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 in June. More details to come.
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
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 PUBLISHEDOR 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.
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
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
Judges have chosen the finalists for the 2020 Diamond Journalism Awards, a regional competition sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The awards recognize outstanding journalism by professionals and students from Arkansas and bordering states.
Winners of the Diamond Journalist of the Year, the Outstanding New Journalist , and the Robert McCord FOI Award will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony on June 30. More details coming soon.
Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Gavin Lesnick and Amanda Claire Curcio
Editorials (daily newspapers)
David Barham, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Editorials (non-daily newspapers)
Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia, Richmond (MO) News
Editorials (magazines)
Johnny Carrol Sain and Chris Zimmerman, ABOUT the River Valley Magazine, Russellville, AR
Columns (daily newspapers)
Kelly Brant, Rex Nelson, John Brummett, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Columns (non-daily newspapers)
Anthony Mariani, Fort Worth (TX) Weekly, Rick Kron, The Leader, Jacksonville, AR; Donna Ladd, Jackson (MS) Free Press
Columns (magazines)
Johnny Carrol Sain and Chris Zimmerman, ABOUT the River Valley Magazine, Russellville, AR; Dustin Jayroe, Arkansas Money & Politics, Little Rock
News (daily newspapers)
Linda Satter, Clara Turnage, Hammersly, Eric Besson, Michael R. Wickline, Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
News (non-daily newspapers)
Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for Arkansas Catholic; Tammy Keith, River Valley & Ozark Edition, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Ashton Pittman, Jackson (MS) Free Press
News (magazine)
Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for SAVVYKids Magazine, Little Rock; Kimsey Crocker, The Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma City; Tyler Hale, Arkansas Money & Politics, Little Rock
Feature (daily newspapers)
Bill Bowden, Sarah DeClerk, Celia Storey, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Feature (non-daily newspapers)
Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for The Daily Record, Little Rock; Rick Kron, The Leader, Jacksonville, AR; Danny Wicentowski, Riverfront Times, St. Louis
Feature (magazine)
Bret Schulte, Wilson Quarterly, Washington, D.C.; Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for AY Magazine, Little Rock
Investigative Reporting (daily newspapers)
Amanda Claire Curcio, Eric Besson, Lisa Hammersly, Ginny Monk, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Investigative Reporting (non-daily newspapers)
Scott Loftis, Carroll County Newspapers, Berryville, AR; Danny Wicentowski, Riverfront Times, St. Louis; Ashton Pittman, Jackson (MS) Free Press
Sports (daily newspapers)
Trenton Daeschner, Bob Holt, Tom Murphy, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Sports (non-daily newspapers)
Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for Arkansas Catholic, Little Rock; Tammy Keith, River Valley & Ozark Edition, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Sports (magazines)
Mark Carter, Arkansas Money & Politics, Little Rock; Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for Do South Magazine, Fort Smith, AR; Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for 501 Life Magazine, Conway, AR
Politics (daily newspapers)
Andrew DeMillo, The Associated Press; Frank Lockwood, Hunter Field, John Moritz, Michael R. Wickline, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Politics (non-daily newspapers)
Ashton Pittman, Jackson (MS) Free Press
Politics (magazines)
Mark Carter, Arkansas Money & Politics; Staff, The Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma City; Nathan Poppe, The Curbside Chronicle
Arts & Culture (daily lnewspapers)
Eric Harrison, Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arts & Culture (non-daily newspapers)
Aliyah Veal, Jackson (MS) Free Press; Tammy Keith, River Valley & Ozark Edition, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arts & Culture (magazines)
Nathan Poppe, The Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma City; Johnny Carrol Sain, Chris Zimmerman, ABOUT the River Valley Magazine, Russellville, AR; Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for Do South Magazine, Fort Smith, AR
Health (daily newspapers)
Sarah DeClerk, Cody Graves, Lisa Hammersly, Ginny Monk, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Health (non-daily newspapers)
Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia, Richmond (MO) News; Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for The Daily Record, Little Rock; Ashton Pittman, Jackson (MS) Free Press
Health (magazines)
Dustin Jayroe, Lisa Fischer, AY Magazine, Little Rock; Dwain Hebda, YA!MULE WORDSMITHS for SAVVYKids Magazine, Little Rock
STEM (non-daily newspapers)
Tammy Keith, River Valley & Ozark Edition, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
STEM (magazines)
Tyler Hale, Arkansas Money & Politics, Little Rock
Design (magazines)
Chris Zimmerman, ABOUT the River Valley Magazine, Russellville, AR; Rebecca Robertson, AY Magazine, Little Rock
Thomas Metthe, Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Nathan Poppe, The Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma City
Photography Portfolio
Nathan Poppe, The Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma City; Thomas Metthe, Staton Briedenthal, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Graphics/Illustrations
Jayne Hadwiger, Joshua Boydstun, William Muschinske, The Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma City
TV Documentary/Investigative Reporting
Monica Quintero, David Wagner, David Lowell, KPEJ/KMIKD/ KLST, Odessa, TX
News (radio/audio)
Daniel Breen, Sarah Kellogg, KUAR-FM, Little Rock
Feature (radio/audio)
Kelly Connelly, David Monteith, Michael Hibblen, KUAR-FM, Little Rock
Documentary/Investigative Reporting (radio/audio)
J. Bradley Minnick, Mary Ellen Kubit, KUAR-FM, Little Rock
Politics (radio/audio)
Michael Hibblen, Daniel Breen, KUAR-FM, Little Rock
Health (radio/audio)
Michael Hibblen, KUAR-FM, Little Rock
Community Service (all platforms)
Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Staff, Jackson (MS) Free Press; Staff, The Curbside Chronicle, Oklahoma City
Special section (all print)
Downtown Little Rock Magazine, ADG Promotions Staff; Football Preview, Jennifer Ellis, Wendy Miller, Sarah DeClerk, Three Rivers Edition, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Hannah Butler, ABOUT the River Valley Magazine, Russellville, AR; Matthew Emery, Chase Gage, Delta Digital News Service, Arkansas State Univerity, Jonesboro
Sports
Denton Postlewait, Delta Digital News Service, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro; Kenzie Sain, Chris Zimmerman, ABOUT the River Valley Magazine
Attention professional and student journalists in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas:
The 2020 Diamond Journalism Awards entry period is underway.
Sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Diamond Journalism Awards is open to any professional or student journalist, including freelancers, working in Arkansas and bordering states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee).
Eligible work must have been published or broadcast between Jan. 1, 2019, and Dec. 31, 2019.
Entries are now being accepted online at https://betternewspapercontest.com/. Submitted entries can be either pdfs or URL links or both. No Word documents accepted.
The entry deadline is March 20, 2020
For details on entry rules and requirements please visit here.
Judges have chosen the finalists for the 2019 Diamond Journalism Awards, a regional competition sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The awards recognize outstanding journalism by professionals and students from Arkansas and bordering states.
The Diamond Journalist of the Year will be announced at the awards ceremony and annual membership meeting, which will take place 6 p.m. June 25 at the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium in Little Rock. Tickets are $15 per person, including heavy hors d’oeuvres and libations. More details about the event will soon be released.
Jeanne Roberts, Gavin Lesnick and Mitchell Pe Masilun,The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Rachel Herzog, Brandon Riddle and Polly Irungu, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Gavin Lesnick, Nikki Dawes, Ginny Monk, John Moritz and Ryan Tarinelli,The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Slideshow (any platform)
Staff, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Multimedia (any platform)
Nikki Dawes, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Gavin Lesnick and Jillian Kremer, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Staff, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Video portfolio (any platform)
Mitchell Pe Masilun, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arts and culture (daily newspapers)
Philip Martin, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Kelly Brant, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Health (daily newspapers)
Kat Stromquist, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Emma Pettit, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Sarah DeClerk, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Politics (daily newspapers)
Rachel Herzog, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Hunter Field, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Andrew DeMillo, The Associated Press
Sports (daily newspapers)
Jeremy Muck, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Bob Holt, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Investigative reporting (daily newspapers)
Ginny Monk, John Moritz and Ryan Tarinelli, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Hannah Grabenstein, The Associated Press; Stephen Steed, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Feature (daily newspapers)
Ginny Monk, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Clara Turnage, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Hannah Grabenstein, The Associated Press
News (daily newspapers)
Bill Bowden, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Jill Bleed and Adrian Sainz, The Associated Press; Andrew DeMillo, The Associated Press
Opinion (daily newspapers)
John Brummett, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette;Elizabeth West, Ville Platte Gazette; Philip Martin, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
News (magazine)
Johnny Carrol Sain, Arkansas Life magazine
Sports (magazine)
Johnny Carrol Sain, Arkansas Life magazine; Jon Beilue, Hooten’s Arkansas Football; Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for 501 Life magazine
Feature (magazine)
Heather Breed Steadham, Arkansas Life magazine; Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for AY magazine
Politics (magazine)
Jordan P. Hickey, Arkansas Life magazine; Jacque Walsh, Nathan Poppe and Whitley O’Conner, The Curbside Chronicle
Health (magazine)
Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for AY magazine; Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Mental Health Guide
Arts and culture (magazine)
Seth Eli Barlow, Arkansas Life magazine; Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Soiree magazine; Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Do South magazine
News (non-daily newspapers)
Arielle Dreher, Jackson Free Press; Shawn Arraj, Rebecca Hennes, R. Hans Miller and Amelia Brust, Community Impact Newspaper; Hannah Zedaker, Community Impact Newspaper
Health (non-daily newspapers)
Linda Garner-Bunch, Three Rivers Edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Arkansas Catholic; Tammy Keith, River Valley & Ozark Edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Feature (non-daily newspapers)
Danny Wicentowski, Riverfront Times; Rick Kron, Leader Newspaper; Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia, Richmond Daily News
Arts and culture (non-daily newspapers)
Amber Helsel, Jackson Free Press; Karen Craigo, The Marshfield Mail
Opinion (non-daily newspapers)
Anthony Mariani, Fort Worth Weekly; Donna Ladd, Jackson Free Press; Rick Kron, Leader Newspaper
Politics (non-daily newspapers)
Ashton Pittman, Donna Ladd and Amber Helsel, Jackson Free Press; Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia, Richmond Daily News; Jack Flagler, Emma Freer and Christopher Neely, Community Impact Newspaper
Sports (non-daily newspapers)
Dwain Hebda, Ya!Mule Wordsmiths for Arkansas Catholic; Wendy Miller, Three Rivers Edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Tammy Keith, River Valley & Ozark Edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Investigative reporting (non-daily newspapers)
Danny Wicentowski, Riverfront Times; Matt Dulin, Community Impact Newspaper; Beth Marshall, Community Impact Newspaper
Design portfolio (print/online)
Stan Denman, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Emma Devine, Arkansas Life magazine; Leanne Hunter, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Special section (print/online)
Sarah DeClerk, Emily Partridge and promotions team, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Sarah DeClerk, Wendy Miller and special sections team, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Sarah DeClerk and special sections team, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Photography portfolio (print/online)
Mitchell Pe Masilun, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Stanton Breidenthal, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Tommy Metthe, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Photo package/spread (print/online)
Mitchell Pe Masilun, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Photography (print/online)
Mitchell Pe Masilun, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Yvette Jagneaux, Ville Platte Gazette; Staton Breidenthal, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
News (radio/audio)
Johnathan Reaves, KASU Public Radio; Ann Kenda, Arkansas Public Media
Sports (radio/audio)
Brandon Tabor, KASU Public Radio; Ann Kenda, Arkansas Public Media; Chuck Livingston, David Wallace, Barry Groomes, Chad Hooten and Chris Hooten, Hooten’s Arkansas Football
Documentary/investigative reporting (radio/audio)
Ibby Caputo, Scene on Radio podcast of Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies
Judges have chosen the finalists for the 2018 Diamond Journalism Awards, a regional competition sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
The awards recognize outstanding journalism by professionals and students from Arkansas and bordering media markets in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
The Diamond Journalist of the Year and Outstanding New Journalist, as well as the winners of the Community Service Award and Robert McCord Freedom of Information Award, will be announced at the awards banquet. Details about the event will be released at a later date.
Here is a list of finalists by category:
NEWS (daily newspapers)
Andy Davis, Lisa Hammersly and Doug Thompson, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Ryan Tarinelli and Ginny Monk, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
POLITICS (daily newspapers)
Hunter Field, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Andrew DeMillo, The Associated Press; Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
SPORTS (daily newspapers)
Bob Holt, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Brooks Kubena, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Tom Murphy, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING (daily newspapers)
Jonathan Bullington, Richard Webster, Brett Duke, Emma Scott and Haley Correll, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune; Amanda Claire Curcio and Ginny Monk, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Lisa Hammersly, Doug Thompson, Ginny Monk and Dave Hughes, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
FEATURE (daily newspapers)
Ted Jackson, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune; Ginny Monk, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Emma Pettit, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
COMMENTARY (daily newspapers)
John Brummett, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Andrew DeMillo, The Associated Press; Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
EDITORIALS (daily newspapers)
David Barham, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
NEWS (non-daily newspapers)
Benjamin Hardy, Arkansas Nonprofit News Network; Tammy Keith, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette River Valley and Ozark Edition; Jacob Rosenberg, Arkansas Times
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING (non-daily newspapers)
Sarah Campbell-Miller, Arkansas Business
FEATURE (non-daily newspapers)
Linda Garner-Bunch, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Tammy Keith, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette River Valley and Ozark Edition; Sam Pierce, Tri-Lakes Edition, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
COMMENTARY (non-daily newspapers)
Karen Craigo, The Marshfield Mail; Tammy Keith, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette River Valley and Ozark Edition; Rick Kron, Leader Publishing
Bobby Ampezzan, Arkansas Public Media; Heidi Sohl, Red Wolf Radio; Karen Steward, KUAR Public Radio
FEATURE (radio/podcast)
Michael Hibblen, KUAR Public Radio; Ann Kenda, Arkansas Public Media; Karen Steward, KUAR Public Radio
NEWS (television)
Kevin Kelly and Matt Thibault, FOX16 News — KLRT; Rodolfo Portillo, Univision Arkansas; Mariana Rivero, Univision Arkansas
DOCUMENTARY/INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING (television)
Caitlin Sinett, KY3
SPORTS (television)
Esdras Valdez, Univision Arkansas
FEATURE (television)
Alex Caprariello, KNWA/KFTA; Seth Cleveland, ASU-TV; Kevin Kelly and Matt Thibault, FOX16 News – KLRT
MULTIMEDIA (any platform)
Kimberely Blackburn, Tucker Crain, Miranda Reynolds, Katie Woodall and Christopher Lee, Delta Digital News Service; Emma Pettit, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Staff, The Associated Press
VIDEO (any platform)
Mitchell Pe Masilun, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
SLIDESHOW (any platform)
Brandon Riddle, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
SPECIALIZED SITE (any platform)
Gavin Lesnick, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Jeannie Roberts, Gavin Lesnick and Mitchell Pe Masilun, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Staff, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism
NEWS (student journalism)
Kimberely Blackburn, Delta Digital News Service; Ryan Bourgoin, The Forum – UA Little Rock; Christine Kemper, The Forum – UA Little Rock
SPORTS (student journalism)
Kolton Rutherford, The Forum – UA Little Rock
FEATURE (student journalism)
Kimberely Blackburn, Delta Digital News Service; Amber Quaid, Arkansas Tech University; Miranda Reynolds, Delta Digital News Service
Attention professional and student journalists within 250 miles of Little Rock, it’s time to enter the Diamond Journalism Awards!
Sponsored by the Arkansas Pro Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists, the Diamond Journalism Awards recognize outstanding journalism by professionals and students from Arkansas and bordering media markets in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
Eligible work must have been published or broadcast between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018.
Entries can be submitted starting April 20, 2018 and has been extended until 11 p.m. CDT, JULY 16, 2018.
The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists presented its 2017 Diamond Journalism Awards on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at Flying Saucer in Little Rock.
The awards recognize outstanding journalism by professionals and students from Arkansas and bordering media markets in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. The awards honor work published or broadcast between July 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017.
This year’s competition included 64 entries and was judged by journalists from the Florida Pro Chapter of SPJ.
Society of Professional Journalists | Arkansas Pro Chapter 
