danny Wicentowski, Riverfront Times (St. Louis)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: There aren’t enough words to proclaim the excellence of this story. The writer has a command of facts and a writing style that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. You end the article feeling like you know the detective sergeant. Well-done!
2nd: Sister of Eagle Scouts is first girl in state with honor,” Tammy Keith, River Valley and Ozark Edition, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The mark of a good story is when the reader starts and finishes without ever noticing the time that has passed. That’s what happened in judging this excellent story. It showcases dedication, determination, family and all the values of Scouting. Good job!
3rd: “Pride in my ride,” Wendy Miller, The Trucker (Little Rock)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: What a well-written story. Who would think that a story about a driver and his truck could be so interesting. But, it was. Well-written and thoroughly entertaining. The reader feels as though he or she is right there in the cab. Nice work!
Features, Magazines
1st: “A Republican crusader takes on Oklahoma’s prison machine,” Bret Schulte, Politico Magazine
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: A great overview of Oklahoma’s imprisonment issue that uses people’s stories to illustrate the problem. Great job interweaving facts with human emotion.
2nd: “F is for fake,” Chris O’Connell and Savannah Maher, Texas Observer in collaboration with Wyoming Public Media, the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and the Nation
3rd: “Sprawl,” George Lang, Curbside Chronicle
Features, Online
1st: “ ‘Good Trouble’ in a white-flight suburb,” Ashton Pittman, Mississippi Free Press
NO JUDGES’ COMMENT
Editorials, Daily
1st: “Tom Cotton’s byline,” David Barham and Walter E. Hussman Jr., Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This entry not only exemplified good writing and the importance of a good editorial, but also managed to educate its readers as to the role of the opinion section in civil discourse surrounding topics important to the community.
Editorials, Non-Daily
1st: “Now is the time to listen and take action,” Giselle Greenwood, Houston Business Journal
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: A great editorial not only takes a stand but it also inspires action. This column does both beautifully. Well done.
2nd: “Tyranny wraps itself in secrecy,” Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia, Richmond News
3rd: “No clear rules for spending virus money,” Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia, Richmond News
Editorials, Magazines
1st: MHG Editor’s Letter, Dustin Jayroe, AY’s Mental Health Guide
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The writer brings his personal experience to an important topic to which the reader can relate. It draws you in and keeps your attention with an eye towards solutions. Well done.
2nd: AMP Editor’s Letters, Mark Carter, Arkansas Money & Politics
3rd: Editor’s Letter, Johnny Carrol Sain, ABOUT the River Valley Magazine (Russellville, AR)
Sports, Daily
1st: “Throwing leather,” Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The reader of this story feels like he or she is right there in the ring with the boxer and trainer. The descriptions of the training and the quotes from those involved are terrific. Nicely done.
2nd: “Maty Lincoln,” Sarah DeClerk, All Arkansas Preps, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Well-written story on a young lady who is going places. The piece captured her determination as a wrestler, but branched out to show how she made sure the program would continue after she graduated.
3rd: “Papa Bear,” Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Interesting story on a topic that most people would find unusual.
The journey from competitions to matching wits with a bear was a good read.
Sports, Non-Daily
1st: “After-school ballet,” Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Arkansas Catholic (Little Rock)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The mark of a good story is when the reader can finish and not realize any time has passed. This one of those stories. From the great lead to the sentences which follow, you feel as if you’re right there with the students. Nicely done.
2nd: “Subiaco 8-man,” Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Arkansas Catholic
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: It’s likely many people had not heard of eight-man football until this story came out. The writer focuses on the players and coaches adjusting to this style of play and it works well. A very readable and enjoyable story.
3rd: “Dawn Darter,” Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Arkansas Catholic
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Every person needs a mentor to help discover their good qualities and develop them to the fullest. That’s what Dawn Carter has done
and Dwain Hebda’s strong and descriptive writing brings it right to the readers. Good story.
Sports, Magazines
1st: “Brave New World,” Evin Demirel, Arkansas Money & Politics
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: A well-written primer on one of the biggest issues to face college sports in years. The presentation is well-researched and easy to read. The importance of the topic shines through. Nicely done.
2nd: “Enjoying the ride,” Mark Carter, Arkansas Money & Politics
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The pandemic has given thousands of people the chance to explore the world of road biking and mountain biking. This story puts that into perspective to show how the activity is growing by leaps and bounds. And, it’s important to the state’s economy.
A good piece. A good read.
3rd: “A league of their own,” Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Do South Magazine
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: How many people knew there was a basketball team of this type. The answer — very few until Dwain Hebda’s story introduced the world to these energetic ladies. Good job.
Commentary, Print/Online
1st: “Righting racism during COVID-19,” Donna Ladd, Jackson Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Columnists are at their best when they use history and facts to hold people, systems, and institutions to account. Ladd does it all and does it superbly. So well written. Thank you for the great read.
2nd: “Deserts for trees,” Dustin Jayroe, Arkansas Money & Politics
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: I loved the deep dive into history and understanding how it affects our policies today. It pulled me in and I have a better understanding now. Well done,
3rd: “Henderson State professor writes guide to caving in the South,” Morgan Acuff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This book review/profile of the caving community was a fantastic read.
Arts & Culture Writing, Print/Online
1st: “Blues, Resilience and the Black Experience,” Aliyah Veal, Mississippi Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Aliyah Veal is a strong writer who can tell a powerful story about black Mississippi culture that often flies under the media radar. Really loved her exhaustive story about the Blues Trail and the people keeping it alive today.
2nd: “Strength of American Motherhood,” Nazarene Harris, Curbside Chronicle
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Excellent “story behind the story” look at an iconic photograph and the woman who went unnamed for decades. Nazarene Harris treated the “migrant mother” with more respect than the original photographer.
3rd: Arts & Culture portfolio, Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Philip Martin is an excellent music writer with a full grasp of rock & roll history and context. Loved his take on Bob Dylan’s new song as a response to being the labeled the Sixties’ “jester” in “American Pie.”
Business Writing, Print/Online
1st: Business portfolio, Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Strong newswriting propelled the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette series of stories to the top spot. The dicamba story was esepecially compelling. Overall, this category contained many good stories.
2nd: Pandemic and business, Mark Carter, Arkansas Money & Politics
3rd: Business survival, growth during covid-19, Aliyah Veal, Mississippi Free Press
Education Reporting, Print/Online
1st: Education stories, Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The reports on whether schools were ready to reopen and the lack of mental health support services were particularly encyclopedic.
2nd: “Ole Miss vs. New Miss as anti-racism struggles in higher-ed,” Christian Middleton and Donna Ladd, Mississippi Free Press
3rd: “Crossing Schools,” Ben Felder, Kassie McClung, Nate Ward, Katrina Ward, The Frontier and Curbside Chronicle
Health, Science & Environment Writing, Print/Online
1st: Solutions for food insecurity in Mississippi, Aliyah Veal, Mississippi Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This series of series of stories skillfully outlines a problem affecting Mississippi and many other areas of the country. The key is offering solutions that can be implemented. After all, what is more important to health than the right type of food. Well done!
2nd: Pandemic reporting, Dustin Jayroe, AY Magazine
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Terrific writing that puts the human touch on the COVID-19 pandemic. Families had to make split second decisions about their health. Health care workers were on constant call to help save lives. Important stories where people can easily relate to them.
3rd: Coping with fear, stress & loneliness in covid era, Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: How does fear impact a person’s health? What about stress? Can isolation and loneliness become lead to medical problems? The answer to all three is yes and that’s the starting point for this important series of well-written stories. Very valuable for readers.
Politics, Print/Online
1st: “Big spending, PACS ‘succeeding’ from the union,” Ashton Pittman, Mississippi Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Well-researched and well-written series of stories which outline the problem of PACs and suggest ways to possibly solve them.
2nd: Political coverage, Frank Lockwood, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This entry is due recognition because the stories included aren’t just run-of-the-mill political rehashes. They’re stories broken through dedication and hard work with an eye toward letting citizens make up their own minds about them.
3rd: Voter Guide, Nathan Poppe, George Lang, Jacquelyn Walsh, Sydni Nasada, Curbside Chronicle
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Just the sheer volume of the great information in this voter guide
makes it impossible to ignore as an award winner. Any voter reading this primer will come away well-informed. Isn’t that the mission of journalism?
Special Section, Print/Online
1st: All Arkansas Preps, Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This is as thorough a presentation on high school sports stars as I have ever seen. Terrific vignettes. Great graphics. The overall impact is very impressive. Well done!
2nd: Arkansas Mental Health Guide 2020, Dustin Jayroe, Rebecca Robertson, Jamison Mosley, Lora Puls and Heather Baker, AY Magazine
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This topic may not be front and center for many, but COVID-19 has brought the issue to a wider audience. These well-written stories document journeys that others may have had. Plus, there is a full listing of resources and help for anyone seeking aid. Good job.
3rd: Downtown Little Rock magazine, Sarah DeClerk and Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Guides like this are fun to read for the great information and well-done profiles of the people involved in making a community stand out. This is excellent work.
Community Journalism, Print/Online
!st: Latinx immigrants navigate covid-19 in Mississippi, Mauricio J. Quijano, Mississippi Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: An important and well reported series of stories about people that we don’t hear enough about – especially during the pandemic.
2nd: Alpena, Bill Bowden, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: These are fun stories with fantastic quotes from the former mayor who was never mayor and great details about relationships in this small community.
3rd: “LC art alumnus turns unemployment into winning artwork in 2020,” Elizabeth Christian, Louisiana College (Pineville)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Lovely story about a family who made lemonade out of the lemons that the COVID-19 crisis handed them. Nicely written and well sourced.
VISUAL DIVISION
Photography-Breaking News
1st: In LR, rally near Capitol turns violent, Stephen Swofford, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Fireworks thrown at police trying to clear a protest blocking a highway light up the night. Dramatic shot of post-George Floyd death. Excellent!
2nd: NLR police shooting injures man, Staton Breidenthal, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Raw emotions in this one. Police officer comforting a grieving woman near the open door of a vehicle blocked by crime scene tape. Nice filled screen.
3rd: Twister damage surveyed in Jonesboro, Tommy Metthe, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Overhead view of awesome damage from a tornado. Mother Nature showed her power. Photographer has it in focus.
Photo Spread/Essay
1st: Driving Generosity, Ryan Magnani, Curbside Chronicle
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Excellent picture story. Good variety of shots provided sense of place and people. I especially liked the frame showing a workers tattooed hands with one mashed fingernail.
2nd: A Fight to End the Fight, Ebony Blevins, Jamison Mosley and Ian Lyle, AY Magazine
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Dramatic black and white photo spread of a protest of mostly black young people. The eight pictures showed a lot of emotion. Special use of color in the flag draped around one young man’s shoulders really popped.
3rd: May 30 George Floyd Protests, Stephen Swofford, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Good mix of good pictures takes the viewer into the protest scene.
Photo Portfolio
1st: Stephen Swofford, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Great sports pict and news pictures. The feature of the man walking with a cross on his shoulder is well framed against the tall building with the U.S. flag centered on one of the verticals. The ballerina is a lovely portrait.
2nd: Tommy Metthe, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Four of the five pictures are great people shots, including two sports pix. the overhead shot of a cul de sac after a tornado is striking.
3rd: Staton Breidenthal, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Five strong pictures. The funeral procession with the saluting EMTs on the bridge as the cars go under it shows great anticipation and timing,
Data Visualization
1st: Tracking Coronavirus, Brian Smith and Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Excellent. A page with 15 charts and graphics showing Arkansas statistics by county and school districts in great detail, and the U.S. and world in summary. Page is updated daily.
2nd: Homicide Map, William Sanders, Yutao Chen and Maggie McNeary, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Really good. Homicides in 2020 are shown in Little Rock and North Little Rock by name, age, residence, location of killing and link to news story of reported homicide.
3rd: Voting and Confederate Memorial Infographics, William Pittman, Mississippi Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This chronicles voting places and relocations, active voters, absentee voter ballots requested, sent and caste. One graphic shows locations of Confederate memorials in the state with no explanation of relevance to voting — unless I missed it.
Graphics/Illusrations
1st: Halloween’s Happening, Carrie Hill, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Everything about this well-executed entry says something about how COVID-19 affected the Halloween observance in a pandemic — especially the protective clothing and gas masks on the characters and long-handled pincher for delivering candy to the child’s bag. Even the Jack-o-Lanterns are wearing masks!
2nd: Thunder Watch, Joshua Boydston, Curbside Chronicle
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Coronavirus-headed pins piercing bubble holding basketball images and a player with Mickey Mouse ears address the NBA shutdown. Well done.
3rd: Fostering like a pro, Jayna Hadwiger, Curbside Chronicle
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Dogs, dogs in windows and on the street, cat on a ledge, two dog walkers nicely illustrate “Fostering a good boy…” Good job.
Video Journalism, Features
1st: Running the Rock: 2020 Little Rock Marathon, Yutao Chen, Staton Breidenthal, Tommy Metthe, Stephen Swofford, Justin Cunningham, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This two-minute presentation has four short videos that loop and are separated by stills with captions. Interviews with both female and male first-place finishers and ends with a series of close-up sweaty, smiling faces.
Video Journalism, Portfolio
1st: “Be Our Change,” Monica Quintero, KPEJ-TV (Odessa, TX)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This is an extremely thorough and well-produced special that highlights the emotion of a tragic day. There’s great use of natural sound, great interview and great video to match a great script. The segment where the child was hit by a stray bullet was especially touching. There’s a tremendous amount of terrific work in this program. Nicely done!
Newspaper Design
1st: Style section, Stan Denman, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Clean modular design of interesting pieces. Photos used well. All three entries jump every P. 1 article, making P.1s very interesting.
2nd: Sports section, Joe Luciano, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
3rd: Page One, Terry Austin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Magazine Design
1st: Food and Home series, Rebecca Robertson, AY Magazine
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This submission truly reflects the elements of modern magazine design. Large, beautifully composed and well-lit photographs are accompanied by nice page layouts and a combination of fonts and color palettes that fit the mood and theme of the stories, amplifying their messaging and overall storytelling power.
2nd: AMP series, Rebecca Robertson, Arkansas Money & Politics
3rd: “The One That Didn’t Get Away,” Sarah Knight, Tobias Pugsley, Adrienne Koehn, Chase Baker, Dwain Hebda and Jason Masters, Wheelhouse Publishing
Web/Mobile Design
1st: Arkansas Online/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is doing everything a modern news organization can and should be doing with its website and mobile products to enhance access to journalistic work, better audience experience and improve engagement. The news organization created an innovative and seemingly novel approach to adapt to the growing digital needs of its print subscribers through its iPad program, but it didn’t stop there. It has created countless pieces of deep-diving, top-notch journalism you’d expect from a top-tier newspaper like itself but published them with interactivity and a digital audience in mind—to seemingly appeal to both its traditional subscribers (now on iPads) and modern audience members across its readership. From its easy-to-use, robust coronavirus tracking projects to a covid-19 obituaries collection, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has taken the best of traditional print journalism and modernized it for a digital world to deliver important and powerful storytelling in a way that can best reach readers where they are.
BROADCAST DIVISION
Breaking News, Broadcast
1st: Hurricane Laura Aftermath, Staff, KATC-TV (Lafayette, LA)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Excellent live reports on wide range of damage. What stood out is the ability of the reporters to point out and show very specific things and get reaction from those affected. Good work under pressure.
2nd: Super Tuesday Tornado, Staff, WVLT-TV (Knoxville, TN)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Well done overview of the tornado damage throughout Nashville and suburban communities. Good video — good interviews — good sense of being right there.
3rd: Teen killed, 5-year-old shot in Killeen, Rosemond Crown, KWTX-TV (Waco, TX)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Tragic story of violence that’s becoming all too common in the U.S. Heartbreaking sound bites with little girls who wonder why someone their age would be shot. Good perspective.
Features, Broadcast
1st: Giving back with backpacks, Ashley Bohle, WVLT
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: It’s shorter than the rest of the entries in this category, but it’s long on emotion. A young girl puts aside her own hardship to help others during the pandemic. Simply elegant.
2nd: Resilient, Andrew Clay, KATC
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Losing a child is never easy for a parent. When that child works with you each day as a college softball coach, it’s doubly hard. Yet, this father/coach and his team used their loss to gain confidence and emotion in their play. Well-told. Well-shot.
3rd: Layla’s Adventure, Gordon Collier and Clint Webb, KWTX
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: There are tons of good people waiting and willing to help a child living out her young years. Granting that last wish puts a smile on the face of the donors, the parents and especially the little girl.
Documentary/Investigative, Broadcast
1st: Be Our Change – West Texas Strong, Monica Quintero, KPEJ
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: A joy to watch – motivational, inspiration, and thorough.
2nd: Prevent the Tragedy: Drowning Dangers, Brittany Tarwater and Keith Smith, WVLT
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Thorough, emotional and personal reporting on a topic that doesn’t get enough attention.
3rd: Covid-19 inside Arkansas prisons, Anna Stitt, KUAR-FM (Little Rock)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The basics of what we do – give voice to the voiceless, and hold the powerful accountable.
Political Coverage, Broadcast
1st: The Mail-In Mission, Brian Calfano and Lissa Hamblen, KOLR-TV (Springfield, MO)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: A clever and unique idea and way to tell this story – which affected so many people in this election.
2nd: Super Tuesday arrives in Arkansas, and so do Democratic presidential candidates, Daniel Breen, KUAR-FM
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The breadth of what you covered, while focusing on the volunteer, is impressive.
3rd: Campaigns shift to more pandemic-friendly voter outreach efforts, Sarah Kellogg, KUAR-FM
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Really smart use of natural sound.
Business Coverage, Broadcast
1st: Three small business adapt to survive pandemic, Megan Vanselow, Drake Lawsan and Bill Gowdy, KWTX
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Very nicely done packages on the COVID-19 impact on small businesses. Good use of natural sound to put the viewer on the scene. Good writing with matching video. Stories nicely delivered so the viewer can feel the impact. Solutions for solving the problems the businesses faced were always a major part of the story. Good work.
Education Coverage, Broadcast
1st: Racism at Westlake, Alex Capraniello, KXAN-TV (Austin, TX)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This is an excellent story. It includes many student voices and portrays the students respectfully. It also gives the school officials a chance to explain themselves thoroughly. Really terrific journalism.
2nd: As school closures stretch on, business, nonprofits work to feed students, Daniel Breen, KUAR-FM
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This was a very strong entry. The story included a lot of voices with different perspectives on the problem and how to address it. Well done.
3rd: Kindergarten cancer outpatient starts school, Ashley Bohle, WVLT
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This story had strong, emotional sound from Noah’s mom and sweet comments and nat sound from Noah. Nicely done.
Health/Science Coverage, Broadcast
1st: Explaining Leap Year, Sean Bellafiore, KWTX
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Starts with a great question – and then cleverly uses the set, studios, and editing to help answer it thoroughly.
2nd: Challenges facing Arkansas healthcare workers testing for the coronavirus, Michael Hibblen, KUAR-FM
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Nice use of natural sound throughout.
STUDENT DIVISION
Breaking News, Print/Online
1st: “Residents at risk: LSU requires mandatory covid-19 testing,” Katherine Manuel and Anna Jones, The Reveille and lsuresveille.com (Louisiana State University)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This story from The Reveille is comprised of reporting on an important and complex public health issue affecting students who live across the campus. Although university representatives were not forthcoming about the specificity of the COVID-19 testing occurring at dorms on campus, these student reporters went beyond the press release and figure heads to confirm with students and parents where testing occurred. Despite the ongoing pandemic and educational and health privacy issues, these students were able to speak with students and a parent in a brief amount of time to provide a clear picture of what was occurring on campus. It’s worth noting that quotes and/or information from a public health expert on the need for testing and overall effectiveness of this plan would have added an additional layer of credibility and context. Overall, this shows solid reporting on a complex topic during a difficult time.
Breaking News, Broadcast
NO WINNERS
Features, Print/Online
1st: “A half-century ago in Jonesboro, armed black men fought back,” Bailey Williams, Alyssa Berry, Matthew C lark, Sydney McGovern and Karli Carpenter, LSU Manship News Service (Louisiana State University)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This four-part series demonstrated excellent narrative storytelling techniques grounded by in-depth archival/document research and interviews. Each story in the series was compelling to read, and the cold-case subject at the center of the project was both riveting and revealing — and incredibly relevant as our nation grapples with its history of racial prejudice, discrimination and injustices. This effort was by far the best in the category. Kudos to all of the student reporters and editors involved in this effort.
2nd: “Triage: Six volunteers,” Hannah Butler, ABOUT the River Valley Magazine
3rd: “The McElroy House,” Kenzie Sain, ABOUT the River Valley Magazine
Features, Broadcast
1st: Neurodiversity, Ally Kadlubar, LSU Tiger TV (Louisiana State University)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Nice variety of shots and a good character.
2nd: The Interstate and Air Quality, Kendall Duncan, LSU Tiger TV (Louisiana State University)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: An interesting story with a very solid standup.
3rd: “ As judge considers challenge to early Census deadline, Arkansas officials consider impact,” Alexandria Brown, KUAR-FM (University of Arkansas, Little Rock)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Straightforward and interesting.
Editorials, Print/Online
1st: Good Journalism is Incorruptible, Alena Noakes, Wildcats Media (Louisiana College)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Great work! MENTAL HEALTH AND THE MODERN CHURCH in particular was superb. Columnists should confront controversial and important topics head on to help the public better empathize and care. You did just that. Thanks for the great read.
2nd: What the Democratic Party should learn from the 2020 election, Joel Thompson, Wildcats Media (Louisiana College)
3rd: Editorials from The Reveille, Caleb Greene, Bailey Chauvin, Reed Darcey, The Reveille and lsureveille.com (Louisiana State University)
Sports, Print/Online
1st: “Myles Brennan after LSU vs. Miss. State: expect a leader, not a blamer” Jared Brodtmann, The Reveille and lsureveille.com (Louisiana State University)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Extremely well written piece that has good information and good analysis. Very mature work on a topic where readers have great passion for the team. Nicely done.
2nd: “ ‘Absolutely killed’: What went wrong for LSU and where to go from here?” Jared Brodtmann, The Reveille and lsureveille.com (Louisiana State University)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Another good example of good sentence construction, good game analysis. The tone was matter of fact and not finger-pointing. Credibility helps in cases like this and the writer apparently has that.
3rd: “No more concussions for the Pocahontas Redskins,” Christine Miyawa, Delta Digital News Service (Arkansas State University, Jonesboro)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Any time you talk about safety in sports, people are going to read what’s written. Getting football helmets with new technology isn’t cheap, but they’re valuable in preventing traumatic brain injuries. The piece, while good, needs work on sentence construction and grammar.
Sports, Broadcast
1st: Burrow Curtain Call, Luke Chevalier, LSU Tiger TV (Louisiana State University)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Good recap of the national championship game and how Joe Burrow set records, but heaped praise on his teammates. Nicely put together.
2nd: “Softball pitcher keeps pushing,” Kendall Duncan, LSU Tiger TV (Louisiana State University)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: You’ve gotta love a person who takes life’s challenges (lemons) and turns them into lemonade. It proves the adage that if someone keeps working hard enough, success will follow.
Business, All Platforms
1st: “Shuttered casinos impact economy,” Ally Kadlubar, LSU Tiger TV (Louisiana State University)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: When doing a business story like this, the key is to focus on how people are impacted. That’s what this story does very well. It includes a laid-off casino employee and people who are charged with keeping the economic vitality of a business going. Nicely done!
2nd: “Nurse practitioner fulfills dream with art gallery business,” Tristan Bennett, Delta Digital News Service (Arkansas State University, Jonesboro)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Well-written story on an entrepreneur who had a desire to help others economically impacted by COVID-19. Good character development and a nice writing style that makes it interesting and easy-to-read.
3rd: “More House, Less Money,” Ally Kadllubar, LSU Tiger TV (Louisiana State University)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Topical story focusing on the plight of realtors in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Good inclusion of realtors and an umbrella organization to cover all sides of the issue. Good job.
Commentary, All Platforms
1st: Commentary portfolio, Marie Plunkett, The Reveille and lsureveille.com (Louisiana State University)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Great writing. Great topics, and the Middle Ages piece was just brilliant. Well done!
2nd: Columns, Evan Leonhard, The Reveille and lsureveille.com (Louisiana State University)
3rd: Opinion, Cecile Girard, The Reveille and lsureveille.com (Louisiana State University)
Education, All Platforms
1st: “Nettleton School Board honors special member,” Tristan Bennett, Delta Digital News Service (Arkansas State University, Jonesboro)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Nicely written story on a trend schools are following across the country. Using the therapy dog angle as the lead is a great way of increasing interest in what might ordinarily be a rather routine story.
2nd: “Jonesboro public schools welcome nationally certified board teachers,” Krishnan Collins, Delta Digital News Service (Arkansas State University, Jonesboro)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Teachers continuing their education can only benefit students. This story nicely describes the rigorous process of becoming board certified.
3rd: “UCA Board of Trustees approve pedestrian bridge grant, discuss fall enrollment during meeting,” Ronak Patel, The Echo (University of Central Arkansas)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Good overall summary of the meeting. The story could have been stronger with further development of pedestrian bridge.
Photography
1st: A fight to end all fights,” Ian Lyle, AY Magazine
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Good news police/protest package, showing one-to-one exchange, kneeling officers and a little black girl riding on a smiling officer’s shoulder surrounded by smiling protesters. Fifth pict is of a policewoman in a water balloon fight with mostly black and brown kids.
Photo Portfolio
NO WINNERS
Video Features
1st: “LC alum becomes award-winning artist,” Aaron Quartemont, Wildcats Media (Louisiana College)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This is nice story about a man’s life challenges and the opportunity’s they present. It’s nicely written to reveal the change from unemployment to artist. As the student grows in news video production, there will be an expectation of including more video to help tell the story. But, this effort is a good starting point.
Breaking News, Audio
NO WINNERS
Feature, Audio
1st: Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, Sofia McKentry, KLSU-FM
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Nicely produced story on organ donations. There’s good information here that’s presented very well. The blending of narration and sound bites was done very well. The newscaster’s delivery shows that she has plenty of promise in broadcasting. Nice work.
Newspaper Design
NO WINNERS
Podcasts
1st: “The untold stories of the integration of UCA,” Lauren McLemore, Morgan Jenkins, Delaney Van Wilpe, Elvira Toddy, Megan Holder and Ronak Patel, The Echo (University of Central Arkansas)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: It’s hard to believe this podcast was put together by students.This is a program that’s well-produced, well-researched, well-written and very interesting. The historical progression of the integration efforts through the years was extremely well done.
Kudos to everyone involved.
Special Projects
1st: Coronavirus, Christine Miyawa, Tristan Bennett, Chase Gage and Krishnan Collins, Delta Digital News Service (Arkansas State University, Jonesboro)
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: These student journalists covered the ongoing pandemic from a variety of angles—from school closings to the impact on local businesses. Despite the added barriers of the pandemic, the students were able to interview a variety of sources and cover issues and topics important to the local community.
SPECIAL AWARDS
Pandemic Coverage
1st: Andrew Demillo, The Associated Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: Insightful coverage that shows that length is not a prerequisite for top-notch journalism.
2nd: Wendy Miller, Linda Garner-Bunch, Lydon Finney, Sam Pierce and The Trucker Editorial Staff, The Trucker & The Trucker
3rd: Staff, Curbside Chronicle
Public Service
1st: Mississippi Trusted Elections Project, Ashton Pittman, William Pittman, John McGee, Jarius Smith and team, Mississippi Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: An extraordinary series of stories documenting efforts by Mississippi officials to change polling locations of thousands of voters with very little communication. Only when confronted by the truth from the newspaper’s reporters did state officials make any effort to correct problems. This is a great public service. Kudos to the team that obviously worked tirelessly to help guarantee the right to vote.
2nd: Children in Peril, Ginny Monk, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: An important investigation into the growing gun problem in the U.S. — especially when children are involved. The two best parts about the effort were making sure the impact on people was front-and-center plus examining a myriad of solutions. It’s disappointing that so many public officials tried to stonewall this very important work. The reader has to wonder how much more effective the story and the database would have been if everyone had cooperated.
Outstanding New Journalist
1st: Dustin Jayroe, AY Magazine
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The mark of a good writer and storyteller is when the reader can glide through a story without stopping. That’s what you get from Dustin Jayroe. The research is spot-on, the writing is conversational. From topic to topic his work stands out. It’s hard to believe he’s only been in the professional for fewer than five years. Congratulations.
2nd: Tyler Hale, AY Media Group
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: When a reader picks up a newspaper, magazine or clicks to see an online story, the expectation is for work that connects to their everyday lives.
That’s the style of Tyler Hale. His writing is easy to understand and clear as a bell. Unanswered questions are rare. This young man has a good foothold on a solid career.
3rd: Kayode Crown, Jackson Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: The amount of detail Kayode Crown puts into his stories is impressive. That exemplifies a passion for reporting and writing that easily connects with readers.
Plus, there’s always context provided about what impact a story has on the community.
These important traits are evident now and will be well-used in the future.
Diamond Journalist of the Year
1st: Ashton Pittman, Mississippi Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This is an amazing writer who knows how to get to the heart of a story and make it mean something to the reader. It doesn’t seem to matter that the topic is. Ashton tackles it with a keen eye for detail and dedication to holding those accountable when needed. Great work!
2nd: Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: This is an extremely versatile journalist. Story after story demonstrates a terrific writing skill that is enjoyable to read. Dwain’s dedication to the profession is enviable. He cares and that comes out in his stories.
3rd: Monica Quintero, KPEJ/KMID
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: There’s no doubt that Monica has a great sense of what’s important to her viewers. She creates programs that make a difference. She mentors others to improve their skill level. And she cares about every detail of a production. There’s passion, professionalism and a pleasing style that come across here.
Robert S. McCord Freedom of Information Award
1st: Bringing racist, sexist UM emails, climate report to public view, Ashton Pittman, Donna Ladd and Christian Middleton, Mississippi Free Press
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: A truly amazing series of reports.
There were so many back-stories that at times it was hard to know the players. Yet, in the end it all fit together. The public had a right to know what was going on at the University of Mississippi and the Mississippi Free Press delivered. Nicely done.
2nd: Fighting for basic information, Eric Besson, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
JUDGES’ COMMENTS: A very important effort to secure information that should be public record. Reporters having to jump through hoops to try and get basic information is outrageous. Kudos to the newspaper and the reporters/editors for never giving up and making sure these important profiles were produced and read.
2021 Diamond Journalism Awards Ceremony
Winners of the 2021 Diamond Journalism Awards will be announced in an online ceremony beginning at 6 p.m. June 18. Watch this space and social media for more details as the day gets closer.
Sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists, the Diamond Journalism Awards is a regional competition that recognizes outstanding journalism by professionals and students from Arkansas and bordering states.
Winners in more than 75 categories as well as the Diamond Journalist of the Year, the Outstanding New Journalist, and the Robert S. McCord FOI Award will be announced at the upcoming a virtual awards ceremony. Winners of the Public Service Award, Journalist of the Year, Outstanding New Journalist, and the Robert S. McCord FOI Award receive an acrylic diamond-shaped paperweight.
This year’s contest honors work published or broadcast in 2020, drew a record 393 entries and was judged by members of the Cincinnati Pro Chapter of SPJ.
Here are the finalists listed by the publication or other outlet where their entries appeared:
ABOUT the River Valley Magazine, Russellville, Ark.
Johnny Carrol Sain, Hannah Butler, Kenzie Sain
Arkansas Catholic, Little Rock
Dwain Hebda
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock
Stephen Simpson, Williams Sanders, Jeannie Roberts, Joseph Flaherty, Thomas Metthe, Stephen Swofford, Staton Breidenthal, Yutao Chen, Maggie McNeary, Carrie Hill, Justin Cunningham, Stan Denman, Brian Smith, Joe Luciano, Tony Holt, Ginny Monk, Kat Stromquist, Bill Bowden, Terry Austin, David Barham, Walter Hussman, Philip Martin, Morgan Acuff, Sarah DeClerk, Dwain Hebda, Democrat-Gazette staff
ADG River Valley and Ozark Edition, Little Rock
Tammy Keith
Arkansas Money & Politics, Little Rock
Tyler Hale, Mark Carter, Evin Demirel, Rebecca Robertson
Arkansas Nonprofit News Network, Little Rock
Dwain Hebda
The Associated Press, Little Rock
Andrew DeMillo
AY Magazine, Little Rock
Dustin Jayroe, Rebecca Robertson, Jamison Mosley, Lora Puls, Heather Baker, Ebony Blevins, Jamison Mosley, Ian Lyle, Dwain Hebda
The Batesville Guard, Arkansas
Bruce Guthrie
Baxter Regional Pulse, Arkansas
Sarah Knight
Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma City
Mollie Bryant, Nathan Poppe, Miguel Rios, George Lang, Nazarene Harris, Jacquelyn Walsh, Sydni Nasada, Ryan Magnani, Joshua Boydston, Jayna Hadwiger, Ben Felder, Kassie McClung, Nate Ward, Katrina Ward
The Daily Citizen, Searcy, AR
Greg Geary
The Daily Record, Little Rock
Dwain Hebda
Do South Magazine
Dwain Hebda
FOX16 News, Little Rock
Kevin Kelly
Houston Business Journal, Texas
Jeff Jeffrey, Chris Mathews, Margaret Barrientos, Sara Samora, Laura Gillespie, Shafaq Patel, Giselle Greenwood
Jackson Free Press, Mississippi
Nick Judin, Kayode Crown, Donna Ladd
KATC-TV, Lafayette, La.
Andrew Clay, Staff
KOLR-TV, Springfield, Mo.
Brian Calfano, Lissa Hamblen
KPEJ-TV, Midland-Odessa, Texas
Monica Quintero
KUAR-FM
Anna Stitt, Daniel Breen, Sarah Kellogg, Alexandria Brown
KWTX-TV, Waco
Rosemond Crown, Gordon Collier, Clint Webb, Megan Vanselow, Drake Lawson, Bill Gowdy
KXAN-TV, Austin, Texas
Alex Caprariello
Leader Newspaper, Jacksonville, Ark.
Rick Kron
Louisiana College, Pineville
Elizabeth Christian
Mississippi Free Press, Jackson
Ashton Pittman, William Pittman, Christian Middleton, Donna Ladd, Aliyah Veal, Mauricio J. Quijano
Politico, Arlington, Va.
Bret Schulte
Richmond News, Missouri
Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia
Riverfront Times, St. Louis
Danny Wicentowski
Texas Observer, Austin
Amal Ahmed, Chris O’Connell, Savannah Maher
The Trucker, Little Rock
Wendy Miller, Linda Garner-Bunch, Lyndon Finney, Sam Pierce, The Trucker Editorial Staff
WVLT-TV, Knoxville
Ashley Bohle, Brittany Tarwater, Keith Smith, WVLT Staff
STUDENT MEDIA
Louisiana State University (Reveille, LSU Tiger TV, LSU Manship News Service, KLSU-FM) Baton Rouge
Katherine Manuel, Anna Jones, Bailey Williams, Alyssa Berry, Matthew Clark, Sydney McGovern, Karli Carpenter, Kendall Duncan, Ally Kadlubar, Caleb Greene, Bailey Chauvin, Reed Darcey, Jared Brodtmann, Luke Chevalier, Marie Plunkett, Evan Leonhard, Cecile Girard, Sofia McKentry
Louisiana College, Wildcats Media, Pineville
Alena Noakes, Joel Thompson, Aaron Quartemont
Arkansas State University, Delta Digital News Service, Jonesboro
Christine Miyawa, Tristan Bennett, Krishnan Collins, Chase Gage
University of Central Arkansas, The Echo, Conway
Ronak Patel, Lauren McLemore, Morgan Jenkins, Delaney Van Wilpe, Elvira Toddy, Megan Holder
The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will present Public information officers and the press: Advancing the free flow of information, a discussion about the relationships between public information officers and the media at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30.
The event moderated by KATV reporter Brenda Lepenski will take place at the Arkansas Press Association, 411 S. Victory Street in Little Rock, for those who would like to attend in person or online at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89982273967.
Featured speakers include Bill Sadler, PIO for the Arkansas State Police, and communication directors Cindy Murphy of the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Aaron Sadler of the office of Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. and Pamela Smith of the Little Rock School District.
The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are welcome to bring their lunch. Submit questions and comments for discussion to arkansasSPJ@gmail.com or tweet @ArkansasSPJ.
About the moderator:
Arkansas SPJ board member Brenda Lepenski joined the Channel 7 News team in March of 2022 as a general assignment reporter. Prior to working at KATV, Lepenski worked as a multimedia journalist in Lubbock, Texas. She also worked for a Spanish TV station in Irving, Texas where she helped produce newscasts for Dallas, Houston, and Miami.
Lepenski is fluent in Spanish. She grew up in Bossier City, La. and is originally from Juarez, Mexico. Her name is Polish, given to her by her adopted family.
She’s a proud member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and has served as vice president of the Dallas chapter where she’s helped in the effort to raise scholarship funds for aspiring journalism and communication students.
She’s a former student at Louisiana Tech University and a graduate of University of Texas at El Paso.
Lepenski is looking to explore more of the Natural State and to serve the community by telling stories that matter.
About the panelists:
Bill Sadler grew up in a newspaper family in Rison, where his grandfather bought the Cleveland County Herald in 1923. Bill started working at the paper in the backshop, learned to write, photograph, “and all the other demons that come with a weekly newspaper,” he said. His family sold the paper in 2002.
He attended Arkansas State University and worked as a reporter and photographer at the Jonesboro Sun, Malvern Daily Record and Pine Bluff News.
In 1976, Bill Sadler joined the staff of KARK as a reporter/photographer assigned to Pine Bluff; then, in 1996, he went to work as a field producer for NBC News affiliates division. His first assignment covered TWA Flight 800, which exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after takeoff killing all 230 people on board.
He became a PIO in May 1997.
“Ten months into the job I was thrown to the wolves as lead spokesman for the Arkansas State Police, Craighead County Sheriff’s Department, Prosecuting Attorney and Juvenile Judge in the aftermath of the Westside School shooting,” Bill Sadler said.
He is still at the job 25 years later.
Aaron Sadler (no relation to Bill) is a veteran communicator with experience in both public relations and newspaper reporting. He is currently Communications Director for Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., and before that he led communications for five attorneys general in five states.
He is a staunch advocate for the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, having been a correspondent for Stephens Media in both Little Rock and Washington. He has also worked for the Arkansas Press Association and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.
A Trumann native, Sadler is a graduate of Arkansas State University.
Cindy Murphy spent more than 11 years at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, where she covered city hall for four years and wrote for the family section in the popular “Forces of Nurture” column about the challenges, joys and misadventures of parenting; she was a website editor, then a special projects reporter for more than seven years, during which time she was responsible for writing award-winning, in-depth articles on a number of topics, including the Arkansas Crime Lab, cold cases, various city and state agencies and related legislative initiatives.
She conducted exhaustive investigations into fraud, corruption and public spending. In addition, Murphy specialized in human interest stories that required the ability to relate to victims, their families, and the agencies involved.
After leaving the paper, Murphy served as communications director for Arkansas Attorney General’s Office under Dustin McDaniel, then as public affairs director and community engagement director under Leslie Rutledge. She worked briefly as public outreach division manager for Arkansas Energy and Environment before joining the Arkansas Department of Corrections in May 2020.
Pamela Smith has been the Communications Director for the Little Rock School District, Arkansas’ second-largest district, since April 2012, where she is responsible for guiding internal and external communications, marketing, and public relations efforts. Smith is a 30-year communications veteran who has enjoyed a career that spans public relations, radio/television broadcast, and print.
Smith previously served as co-host of Good Morning Arkansas and Weekend Anchor for KATV. Smith joined KATV’s staff in 1990 as a General Assignment Reporter and was soon promoted to Weekend Anchor, assuming the role of co-host of the station’s popular GMA program in August 2011. Because she has a keen insight into media relations and is passionate about issues that impact the state’s youth and elderly populations, she is equally excited to now work on behalf of the 22,000 plus students in LRSD and brings a breadth of experience to her role as lead communicator. In addition to her lengthy television career, Smith also served as on-air talent and news director for the top-rated Broadway Joe Radio Show in Little Rock for more than a decade and was a monthly contributor to AETN and AY Magazine.
Candidates for Arkansas SPJ’s 2022-2023 Board of Directors include past board members Steve Listopad for president; Sonny Albarado for vice president; Rob Moritz for treasurer; and Jennifer Ellis, Wesley Brown, Brittany Reese, Ebony Harding-Kendrick, Linda Garner-Bunch and Andrew DeMillo. In addition, new candidates for the board include Lance Brownfield, editor in chief of the Malvern Daily Record and Brenda Lepenski, a general assignment reporter at KATV Channel 7 News. There are currently no candidates for secretary on the 11-member board. Voting will take place at the Diamond Journalism Awards and annual meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 30, at Diamond Bear Brewing Co. in North Little Rock.
2022 DIAMOND JOURNALISM AWARDS
ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY RULES
ENTRY DEADLINE: MARCH 4, 2022
All professional journalists, including freelancers, and student journalists who reside in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas can submit entries or have entries submitted on their behalf by news organizations that published or broadcast their work. Authors who live in the contest region may also submit work published or broadcast outside those states.
You DON’T have to be a member of the Society of Professional Journalists to enter, but members get a discount on entry fees. SPJ members must provide their membership number to qualify for the discount. You can join SPJ here.
ELIGIBLE WORK MUST HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED OR BROADCAST BETWEEN JAN. 1 AND DEC. 31, 2021.
Entries may be submitted in more than one category, but a separate entry fee is required for each category.
Non-English entries should also provide an English translation if possible.
Any significant challenges or corrections to an entry must be provided with the entry. If not noted, an entry will be disqualified.
Cover letters and supporting material are required only with nominations for the Student Special Project Award, Charlotte Tillar Schexnayder Public Service Award, Garrick Feldman Community Journalism Award, Robert S. McCord FOI Award, Outstanding New Journalist Award and Diamond Journalist of the Year Award. Entrants in other categories may submit cover letters or supporting material at their discretion but should keep them brief.
Please ensure entry URLs remain valid through June 30, 2022, to accommodate judging and awards presentation.
Contest administrators reserve the right to combine entries in the same category from different platforms or circulation groups to make a category more competitive.
ENTRY FEES
SPJ members: $10 per entry.
To claim the member fee, you must supply your SPJ member number (in the entry platform’s comments box). A team entry may claim the fee if at least one team member is an SPJ member. That person’s name and SPJ member number must be listed in the comments box.
Nonmembers: $20 per entry.
Student SPJ members: $5 per entry. Provide your member number.
Student nonmembers: $10 per entry.
No fees will be refunded.
HOW TO ENTER
The Diamond Journalism Awards uses the Better BNC contest management platform for entries and judging.
If you are new to the BNC platform, you can find instructions on how to enter on this page.
You can find all the categories here.
Go here (https://arkansasspj.org/diamond-awards-payment-page/)to submit payment for entries.
Join the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for a Halloween costume party, even if the scariest thing you can come up with is dressing like a reporter at the end of a long day, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, on the patio at the reportedly haunted Four Quarter Bar. Share stories covering spooky places or paranormal activities or sit back and enjoy a brew with friends.
Society of Professional Journalists | Arkansas Pro Chapter 