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Judges’ results broadcast and all media 2007 (announced April 19, 2008)

RADIO
CATEGORY 37: BREAKING NEWS
First place: Charles Homans, KIAL/Unalaska Community Broadcasting, “Fire on the Stellar Sea.”
Comments: Even though the initial drama of the fire was over by the time the processor made port, Homans managed to convey it through interviews with two crewmembers. He went further, and got an analyst to reflect on what the temporary loss of the processor could mean for local fishermen. The story was well-reported, well-recorded, nicely produced, written, and delivered.
Second Place: David Shurtleff, Alaska Public Radio Network, “FBI Raids Home of Senator Ted Stevens”
Comments: APRN deserves kudos for getting someone to the scene as the raid took place. Having done that, it’s difficult to get a lot of information at the scene in a short time. Since he’d spoken to neighbors, Shurtleff might have done well to hand the phone to one of them. It was a good call to use the sound from Stevens’ recent presser.
Third place: No award given.
Judge: Corey Flintoff is a familiar voice to Alaskans. He got his start in radio at KYUK in Bethel and also worked for KSKA in Anchorage and later for APRN. He is currently a State Department and Intelligence Community correspondent with NPR, where he has reported from Iraq.

CATEGORY 38: BEST SINGLE STORY
First Place: Libby Casey, KUAC, “Iraq war widow chooses in vitro”
Comments: Wonderful storytelling. A relevant subject, great sound, characters and tension.
Second Place: Rebecca Sheir, Alaska Public Radio Network, “Selling the U.S. One Inch at a time”
Comments: Great ability to tell a story with just one character. Wonderful delivery and writing.
Third Place: Matt Lichtenstein, KPSK, “Record Snowfall”
Comments: Can’t believe record snowfall would be an issue in Alaska, but this story was good. Good hook in the beginning.
Judge: Susanna Capelouto is the news director of Georgia Public Broadcasting’s 15-station radio network. Her areas of special interest are state politics, education, religion and race relations. Susanna has been honored with awards from the Georgia Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Georgia Bar Association.

CATEGORY 39: COMPREHENSIVE
First Place: Coast Alaska Public Radio, “Voices of Tongass”
Comments: The series took an age old conundrum for rural areas: ‘How do you balance the economic needs of a community while conserving the environment for future generations.’ The first story was a bit dense but told me why I needed to care and what was at stake. The second and third stories put me in the communities having to deal with this issue. The stories had good writing, wonderful sound and great interviews. It really put the listener in the scene.
Second Place: David Shertleff, Alaska Public Radio Network, “Alaska Corruption Trials”
Comments: This was a good recap of the bribery scandal that shook Alaska’s Capitol. Part of me wished I heard all of the entries because it would have given me a greater sense of the background. What prevented this entry from taking the top spot was the lack of context. I was hoping for a nut graf or greater background into what made this a big story. Remember, it’s always useful to remind the listener about the charges and background. Good writing and presentation.
Third Place: John Ryan, KTOO-FM, “Avalanche Series”
Comments: This was an interesting topic to cover. There was some solid writing and use of sound. I wish the reporter would have given me a sense of “Why should I care” in the earlier stories. That would have made the pieces/series more relevant.
Judge: Tom Scheck covers politics for Minnesota Public Radio. He has won several state, regional and national awards on issues involving Minnesota’s fractured mental health system.

CATEGORY 40: ONGOING PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM
First place: Maggie Wall, http://www.leghead.com, “The Leg Head Report”
Comments: Useful and informative. Direct and to the point, no drowning in talking heads for an hour.
Second place: Dixie Hutchinson, KNBA, “Out-migration”
Comments: Good and useful, though not necessarily uplifting information.
Third place: Casey Kelly, KMXT, “The Alaska Fisheries Report”
Judge: Mark Moran reported from Alaska during the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. He is a regular voice from Arizona on NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, reporting on a range of issues. Moran is the recipient of several Edward R. Murrow awards.

CATEGORY 41: DOCUMENTARY
No awards given.

CATEGORY 42: GOVERNMENT /POLITICAL REPORTING
First Place: David Shurtleff, Alaska Public Radio Network, “Congressional Picnic Gone Wrong”
Comments: David Shurtleff’s wry, punchy story made me smile and even laugh out loud – the first news piece in a long time that grabbed and held me. This was radio reporting at its best: spare, lively writing; clever use of audio that puts us at the scene (the on-mike arguments and unhappy child show that Shurtleff must have waded fearlessly into the fray); and great pacing.
Second place: Leah Mann, KCAW-Raven Radio, “Youth Election”
Comments: Leah Mann reminds us that “attitude” can bring a story alive – when in other hands, it might have been dull and predictable. I love the way she tells this story, in a clear, chatty style, as though we’re sitting at the dinner table; Mann doesn’t sound, as many reporters do, as if she’s plodding through a script in an isolated studio. (My only note of caution: there’s a fine line between being irreverent and editorializing, and Mann’s news stories will be even more effective if she doesn’t stray over it.)
Third place: No award given.
Judge: Daniel Zwerdling’s acclaimed investigative and documentary reports appear on all of NPR’s major news shows. In late 2006 and 2007, he revealed that officers at Fort Carson, Colorado, were punishing soldiers who’d come back from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder and other serious mental health problems — even kicking them out of the Army. As a result of Zwerdling’s reports, the U.S. Senate, the Pentagon and the Government Accountability Office all launched separate investigations, and commanders at the Army base vowed to treat soldiers better.

CATEGORY 43: BUSINESS REPORTING
First place: Ed Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska, “Real Estate Boom”
Comments: A well-structured story, which grabs the listener’s attention right off the top with an interesting piece of actuality, and returns to the same scene at the end. Good use of sound and well-recorded actualities. It avoids sounding boosterish (as many stories about real-estate booms do) by considering the negatives of rising home prices and more part-time residents for a community, as well as the positives. Ed’s writing is good, appropriate for radio, easy to follow; his read is also good although he could work on varying rhythm and pitch a little bit more; in particular, work on not going to the same pitch at the end.
Second place: Joe Viechnicki/KFSK-FM, “Rural Hospital Connections”
Comments: A thorough and well-researched story on an important topic. Good writing for radio. The sound was well-recorded and the actualities well-chosen. The scene of the doctor showing the X-ray was good and added liveliness; it might have been nice to get an additional scene of a patient or other hospital sound.
Third place: Jay Barrett, KMXT Radio, “Beer Supply in Danger”
Comments: Very well-written story, and Jay’s delivery of the copy is excellent. The topic is interesting and unusual — I can imagine listeners talking about it at work the next day.
Judge: Nina Thorsen is a radio producer currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She produced and edited the series “Pacific Time” dealing with Asian and Asian American issues, and was deputy foreign editor for public radio’s business program “Marketplace.”

CATEGORY 44: ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING
First place: Charles Homans, KIAL, Unalaska
Fish Drift from Familiar Alaska Waters”


Comments: This is a really good, narrative story. There are interesting bits of 
ear-catching sound. The writing is clear and linear. The issue is 
fascinating - at least to an old fish reporter like myself.  
(Actually, my wife Susan was folding laundry while I auditioned it and 
she was fascinated too.) I also really like reporters enterprising 
their work to the NPR level. Some might see the NPR-connection as an 
unfair advantage. But I think this kind of partnership allows 
reporters the resources and editorial support necessary to take things 
up a notch. The bottom line? Regardless of how it was produced, this 
was the top story in the pile.


Second place: Dixie Hutchinson, KNBA, “Anchorage
Running Clean”
Comments: I really loved this story. The voices are beautiful, vivid. Nice 
flavors of ambient sound. A few bits of confusing tape, but also some 
very nice transitions. I wanted a bit more scene painting: describe 
the scene, the faces, the classroom, the river, etc.
Third place: Ed Schoenfeld, Coast Alaska, “Yakutat Hubbard Glacier”
Comments: Really nice sound. Conversational delivery. A nice cumulative, narrative style. I thought there was an opportunity to question a 
little more deeply what it means to have an economic reliance on a 
thing that is essentially “wild.” But the piece gets very close to 
that in fascinating ways. It introduces the complex differences 
between long-term vs. short-term perspectives. Some interesting and 
well-explained scientific issues raised.

Judge: Brian Mann began his public radio career in Alaska, working for KCAW, KRBD, and later the Alaska Public Radio Network. He currently works for North Country Public Radio in northern New York where he is a frequent contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Mann has won two national Edward R. Murrow Awards, including an award for innovative coverage of the Iraq War.

CATEGORY 45: BEST REPORTING ON CRIME OR COURTS
First place: Len Anderson, Alaska Public Radio Network, “Fred the Bailsman”
Comments: Good human interest report. Good job of letting sound clips bring the emotion, while Anderson provided the facts. Editing is smooth. An excellent job of wordsmithing that invites one to keep listening.
Second Place: Ellen Lockyer, Alaska Public Radio Network, “Exxon Payback”
Comments: An excellent report on what is a complicated case. Good writing and good voicing. There is a good use of the language that maintains one’s interest throughout this report.
Third Place: David Shurtleff, Alaska Public Radio Network, “Feds Outline Case Against Kott”
Comments: An interesting report with a good use of sound. The script and sound meld together to form a coherent and interesting story.
Judge: Richard Baker Baker is a professor in the Department of Communications in the College of Agriculture and an adjunct professor in the school of Journalism and Mass Communications. He is also the news director at K-State and produces a syndicated public affairs program heard on 45 radio stations throughout Kansas.

CATEGORY 46: BEST EDUCATION REPORTING
No results as of press time.

CATEGORY 47: BEST REPORTING ON HEALTH OR SCIENCE
First place: Alaska Teen Media Institute, Anchorage for “Teen Stress”
Comments: Creative and effective use of the radio medium resulting in first-person
understanding of a complex and wide-spread health problem. Lots of complicated information, and good advice is compressed in a short time. High points for entertainment, accuracy, and relevance.
Second Place: Len Anderson, KSKA-Anchorage “Traditional Healers”
Comments: A news story of how and why traditional healing methods are relevant to
medical practice today. An issue that is rarely reported in a way that transmits this level of understanding of the healing and cultural interfaces between traditional healing and Western medicine.
Third Place: Mike Dzurisin aka Mike Lord, KRUA-Anchorage “88 Seconds of News: Pandemic Practice”
Comments: It’s wonderful to hear, within a very brief news spot, science and health stories treated intelligently, and in ways that are relevant and important to the local audience. The award goes to the Pandemic Practice story for clear explanation, news-you-can-use, and interviews that convey information about multiple angles: Government/preparedness, university/research, citizen self-interest.
Judge: Adi Givens won a Peabody for work she produced with Laurie Garrett. She works as a researcher with the DNA files and director of the Science Literacy Project, which among other things provides training for radio journalists covering science.

CATEGORY 48: BEST FEATURE
First place: Charles Homans, KIAL, “End of an era in Unalaska”
Comments: By a huge amount the truly best of the bunch: nothing else comes close. Wonderful writing, terrific use of sound, well structured, a wonderful ear for details, marvelous storytelling. If only all radio sounded this good! (Though, of course, not all subjects lend themselves so well to radio as a bar closing.)
Second place Annie Feidt, APRN, “Arctic Ocean”
Comments: Reporters are using sound well, for the most part, and recognize that it’s what makes radio radio.
Third place: Robert Woolsey, KCAW, “Yaadaas”
Comments: There’s lots of sound and decent production.
Judge: Karen Michel, former award-winning journalist in Alaska with many fellowships and awards including a Peabody, a Fubright and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships. A contributor to NPR, founder of the Association of Independent Radio, she is a visiting professor at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

CATEGORY 49: BEST PROFILE
First place: Celeste Novak, Mike Mason, KBBI, “Howard Hedges Obituary”
Comments: An obituary of a local man with a colorful past (Alaskan residents all seem to have these colorful pasts!). Reporter blended in music from the subject underneath much of the piece, incorporated numerous compelling community voices into the story so that we had a real sense of the impact of this man’s life and the legacy he left behind. The piece was characterized by nice writing, lovely voices, texture, structure and feeling. All the different voices really conveyed a sense of community and belonging.
Second place: Charles Homans, KIAL, “Dr. David Baines”
Comments: Another colorful Alaskan, really brought to life nicely with descriptions (his braids and tattoos) and personal history. Reporter moved skillfully to blend in scenes from the health clinic and ended the piece with a nice long segment of the character teaching traditional songs to children. Very nicely done.
Third place: Ellen Lockyer and Moses Obeidi
Comments: A pretty simple piece with only the voice of the narrator and the character, but a lovely voice, and a great story from a Palestinian immigrant to Anchorage. He was such a great character that he told the story himself, but the reporter’s writing and transitions in and out of tape really helped give the piece texture and strength.
Judge: Alisa Barba is the Western bureau chief for NPR and a former television producer with KPBS, ABC News in New York and Beijing and a reporter and producer at the NewsHour for PBS.

CATEGORY 50: BEST SPORTS STORY
First place: Rebecca Sheir, Alaska Public Radio Network, “Keeping Up With The Jumpers: Competitive Rope Skipping in the Last Frontier”
Comments: I liked everything about this piece. Overall, it was lively; it moved at a good pace. The writing was relaxed and conversational - so too was Rebecca’s delivery. Her writing in and out of tape was well done...it kept the piece moving. The production was very good and seamless. A few highlights: I liked her introduction to the first bit of sound of a whirring jump rope...and the sound itself was vivid. I liked the description of jumpers in one event doing a “hyper-caffeinated jog.” And the ending was strong with the fun anecdote about the book of world records. I listened to the piece twice...and liked it even better the second time. This definitely deserved the first-place prize.
Second place: Annie Feidt, Alaska Public Radio Network, “Risking It on Denali”
Comments: This was a very strong piece and had some of the nice qualities of Rebecca’s first-place story. Good writing. Good transitions from script to tape and back to script. It was well produced, with a couple of scenes - one at the beginning gave us a nice unexpected moment (the climber talking about his coffee drink); the one with the French climbers was not as lively, but it provided a break in the rhythm of the piece. The people on tape told dramatic stories.
Third place: Dixie Hutchinson, KNBA, “WEIO Kickoff.”
Comments: The subject matter was compelling — it’s what I want to hear out of Alaska. To those of us in the Lower 48, Alaska is an exotic place, with people and cultures different than anyplace else in the U.S. I enjoyed hearing about some of those differences in Dixie’s piece. I give it high marks for originality…an effort to give the listener a sense of place and culture.
Judge: Tom Goldman, NPR sports correspondent, used to work as a reporter and producer for APRN.

CATEGORY 51: BEST ARTS REPORTING
First place: Charles Homans, KIAL/Unalaska Community Broadcasting, “Philippines Pop in Unalaska”
Comments: Charles Homans takes an unusual event, a performance by a major Philippino pop star in a town in the Aleutian Islands, and not only describes the show, but gets into the drama of the risks involved for the promoter, and what the event means to the local immigrant community. It’s a story filled with surprises, written in a way that seizes a listeners ear, and never lets go until it’s done. A great piece of radio.
Second place: Rebecca Shier, Alaska Public Radio Network, “Alaska in da Bronx”
Comments: Rebecca Shier introduces listeners to a singular collector with an Alaskan obsession, even though he lives in the LaGuardia flight path. Great writing brings out the personality of this Alaskana specialist, while also digging a little into the strange ideas non-Alaskans project onto the state.
Third place: Annie Feidt, Alaska Public Radio Network, “Prison Music”
Comments: Annie Feidt explores the importance of live music performances in prison, their legacy, and why performers keep returning. Well written and mixed.
Judge: Euan Kerr is a senior news editor at Minnesota Public Radio. He has worked for MPR, KFAI-FM, and the BBC, and filed for a variety of NPR shows. In recent years he has worked primarily with reporters covering rural Minnesota while also coordinating arts coverage for MPR News.

CATEGORY 52: BEST DAILY NEWS PROGRAM
First place: KMXT Midday Report with Jay Barrett, KMXT Radio
No second or third place awarded.
Judge: Karen Michel, former award-winning journalist in Alaska with many fellowships and awards including a Peabody, a Fubright and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships. A contributor to NPR, founder of the Association of Independent Radio, she is a visiting professor at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

TELEVISION
CATEGORY 53: BEST BREAKING NEWS
First place: Megan Baldino and Daniel Hernandez, KTUU, “Park Place Condo Fire”
Second place: Bill McAllister, KTUU, “Kott Verdict”
Third place: Rebecca Palsha and Jason Kohler, KTUU, “Caribou Hills Wildfire”
Judge: Al Tompkins is the broadcast/online group leader at the Poynter Institute and a broadcast veteran with myriad consulting clients.

CATEGORY 54: BEST SINGLE STORY
First place: Megan Baldino and Daniel Hernandez, KTUU, “Day 1 of the Hunt”
Comments: Nice photography and nat sound off the top and throughout the piece. The story was informative and educational. I thought, given the subject matter, The reporter could have evoked a bit more emotion… more sots of how this hunt makes people feel, especially after a kill. That would have made this piece much more effective.
Using the graphic information in the middle of the piece slowed it down. In the future, I would suggest perhaps using graphic information, but full-screening it over more video of the bears… especially of cubs. I would imagine that there is more file video of bears to use. I would have liked to see more of that.
But, overall, the piece made me wonder why the park service has this policy, and what will happen next. Perhaps not many residents outside Alaska understand what a great loss this is to the habitat and wildlife.
Judge: Julia Yarbough is an Emmy Award winner who co-anchors the NBC 6 News in Miami.

CATEGORY 55: BEST SERIES REPORTING
First place: Jill Burke and Scott Jensen, KTUU, “Our Garden is Our Ocean”
Second place: Megan Baldino and Scott Jensen, KTUU, “Iditarod”
Third place: Rhonda McBride and Phil Walczak, KTUU, “Diabetes”
Judge: Al Tompkins is the broadcast/online group leader at the Poynter Institute and a broadcast veteran with myriad consulting clients.

CATEGORY 56: BEST LIVE SHOT
First place: WEIO Blanket Toss, Angela Blanchard, Jason Kohler and Shane Pike.
Second place: No award given.
Third place: No award given.
Comments: It was a very fine, entertaining, and high energy shot…and we award it a first place.
Judge: Michael Todd is the assistant news director at WSMV-TV in Nashville, Tenn.

CATEGORY 57: BEST DOCUMENTARY
First place: Steve McDonald and Rich Jordan, KTUU
Second place: Katie Bausler, “Alaska College Track”
Judge: Al Tompkins is the broadcast/online group leader at the Poynter Institute and a broadcast veteran with myriad consulting clients.

CATEGORY 58: BEST REPORTING ON HEALTH OR SCIENCE
First place: Mike Ross and Eric Sowl, KTUU, “Medicare Mess”
Comments: Very thorough reporting on an issue relevant to a growing number of viewers. Interviews did a nice job of supporting key points and providing emotional input. Solid editing with good use of natural sound. Clear, easy-to-read graphics.
Second place: Jill Burke and Phil Walczak, KTUU, “Emma and Chuck’s Silent Curse.”
Comments: Well-researched topic with compelling interviews. Children provided a good, emotional hook to the story.
Third place: No award given.
Judge: Karen Larsen anchors KJRH Channel 2 News in Tulsa. She has earned three Emmy Awards and honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters.

CATEGORY 59: BEST EDUCATION REPORTING
First Place: Rhonda McBride and Scott Jensen, KTUU, ”The Right Stuff”
Comments: Reporter did a nice job of setting up the story. Solid writing with good audio/video linkage. Alliteration helped underscore key points and provide compelling text. Excellent photography and use of natural sound.
No second- or third-place awards given.
Judge: Karen Larsen anchors KJRH Channel 2 News in Tulsa. She has earned three Emmy Awards and honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters.

CATEGORY 60: BEST ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING
First place: Jason Moore, reporter, and Scott Jensen, photographer, KTUU
Comments: Excellent visuals and use of nat sound and editing. The piece was very information, and again educational. I found the subject matter fascinating.
No second- or third-place awards given.
Judge: Julia Yarbough is an Emmy Award winner who co-anchors the NBC 6 News in Miami.

CATEGORY 61: BEST REPORTING ON CRIME OR COURTS
First place: Rhonda McBride, Scott Jensen, and Phil Walczak, KTUU, “Bethel Remembers”
Second place: Rebecca Palsha and Mike Nederbrock, KTUU, “Time Down South”
Third place: Jill Burke, KTUU “Bobrick Pleads Guilty”
Judge: Mike Todd is assistant news director at WSMV in Nashville, Tenn. 

CATEGORY 62: BEST GOVERNMENT OR POLITICAL REPORTING
No award given.

CATEGORY 63: BEST BUSINESS REPORTING
First place: Rhonda McBride and Phil Walczak, KTUU, “The MacGyvers of Saroonga”
Comments: Compelling topic. Sound chosen did a good job of supporting key points. Photographer edited piece well with good natural sound transitions between locations and topics.
No second- or third-place awards given.
Judge: Karen Larsen anchors KJRH Channel 2 News in Tulsa. She has earned three Emmy Awards and honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters.

CATEGORY 64: BEST TELEVISION FEATURE
First place: Jason Moore and Scott Jensen, KTUU, “Wild Hunters”
Second place: Jackie Purcell and Jason Kohler, KTUU, “Operation Santa Claus”
Third place: Jill Burke and Jason Kohler, KTUU, “Wounded Warriors”
Judge: Deborah Horne, a television reporter for 26 years, has won five regional Emmy awards, including four for a public affairs program she created called KIRO InColor.

CATEGORY 65: ARTS COVERAGE
First Place: Rebecca Palsha, reporter, Mike Nederbrock, photographer, “Picking away at time”
Comments: Excellent story line, well written. Story was edited well with good nat sound.
Second Place: Rhonda McBride, reporter, “Voices from the Past”
Third Place: John Tracy, reporter, “Mystery Hero”
Judge: Jon Stepanek has been news director at KTVQ for 14 years. He was a board member of the Radio and Television News Directors’ Association for four years. He has more than 25 years of experience in broadcast television.

CATEGORY 66: BEST ONGOING PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM
No award given.

CATGEGORY 67: BEST SPORTS STORY
First place: Rhonda McBride and Scott Jensen, KTUU, “Biggest Little Race”
Comments: A powerful epic journey into a grueling contest, pitting elements and distance against the people who dare challenge them. Visually, it never lets up, the photographers gave me point of view for everything from the dogs, to the racers groggily pumping coffee to keep the pace. Great writing and use of nat sound provide the perfect narrative to a story taking the viewer along for a long, wintery ride.
Second place: John Carpenter and Eric Scowl, KTUU, “Field of Dreams”
Comments: Great writing blended with solid photography made this piece an absolute joy from beginning to end. The thrill of this community is captured beautifully, and the use of nat sound and great emotional interviews were mixed effectively. The writing provided just the right narrative for a great, happy story.
Third place: Kevin Wells and Eric Sowl, KTUFF, “Doc goes Racing”
Comments: A great treatment of an extremely unusual, and eccentric man. Well shot and written, it helped me understand a man who left a vocation of medicine, for a life of sled dogs and a cabin with no electricity. The story captured his personality beautifully.
Judge: Gary Horcher is an award-winning investigative reporter at KIRO Channel 7 News in Seattle.

CATEGORY 68: BEST PROFILE
First place: Jill Burke and Kyle Stalder, KTUU, “Legacy of Love”
Comments: A gripping, powerfully-emotional story from beginning to end, this piece delivers both the impact of grief, mixed with the nervous joy of new life.
The story moved along with just the right punch of nat sound, and the writing complimented the great interview sound.
I don’t know the crew convinced the new mother to allow a camera in the delivery room, but it was a part I needed to see, to see it all come full-circle.
Second place: Rhonda McBride and Shawn Wilson, KTUU, “49th Cello”
Comments: This piece really picked up momentum as it went along. The crew did a fantastic job of capturing the craftsman as he created masterpiece
instruments, while cats jumped all over the workshop. Well edited and written, it carried us all the way from the first carving of rare wood, to the
symphony of sound created by the Cello-makers instruments. I liked how the pacing allowed the impact of the little workshop to become bigger
and bigger--all the way to a concert hall.
Third place: John Tracy, KTUU, “Remembering Augie”
Comments: Wonderfully written and edited, this piece really delivered maximum emotional impact out of lots of file video. The breathtaking surprise was the sudden appearance of Walter Conkite. A life-story well told.
Judge: Gary Horcher is an award-winning investigative reporter at KIRO Channel 7 News in Seattle.

CATEGORY 69: BEST EDITING
First place: Scott Jensen, KTUU, “The Race Behind the Race”
Second place: Scott Jensen, KTUU, “Living On the Edge of Kivalina”
Comments: First place winner had a nice variety of pace, good transitions using natural sound breaks, the audio was woven seamlessly, there was a clever parallel park over an interview, good shot selection which made for good sequences. Second place was also well done, but had too many edits over slow zooms and pans and became a distraction because the technique was overused.
Third place: No award given.
Judge: Eric Kehe and the award-winning photographers at KUSA 9 News in Denver.

CATEGORY 70: BEST FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY
First place: Scott Jensen, KTUU, “To Walk Among the Bears”
Second place: Scott Jensen, KTUU “Whaling as a Way of Life”
Comments: First place was visually stunning. It had nice shot variety, good sequences, and good natural sound. Second place was also well done, but simply not as visual as the first place entry.
Third place: No award given.
Judge: Eric Kehe and the award-winning photographers at KUSA 9 News in Denver.

CATEGORY 71: BEST SPOT NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY
First place: Scott Jensen, KTUU, “He Was In the Neighborhood”
Second place: Brad Hillwig, KTUU, “Life Is Fragile”
Third place: Eric Sowl, KTUU, “We Go to Church Here”
Comments: This was the toughest category to agree upon a winner. First place had it all. Great visuals, solid sequencing, good reaction, unusual, good composition, ended rather abruptly. econd place was a better told story, but did not have all the visual elements as the first place entry. The photographer did a great job using natural light and remaining unobtrusive. This story simply did not have as many moments and emotional shots as the first place entry. Finally, the third place entry had nice shots, good composition, good sequences, good shot variety, nice reaction shots to the fire, but was not as visual and unusual as the first two. All three photographers did a great job and any one of the three could have won first.
Judge: Eric Kehe and the award-winning photographers at KUSA 9 News in Denver.

CATEGORY 72: BEST SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
First place: Scott Jensen, KTUU, “Iditarod on the Yukon”
Second Place- Brad Hillwig, KTUU, “The Sound of Speed”
Third Place: No award given.
Comments: It’s disappointing that there were only two entries for this category. However, both entries were crafted remarkably well and are both worthy of high praise. The winner, “Iditarod on the Yukon” demonstrated a tremendous commitment to the story, and amazing patience to get engaging pictures and sounds, and allowed the viewer to experience the beauty and the competition of the race along with the participants.
The runner up, “The Sound of Speed” is a story that showed excellent anticipation skills by the photographer in capturing the action, along with gathering the great sound of the action. These sounds really made the viewer feel like they were there along side of the journalist.
Judge: Stan Heist is the chief photographer at WBFF-TV in Baltimore.

CATEGORY 73: BEST DAILY NEWSCAST
First place: KTUU Channel 2 News late Edition, John Tracy, news director, and staff of Channel 2 News
Second place: KTUU Channel 2 Newshour, John Tracy, news director, and staff of Channel 2 News
Comments: Both newscasts were solid. The big difference was while the Newshour had richer longer pieces (John Tracy’s piece on the Kilcher’s reunion is beautifully written, shot and edited) later in the show, the late edition did two things more effectively: 1) The shows were stacked better (More flowing rundown), 2) The teases and banter were better and more fun. 3) Stronger lead packages were definitely on the late edition.
Judge: Charles Fedullo heads the broadcast journalism track at University of Alaska Fairbanks. He’s worked as a television reporter and anchor in markets ranging from Philadelphia to Fairbanks. Prior to working as deputy news director at KTUU, Fedullo helped launch Alaska’s first statewide news program on the ABC-affiliated Superstation, broadcasting over Anchorage’s KIMO, Fairbanks KATN and Juneau’s KJUD.

All-Media (Open)
CATEGORY 74: BEST OUTDOORS STORY
First place: Megan Baldino and Daniel Hernandez, KTUU, “Katmai Bear Hunt”
Comments: Our unanimous choice for first prize. The KTUU team reported on the debate over bear hunting in Katmai Natural Preserve by combining 1) scenic wildlife footage 2) interviews with hunters, conservationists and biologists and 3) references to official documents and statistics on hunting and population to educate viewers on both sides of an emotional controversy.
Second Place: Jill Burke and Scott Jensen, KTUU, “Whaling Overview”
Comments: A stunning visual story of the Inupiak’s annual spring Bowhead whale hunt. The video of villagers spotting, hauling in, and butchering the whale showed in dramatic fashion the traditional, subsistence hunting that still goes on in a remote and harsh part of Alaska.
Third Place: Joseph Robertia, Peninsula Clarion, “Duck-A-Holic”
Comments: A well-reported and detailed look at the motivations that lead Christine Cunningham to venture off to hunt ducks. Robertia tells the story of how Cunningham got started, hooked, and now sees the most intricate and beautiful details of the Alaskan wilderness while hunting.
Judges: John Bradley Senior editor John Bradley, senior editor Jeremy Spencer, senior editor Dianna Delling and assistant editor Joe Spring at Outside Magazine.

CATEGORY 75: ALASKA HISTORY
First place: George Bryson, Anchorage Daily News, “Alaska Pilot and the Israeli Airlift”
Comments: Fascinating story, well told. It reads like a movie script.
Second place: Ellen Lockyer, Alaska Public Radio Network, “Return to Attu”
Comments: Touching story of little-known history. Especially appealing is the low-key narration of the Aleut man from St. George Island.
Third place: Ed Schoenfeld, Coast Alaska, “My Search for Whittier Origins”
Comments: Entertaining story idea with well-documented facts.
Judge: Fairbanks native Stanton H. Patty “retired” from The Seattle Times in 1988 after 34 years as a reporter, editor and travel writer. He is the author of “Fearless Men and Fabulous Women: A Reporter’s Memoir from Alaska & the Yukon,” and works as a freelance travel writer and photographer.

CATEGORY 76: HUMOR
First place: Richard Chiappone, Anchorage Press, “Southern Exposure”
Second place: Joe Viechnicki, KFSK-FM, “Squirrely Man”
Third place: John Tracy, KTUU, “Mystery Hero”
Judge: Steve Mirsky is the wit behind Scientific American’s “Anti Gravity” column and host of the magazine’s podcast.

CATEGORY 77: INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
First Place: Reporter Sam Bishop and assistant managing editor Rod Boyce, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, for investigative reporting on misuse of federal funds by former Fairbanks city mayor Jim Hayes
Comments: Starting with a hunch from one of its columnists, reporters at the Daily News-Miner began investigating former Fairbanks mayor Jim Hayes and his wife, Chris, for possible misuse of government funds in early 2005. They obtained hundreds of pages of documents on five federal grants, totalling $2.9 million, that went to the Hayes’ nonprofit group, LOVE Social Services, through dodgy earmarks inserted into federal legislation without outside review. The hunch paid off when the FBI and other federal agencies raided the Hayes’ home and offices in early 2006 — and later indicted the couple for conspiracy, fraud, money laundering and other charges. The paper’s four-part series in March 2007 described how Hayes duplicated budget items, falsified billing records, signed misleading statements and even obtained federal funding for a gymnasium floor in a building that doesn’t have a gym. A jury convicted Hayes of 16 counts in February 2008.
Based on extensive research and original reporting, the Daily News-Miner’s comprehensive series gave readers an even-handed, blow-by-blow account of how a respected local political leader blatantly misused taxpayer dollars for personal gain. The paper posted its evidence on-line for all to see. Their work is in the finest tradition of investigative reporting.
Second Place: Wesley Loy, Anchorage Daily News, for “Young’s Earmark Boosts 3 Fish Farms”
Comments: This story focused a much-needed spotlight on the pernicious practice of “earmarks,” funding bills that are secretly slipped into federal legislation to avoid public scrutiny or Congressional oversight. In this case, Loy discovered an outrageous earmark inserted at the last minute into a national fisheries bill, which was passed hours before Congress adjourned for the year. The arcane language, buried in a 91-page bill, gave special advantages to three fishing companies that catch and process Bering Sea crab. All three companies are headed by people who are major contributors to Rep. Don Young, who inserted the earmark. As Loy wrote, the arcane provision “smacks of political favoritism, sidestepped the normal process for changing federal fishing rules, wasn’t subject to a public debate or hearing, and was inserted into a major bill at the last moment.” Congressman Young, it should be added, couldn’t find the time to talk to the newspaper due to his busy schedule of secretly stuffing bills with goodies for his campaign contributors. Loy’s story exposed rank hypocrisy and gross political abuse that directly affects the working men and women in a core industry for Alaska.
Third place: Kyle Hopkins, Anchorage Daily News, for “ML&P gave $230,000 to charity in ‘06”
Comments: Kyle Hopkins found the high-end equivalent of cops who accept free coffee and donuts on the beat. It’s not corruption. But that doesn’t make it right. So too for elected Assembly members who got free tickets from the Anchorage city power company to attend galas and dinners. Whatever the utility’s intentions, the freebies gave the appearance of currying special favor or worse. After the story appeared, the mayor wrote the first citywide rules for charitable donations by the municipality. The new guidelines banned the long accepted, long ignored practice of offering freebies to politicians. It’s a small story, but an important symbol of how investigative reporting is a watchdog on the powerful.
Judge: Bob Drogin is the national security reporter for the Los Angeles Times, a former IRE board member and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the Robert F. Kennedy award and the Polk Award.

CATEORY 78: BEST MEDIA WEBSITE
First Place, Anchorage Daily News.
Comments: Well-presented, authoritative and complete. Superb job of integrating blogs — particularly politics — into its site.
Second Place, KCAW.
Comments: A good job of presenting news and useful community information.
Third Place, Extreme Alaska.
Comments: Extraordinarily ambitious, cross-platform work that should be the future of journalism.
Judge: Frank Bass, author of The Associated Press Guide to Internet Research and Reporting, is a member of the AP’s special projects team. While at the Montgomery Journal of Commerce, he won a Pulitzer Prize for stories exploring causes of infant mortality in Alabama.

CATEGORY 79: PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
KTUU Staff, Rhonda McBride, Phil Walczak, Jason Kohler, Eric Adams and Jim Filley “Dentistry in the Bush.”
Comments: This is what public service reporting is all about. The staff of KTUU deserves credit for their excellent and relentless work documenting rural Alaska’s tooth decay epidemic. But KTUU did more than simply document the problem that exists today. They went back to the 1930s to look at the history of dental problems in rural Alaska, they examined a novel solution involving dental health aide therapists and they thoroughly covered the controversy involving the dental health aide program in Alaska and in Congress and in the courts. The KTUU staff put a human face on this systemic problem and helped bring about important changes that are improving dental health in rural Alaska—changes that are making a big difference in the lives and smiles of children and adults in rural Alaska. For their excellent work, and their remarkable commitment to public service journalism that spanned several years, I am privileged to award KTUU this notable award.
Judge: Gary Cohn, the winner of a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting, is a senior writer/investigative reporter with Bloomberg Markets, the monthly magazine of Bloomberg News Service. Cohn has worked for the Los Angeles Times, the Baltimore Sun, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, The Wall Street Journal and for columnist Jack Anderson in Washington. From 2003 to 2005, Cohn served as the Atwood Professor of Journalism at the University of Alaska at Anchorage.

CATEGORY 80: FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD
Peter Dunlap-Shohl, editorial cartoonist, Anchorage Daily News
Judge: The Alaska Press Club Board of Directors.

Judges’ results print 2007 (announced April 19, 2008)

PRINT

CATEGORY 1: BREAKING NEWS
Large newspapers and publications
First place: James Halpin and Lisa Demer, Anchorage Daily News, “Police Halt One-man Rampage”
Comments: This is a fine example of clear, concise writing on deadline. The article, complete with graphics and photos, is an excellent, straight-forward, readable account that ties together numerous events in a cohesive manner—very well done.
Second place: Lisa Demer, Anchorage Daily News, “Longtime city tennis star commits suicide”
Comments: This is a very good deadline account of the end of a life of a troubled woman, told through court documents, police and her parents.
Third place: Sitka Sentinel Staff, Daily Sitka Sentinel, “Plane Crash.”
Comments: This is a fine bit of reporting and writing on the cusp of deadline.

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Rob Stapleton, Alaska Journal of Commerce, “Mail Hub Move
Proposal by USPS Being Examined.”
Comments: A good story that surely provoked much discussion.
Second place: Michael Armstrong, McKibben Jackinsky, Homer News, “Fire Destroys Home.”
Comments: This is good work by on a late-breaking story that was spotted by an alert reporter who followed her instincts.
Third place: Layton Ehmke, Homer Tribune, “Adventure over bluff draws
double rescue.”
Comments: This is an example of good enterprise reporting.
Judge: Maurice Possley, a three-time Pulitzer finalist, reports on criminal justice issues for the Chicago Tribune. Possley’s coverage of deaths linked to a leading brand of cribs prompted regulators to issue a national recall. He’s the author of a guide to court reporting for criminal justice journalists, and a pair of true crime thrillers: “Everybody Pays” and “The Brown’s Chicken Massacre.”

CATEGORY 2: BEST GENERAL NEWS STORY
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Mary Pemberton, Associated Press, “Alaskan Village on Alert for More Wolves”
Comments: Since it was done by telephone she did a splendid job capturing what must have been a really scary time in the Bush.
Second place: Wesley Loy, Anchorage Daily News, “Deadly fishery getting safer”
Comments: As one of the interviewees said, this is a cool story.
Third place: James Halpin, Anchorage Daily News, “On raptor’s arrival, critics question its existence:
Comments: Unexpected story and right on the money.
Judge: Joel Shurkin, a noted science writer, former war correspondent and wire-service bureau chief, shared the Pulitzer Prize for the Philadelphia Inquirer’s coverage of the Three Mile Island Disaster. His latest book, “Broken Genius: The Rise and Fall of William Shockley, creator of the Electronic Age,” was published in 2007. He is currently serving a one-year appointment as UAF’s Snedden Chair.

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Tamar Ben-Yosef, The Arctic Sounder, “Mystery deepens as belugas surface”
Second place: McKibben Jackinsky, Homer News, “Homer mom, daughter stop bear mauling”
Second place: Third place: Layton Ehmke, Homer Tribune, “Sinking anglers saved”
Judge: Ralph Thomas covers politics for the Seattle Times’ Olympia bureau. He is a former Juneau reporter for the Anchorage Daily News and past managing editor at the Peninsula Clarion.

CATEGORY 3: BEST USE OF STORY AND PHOTOS BY A JOURNALIST
Large newspapers and publications
First place: First Place: Kelly Bostian, Fairbanks Daily-News, Flights of Fancy
Comments: This cohesive package is clearly a first place. A well reported article with depth. A great lead photo. Nice lighting on the last photo- the falcon in flight. The Hawk Talk nugget box ads nicely to the overall professionalism of the package.
Second Place: Mark Farmer, Revealing the Raptor
Comments: An insider sharing his access and knowledge with the reader.
Third Place: none awarded
Judges: Dan Schlatter, staff photographer; Laura Stumbaugh, production coordinator; Lore Shattuck, page designer, Puget Sound Business Journal in Seattle.

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Monica Southworth, The Dutch Harbor Fisherman/Alaska Newspapers, “Camp Quangayaax passes the Aleut flame.”
Comments: Nice variety of well-displayed images helps form a complete package. A few redundant images, but overall, clearly the leader of the pack and a unanimous vote by the judges.
Second place: Klas Stolpe, Petersburg Pilot, “Icicle Runs Smooth Operation”
Comments: A single photo that captures the essence of the event. You get a true sense of being there and a peek at what pilots see on the water — an intimate photo that’s done well.
Third place: Rob Stapleton, Alaska Journal of Commerce, “Barrow Forum Eyes Arctic Development”
Comments: A good variety of photos — gives you a sense of being at the event. Photos are displayed well.
Judges: Doug Parker, photo editor, and the photo staff at the New Orleans Times Picayne.

CATEGORY 4: BEST SHORT FEATURE
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Debra McKinney, Anchorage Daily News, “Homer’s Salty Dawg Saloon Turns 50”
Comments: Lively writing with plenty of voice. This story stood out for it’s vivid sense of place and use of telling detail.
Second place: Rachel D’Oro, Associated Press, “Wet Towns Draw Heavy Drinkers From Countryside”
Third place: No award given.
Small newspapers and publications
First place: Melissa Campbell, Alaska Journal of Commerce, “Anchorage sees invasion of cranes”
Comments: A fine example of looking behind the obvious, this story took us into the crane’s cramped cab and then 165 feet into the air. The writer captured the crick in the crane operator’s neck and the pressure in his bladder, because she asked the right questions. The writing is simple and effective and avoids clichés.
Second place: Darrell L. Breese, Alaska Star, “Locals break into extreme filming”
Third place: Darrell L. Breese, Alaska Start, “Local doctor flying high with Iditarod air force”
Judge: Kelley Benham is deputy Floridian editor at the St. Petersburg Times. She joined the Times five years ago after a short career as a high school journalism teacher. She has won the Ernie Pyle award, a National Headliner award, first place AASFE awards for short feature and general feature, and the Green Eyeshade Award.

CATEGORY 5: BEST LONG FEATURE
First place: Julia O’Malley, Anchorage Daily News, “A Long Way to go - Fort Richardson widow begins unwanted journey”
Comments: Wow. Whenever you tear up halfway through a story, you know you have a winner, and that’s what happened for me here. The taut prose, superb organization and many telling moments in this article made it the kind of read you absolutely cannot put down before you’ve finished the final word. Phrases such as “She turned the knob and let the future in,” and “The coffin, draped in a flag, floated slowly down a conveyor belt,” displayed the hand of a master. Bravo.
Second place: George Bryson, Anchorage Daily News, “Fighting Again (Government Cuts Alaska Soldier’s Aid).”
Comments: A deftly crafted tale of true tragedy, this story doesn’t pull unnecessarily on our heart strings, but it pulls no punches, either. A great mix. The opening, in which the disabled Tyler Hall pulls up his cuff to reveal his artificial leg, is well-chosen and gripping, and the narrative unfolds in seamless building-block fashion, leading us from one compelling element to the next with no let-down. A great, fresh look on a time-worn element of war.
Third place: Matthew Carroll, Peninsula Clarion, “All In - Poker popularity lends a hand to those betting on a good time.”
Comments: Well-told yarn of something we all know a little about, but few know all. This writer shows his voluminous homework here, turning out an authoritative account of a sport I normally would not care so much about — but he made me care. Summing up the 2,598,960 possible hands in a card deck, starting and ending with the account of Allen Auxier landing a royal flush, telling us that an astounding 80 million Americans play poker — these, and many other touches in this story, made it a fine draw.
Judge: Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle reporter whose San Francisco-based coverage of homelessness from 2003 to 2006 helped shape local and national policy. He has won more than 65 national and regional prizes, including the national Excellence in Urban Journalism Award. In 2006 he shared the national James Aronson Social Justice Journalism Award with his photography partner on the homelessness beat, Brant Ward. Fagan was a Knight Fellow in 2007.

CATEGORY 6: BUSINESS REPORTING
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Pat Forgey, Juneau Empire, “Oil costs dwarfed by profits.”
Comments: This solid piece of business-enterprise reporting sheds light on a crucial industry by analyzing oil company financial documents to give a more precise picture of Alaska profits and costs. Among the story’s admirable features is its willingness to describe the limitations of the data, yet the story clearly explores policy implications of what is revealed.
Second place: Wesley Loy, Anchorage Daily News. “Shell’s rocky return.”
Comments: It’s the writing that elevates this story on the advent of independent drillers. Beginning with the lede’s “poking holes in the ice-clogged Arctic Ocean,” the story uses active verbs and sharp quotes to bring home to readers the reality that — no matter how complicated — business is essentially just people making deals and taking risks.
Third place: Rachel D’Oro, Associated Press, “Alaska’s shimmering auroras captivate Japanese tourists.”
Comments: This could have been a phoned-in, fill-in-the-blanks tourism trend story. Instead, the writer took us readers to a cold mountainside to experience “shimmering curtains of green and plum.” Nicely done.
Judge: Steven Goldsmith is associate editor of the Puget Sound Business Journal, handling both general business news and special sections. Previously, he was a reporter and editor at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer for 15 years.
Small newspapers and publications
First Place: Layton Ehmke, Homer Tribune, “Economic study shows arts impact.”
Comments: Good lead that immediately grabs the reader’s attention since it refers to window stickers that many people have seen. The writer makes good use of multiple sources. It’s a cohesive story on an important topic.
Second Place: Kaitlin Johnson, The Northern Light, “Financial experts say charge less, save more.”
Comments: Good lead, using a story that will catch the attention of many students. This story is well written; the sentences are clear and simple. It’s a thorough discussion of issues that are crucial to readers.
Third Place: Tim Bradner, Alaska Journal of Commerce, “Problems at Chugach spark utility overhaul.”
Comments: Story is well organized and uses extensive background information to place the problem in perspective.
Honorable Mention: Rob Stapleton, Alaska Journal of Commerce, “Postal rate increase to be felt at the checkout line in Bush Alaska.”
Comments: Good summary of key issue for the Bush.
Judge: Erin Van Bronkhorst is a copy editor for the Puget Sound Business Journal in Seattle. Erin worked for 12 years for The Associated Press in Seattle, and has also done reporting and editing for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Tacoma (Washington) News Tribune, among others. She covered news and politics for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in the mid-1970s.

CATEGORY 7: BEST GOVERNMENT OR POLITICAL REPORTING
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Pat Forgey, Juneau Empire, “Connections and Conflicts: A way of life in the Alaska Legislature.”
Comments: Outrageous conflict of interest, completely exposed by Pat Fogey’s fine work. What will become of this expose’? We’re waiting for follow-ups. And changes in the legislative culture.
Second place: Lisa Demer, Anchorage Daily News, “Little Mommy: Siblings torn apart struggle to understand adult decisions.”
Comments: This brings out the humanity of the foster care system and shows its deficiencies, how a bureaucracy can be blind to the most obvious truth, such as the fact that family members need to stay together. It points to a way to improve this: legislation.
Third place: Yereth Rosen, The Christian Science Monitor, “Tales of oil industry’s influence in Alaska.”
Comments: A fine account of amazing corruption. All it lacks is a deeper look from fresh sources with new information not already revealed elsewhere.

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Layton Ehmke, Homer Tribune, “Alleged Pebble fraud charges lace fishery hearings”
Comments: Shining a light into the darkness, this piece would make it difficult for government and business to maneuver in any inappropriate way. The right questions have been asked, and aired out for the public to determine whether they’ve been adequately answered. Write a follow-up.
Second place: Craig Giammona and Shannon Haugland, Daily Sitka Sentinel, “Assembly Quorum Asked Stein To Quit”
Comments: In the best tradition of journalism, Giammona and Haugland doggedly pursued this story to the obvious truth that the gentleman was fired, even though no one would say so clearly. It’s first-rate work. The writing might have been more clear. But the information is there, and that is the core of good government reporting.
Third place: Rob Stapleton, Alaska Journal of Commerce, “Rural Alaska Census Data May Be Skewed”
Comments: Directly to the point, this is piece is valuable for what it tells governments about crucial data they need to function properly. If offers the implication of a solution: a new way of gathering data is needed in a unique state.
Judge: An award-winning reporter, photographer, editor, columnist, journalism educator and novelist, Dean Baker has covered local, state and federal government issues in Montana, California, Germany, Oregon and Washington for the Eugene Register-Guard, The Oregonian, Salem Times, Vancouver Columbian, and other newspapers and magazines.

CATEGORY 8: BEST EDUCATION STORY
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Robinson Duffy, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, “An Apple a Day”
Comments: Duffy effectively weaves real people—junior high and high school
students, in this case—into a detailed, comprehensive look at efforts
to get young people to eat better. He points out how the banning of
vending machines in schools has failed to stop kids from eating junk
food: They just bring their own from home or buy it at a local
convenience story. But Duffy does not dismiss the wellness efforts. He
presents the challenges clearly but without judgment. And he explains
the goals clearly, leaving the reader with the sense that this effort,
while difficult, could pay dividends in the long run. The quotes from
students are generally smart and real, and they help advance the story
rather than just lend credibility.
Second place: John R. Moss, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, “Lunch Boycott"

Will Morrow, Peninsula Clarion, “Learning to Make Do"


Small newspapers and publications
First place: McKibben Jackinsky, Homer News, “In Nature’s Classroom"

Comments: Jackinsky brings alive Al Poindexter, who teaches about natural
resources at Homer High School. The story mixes scenes from the
class--young people learning how to canoe--with the broader picture of
why such a class is important in Alaska: The state depends on its
natural resources for its economic prosperity. Jackinsky also shows the
reader how the students bond among themselves during the trip, and how
Poindexter’s team-building exercises foster that.

Second place: Joel Davidson, Catholic Anchor, “Alaskans Engage Islam"

Third place: Mary M. Rall, Alaska Star, “Teacher Explores Serum Run trail”
Judge: Colin McMahon is the Perspectives Editor at the Chicago Tribune.

CATEGORY 9: BEST PROFILE
Large newspapers and publications
First Place: James Halpin, Anchorage Daily News, “Feather Duster”
Comments: Vivid, crisply written portrait of the armed guardian who keeps the Anchorage landfill safe from seagulls.
Second Place: Jeannette J. Lee, Associated Press, “Alaska’s First Dude”
Comments: Thoroughly reported, lively look at the governor’s snow-mobiling, salmon fishing, child-rearing spouse.
Third Place: Chris Eshleman, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, “Curling Plays major role in Cox’s Life”
Comments: Affectionate, well-reported picture of the elder of local curling.
Judge: Paula Span, a former Washington Post staff writer, is a contributing writer for the Washington Post Magazine and a contributing columnist for the New York Times. She teaches at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Nate Raymond, The Sun Star, “Fighting for Equality”
Comments: Fine narrative with a lot of information about the subject smoothly woven in with the facts about why she’s a newsmaker. An excellent recounting of a piece of history. Story never bogs down.
Second place: Darrell L. Breese, Alaska Star, “Principal Okeson combines laughter, learning at elementary school to make education fun”
Comments: Fun, lively writing with a lot of good sources. The readers gets a real sense of the person in a short time. Obviously, good interviewing behind the story.
Third place: Drew Herman, Kodiak Daily Mirror, “Aleutian Beat”
Comments: Great opening and good insight into an unusual subject. Smooth writing; good anecdotes
Judge: Tom Koetting is the deputy managing editor for local news at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

CATEGORY 10: BEST ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING
Large newspapers and publications
First place, Rosemary Shinohara, Anchorage Daily News. “Midtown - can we fix it?”
Comments: fine piece examining that most rarely explored topic: Our urban environment. When you have video store workers driving their cars across the street to get lunch because their terrified of crossing the intersection on foot, something is amiss. Ms. Shinohara offers a glimpse of the challenges and potential of transforming a neighborhood that has bloomed with no attention to urban planning - “a land,” as she succinctly notes, “ruled by cars and trucks.” I wish more reporters would follow Ms. Shinohara’s footsteps into our urban landscape.
Second place: Jeannette J. Lee, Associated Press. “1B cleanup of deserted
military sites near Alaska villages meets funding drops, mixed results.”
Comments: Two of journalism’s most important responsibilities are to speak up for those with no voice and to hold our government accountable. Ms. Lee does both with her piece exploring the floundering effort to clean former military sites throughout the Bush.
Third place, Russell Stigall, Mat-Su Frontiersman. “Order: 2 plants, hold the fry”
Mr. Stigall finds a great story when he looks at what might happen when a winter’s worth of a power plant’s acidic emissions flush into local waterways during the spring melt. The electric company promises to comply with all regulatory standards; scientists warn the regulations don’t adequately address the issue. Given the stakes – a potential collapse of important links in the food chain – Mr. Stigall’s clearly written account is most important.

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Michael Armstrong, Homer News. “Bagging marine debris”
Comments: Mr. Armstrong spent 10 days picking up trash on the remote Gore Point and came home with a most distressing story about our consumptive ways. This really is journalism at its best: Fun to report, fascinating to read, jaw-dropping in its findings. Great work.
Second place: Tim Bradner, Alaska Journal of Commerce. “High energy prices pull renewable projects from the fringe”
Comments: In a year where every newsroom seemed to be hunkered down and facing cutbacks, it’s refreshing to see the Journal of Commerce sending a reporter to Fairbanks to cover an energy conference. The investment paid off. Mr. Bradner’s colorful report seamlessly weaved big-picture forces shaping world energy markets with small-town concerns facing rural utility managers. By continuously translating global forces into local terms – instead of $100 oil, Mr. Bradner reports of $5 diesel – the story provides an excellent example of how to make a big, hard-to-report issue relevant to hometown readers.
Third place: Dustin Solberg, The Bristol Bay Times, “Drawing a line in the sea”
Comments: The lede set the tone: A mysterious line of massive trawlers, far on the horizon, doing god-knows-what damage to the marine environment. What followed was a gripping account of frustrated Bering coast residents confronting an international fishing fleet. Mr. Solberg should be congratulated for showing how an international conflict plays out on the local stage.
Overall comments: Alaska’s small papers again deserve kudos – for the third year in a row – for aggressive and compelling coverage of the environment. The Alaska Journal of Commerce in particular should be commended for a fine effort in ‘07: Four of the top six articles in the category came from that paper.
Judge: Douglas Fischer found time to judge despite moving to Boulder, Colo., from Oakland, Calif., where he was an environmental reporter. He is the recipient of the national Grantham Prize for Excellence in Reporting on the Environment.

CATEGORY 11: BEST REPORTING ON CRIME OR THE COURTS
Large newspapers and publications
First Place: Casey Grove, Anchorage Press, “Little City Blues.”
Comments: Casey Grove’s rich portrait is as much a vivid profile of Whittier as it is a crime story. In one paragraph after another, Grove layers in the sort of context and history that are all-too-often left out as journalists rush from one breaking news event to the next. The story is rife with lively quotes—”This is a town that drinks”--and well-used descriptions and similes that give it a literary quality. Of course, weeklies have the luxury of time in telling stories. Grove used that time well.
Second Place: Lisa Demer, Anchorage Daily News, “Shot by a stranger.”
Comments: Lisa Demer’s clear-eyed account of how two victims crossed paths with a psychotic killer could serve as a primer on how to tell a frightening story simply and without overstatement. The terror at the root of the piece is portrayed not with overwrought prose but with the sheer randomness of the crimes and the detailed accounts of the ordinary things the victims were doing at the time. Demer’s piece benefits from her obvious knack for getting sources to open up to her. I was struck by Rumsey’s tombstone comment: “Ah, this is how the story ends…I’ve done a lot of cool things.” And Deak’s point that his assailant truly meant to kill him was punctuated with a fine exclamation point: “Which is a very strange feeling.”
Third Place, Kyle Hopkins, Anchorage Daily News, “Overtime for police up sharply.”
Comments: This is a nice example of enterprise with an edge — the sort of uncomfortable story that police would rather not see in the paper (especially those listed in the overtime top 10). The writing and structure were sound, and the graphics contributed to a solid news package. Two suggestions: The arcane rules of a police labor contract designed to take care of those closest to retirement might have been explored more fully, and a comparison with the police overtime experiences of similar cities (or at least some context from an expert in the field) would have been illuminating for readers.
Judge: David J. Krajicek is a special correspondent for the New York Daily News and a featured contributor to Court TV’s Crime Library. He is the author of “Scooped!” (Columbia University Press), a look at coverage of crime and crime policy. He was as an assistant professor at Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism before returning to writing full time. He is co-founder of Criminal Justice Journalists, a national association of crime reporters, and co-author of Covering Crime and Justice, a CJJ Web publication.

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Naomi Hagelund, UAF Sun Star, “While they were sleeping.”
Comments: A nicely woven tale of how a series of thefts changed the lives of those living in a university apartment complex.
Second place: Joel Davidson, Catholic Anchor, “Inmates denied Mass in Sutton correctional facility.”
Comments: An interesting and quirky story about a priest’s failed attempt to use wine to celebrate Mass in prison. The reporter asked the right questions (Were the misinformed corrections officers disciplined?) even if corrections officials refused to answer them.
Third place: Nate Raymond, UAF Sun Star, “UAF seeks lessons from Virginia Tech.”
Comments: A blunt look at what one university is doing to beef up campus security in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings.
Judge: Hurst Laviana is a longtime crime and courts reporter at the Wichita Eagle. His reporting on the notorious BTK killer won national attention, as did a series on parolees who killed more than two-dozen Kansans after their release.

CATEGORY 12: BEST REPORTING ON HEALTH OR SCIENCE
First place: Megan Holland, Anchorage Daily News, “The Adult Face of FAS”
Second place: Dustin Solberg, The Bristol Bay Times, “Toxins in Our World”
Third place: Casey Grove, Anchorage Press, “The high road: Alaska researchers map marijuana to its source”
Judge: Tom Paulson is a science and medical writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He visited Africa for a month on a Knight Science Journalism fellowship to report on the impact of Bill Gates’ philanthropic efforts to improve health care in the Third World.

CATEGORY 13: EDITORIAL WRITING
First place: Matthew Zencey, Anchorage Daily News
All three editorial were consistently good — well reasoned, right tone for the material, well written. Comments: Some feet need to be held to the fire, and Zencey is on the case.
Second place: Rob Boyce, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
Comments: Takes on complex subjects and explains them well. Allows for nuance, still reaches a conclusion.
Third place: Mark Kelsey, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman
Comments: Straightforward, cleanly written editorials display a good depth of local and regional knowledge.
Judge: Tom Condon is a columnist, editorial writer and editor of Place, a Sunday Commentary section of The Hartford Courant. He is also a Vietnam veteran, having served with U.S. Army Intelligence in the Mekong Delta in 1969-70. Condon has won more than 30 journalism and community awards, including the New England Society of Newspaper Editors Master Reporter Award.

CATEGORY 14: BEST COLUMNIST
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Beth Bragg, Anchorage Daily News
Comments: I read these columns and marveled at the strength of Beth’s voice, her toughness and tenderness and her point of view on some difficult subjects. I really felt for her in places, thinking that her email was probably worth paying someone else to go through. And that’s good; that’s the job. In that sense, Beth is what a columnist should be.
Second place: Heather Lende, Anchorage Daily News
Comments: Lovely, charming columns that show a real sense of place and community, and a sense of one’s place in the world, and in life. A nice respite for readers.
Third place: Gregg Erickson, Anchorage Daily News
Comments: Strong columns that point out problems and offer solutions with boldness and a clear knowledge of what goes on at the state level. Also VERY readable, which is tough when it comes to writing about government.
Small newspapers and publications
First place: Rosemary Fitzpatrick, Homer News
Comments: I am in love with these columns. Instantly engaging, warm, human, and yet completely useful in terms of How to Garden. I loved them, love the voice, love the approach. Love the writing. Truly great stuff. What a gift to readers, even those who would no sooner kick the dirt than dig in it.
Second place: Michael Armstrong, Homer News
Comments: Interesting columns with an eye to place and a big message for readers. They are a little slow to start, and the point needs to be sat with a little longer, to stand out a little more. But there is experience and knowledge there, along with a gift with words. Nice.
Third place: Ben Stuart, Homer News
Comments: Very funny, sweet columns from a new father. It may be hard, but it would be smart for the writer to take his voice to other areas, be they government or other, tougher issues. But who can argue with a new boy and the joy of parenting? The columns were self-deprecating and fun. They helped me remember the early days.
Judge: Nicole Brodeur has been the Metro columnist at The Seattle Times since 1999.

CATEGORY 15: BEST SPORTS COLUMNIST
First place: Andrew Cremata, Skagway News
Comments: I just think he is terrific and I don’t care about fishing.
Second place: Beth Bragg, Anchorage Daily News
Comments: A really good writer.
Third place, Tim Nichols, Juneau Empire
Comments: Thought he did a nice job.
Judge: Jim Moore is a Seattle Post-Intelligencer sports columnist.

CATEGORY 16: BEST SPORTS NEWS REPORTING
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Mary Pemberton, Associated Press, “Iditarod board suspends musher for dog abuse”
Second place: Mary Pemberton, Associated Press, “Mackey wins 1,100-mile Iditarod”
Third place: Jeremiah Bartz, the Frontiersman, “A great loss”
Small newspapers and publications
First place: Craig Giammona, Daily Sitka Sentinel, for “Wolves move to 3A”
Second place: Suzanna Caldwell, The Northern Light, for “New brand to bring Seawolf mascot to life”
Third place: None given.
Judge: John Canzano is a radio host as well as a sports columnist at The Oregonian. In 2007, the Associated Press named him the nation’s No. 2 sports columnist.

CATEGORY 17: BEST SPORTS GAME/EVENT STORY
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Matthew Carroll, Peninsula Clarion “Dinner of Champions”
Comments: Mr. Carroll took a regular event that could have been pedestrian and mundane and fashioned a clean, interesting story that was well reported. He got great quotes, did some good post-event reporting, and even those who were present at the event learned something they didn’t know.
Second place: Ben Stuart, Homer News “Local completes solo Iditarod ski trail”
Comments: Mr. Stuart’s account of the solo passing of the trail was interesting, relevant and went beyond the obvious.
Third place: Jeremiah Bartz, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman “Another way to skate”
Comments: Mr. Bartz’s story on a hockey scrimmage proved to be far more than meets the eye. This is an example of good execution of an abstract, non-traditional sports story.
Judge: John Canzano is a radio host as well as a sports columnist at The Oregonian. In 2007, the Associated Press named him the nation’s No. 2 sports columnist.

CATEGORY 18: BEST SPORTS FEATURE
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Matthew Carroll, Peninsula Clarion, “Not bad, for a girl or a guy”
Second place: Mary Pemberton, Associated Press, “Susan Butcher’s ashes spread on Iditarod Trail”
Third place: Casey Grove, Anchorage Press, “Excuse me while I kiss the sky”
Small newspapers and publications
First place: Darrell Breese, Alaska Star, for “Athlete attempts to end his bad luck”
Second place: Rebecca George, The Sun Star, for “How the Chinooks came to deal with Title IX”
Third place: Klas Stolpe, Petersburg Pilot, for “Agner sets POW course record, qualifies for Boston Marathon”
Judge: John Canzano is a radio host as well as a sports columnist at The Oregonian. In 2007, the Associated Press named him the nation’s No. 2 sports columnist.

CATEGORY 19: BEST ARTS COVERAGE
First place: Sarah Henning, Anchorage Daily News, “King of Cool” and “Airport’s Lethal Light” Comments: Kenny G is so “out” that you don’t even really see him written about much anymore. Yet he clearly has a huge fan base. I liked the directness of dealing with the unhipness of a guy who just does what he does. But this story went beyond that, giving insights into how G makes his music, and a nice sense of who he is. What could have been a one-dimensional slam or puff piece was instead a nicely turned portrait. The airport piece likewise could have been a straight-ahead report on damaged art. But it went beyond that, explaining why it was important culturally and what needed to be done.
Lynne Snifka, Anchorage Press, “Into the Wild Ride”
Comments: A very fun piece of writing. This has everything – a great sense of curiosity about what this movie would be, the anticipation and fears about how Hollywood would treat the story, the context of the book and movie, great quotes from those in a position to judge it. And it’s all laced with interesting personal perspective on the subject. A virtuoso performance of a review.
Steve Quinn, Associated Press, “Alaskan Theatre does ‘Macbeth’ in Tlingit.”
Comments: So the story about translating and performing Shakespeare in another language is nothing new. But the writer not only gave a sense of the technical difficulty of doing such a thing and conveying the unusualness of performing in a language very few speak, but he also let us know why it was important to do and how the Shakespeare related to the language and community in which it was being done.
Judge: Douglas McLennan is a Seattle-based arts reporter and editor.

CATEGORY 20: BEST SUSTAINED COVERAGE
Small newspapers and publications
First place: Darrell L. Breese, Alaska Star, “Former lawmaker bribery scandal”
Comments: All of Mr. Breese’ entries were well written and reported, and stood out from the other entries. In this series, he diligently followed the events in the case, writing community-relevant stories that were complete and easy to follow. Follow up stories, such as a look at privately-funded polling, filled out the package. Well done.
Second place: Diana Haecker, The Nome Nugget, Iditarod Coverage
Comments: Haecker’s coverage of the Iditarod provided a nice, insider view of the
race for locals. It was thorough and provided an inside glimpse of the
characters in the race, particularly the colorful champion.
Third place: Michael Armstrong, Ben Stuart, McKibben Jackinsky, Homer News, One-fish halibut limit
The reporters did a good job following the news in a controversial and complex issue that clearly is very important to their readers.
Judge: Amanda J. Crawford covers state government and politics for The Arizona Republic. Prior to joining the Republic in 2003, Crawford worked at the Baltimore Sun and in the Washington, DC, bureau of People Magazine. Crawford was a finalist for the Livingston Award in 2007 and has won more than a dozen awards in state reporting contests. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Best of the West Journalism
Contest.

Large newspapers and publications
First place: George Bryson, Anchorage Daily News, Wounded Warriors
Comments: This series stood out for the initiative and enterprise shown by Bryson. While the topic of the war wounded is not a new one, this series serves to remind us why the Iraq War may be remembered more for its injured than its dead. By focusing on individual stories, such as that of Tyler Hall, an amputee, or Dustin Heger, who wears his wounds internally in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder, Bryson gives us a compelling look at the issues that individuals, families and society in general is going to have to deal with as the war continues and its soldiers return home. This was the only entry of the category that was based entirely on enterprise reporting, rather than an unfolding event at the courthouse or local government. For that, Bryson’s work also stands out.
Second place: Dan Joling, Associated Press, Global Warming
Comments: This sobering series could be subtitled “It’s melting!” In a series of stories, Jolins shows the effects of global warming as measured by increased deaths among polar-animal populations and the loss of sea ice. The author weaves together actions taken by conservation groups with reports and research to show what scientists presume is the impact of global warming on Alaska’s lands and seas. The stories give a context to the then-simmering issue of whether to list polar bears as an endangered species. And it does so in a clearly written, compelling series of stories.
Third place: Lisa Demer, Richard Mauer, Kyle Hopkins, Sean Cockerham, Sabra Ayres, Wesley Loy, T.C. Mitchell, Anchorage Daily News, Corruption charges and trials
Comments: This package of stories does a thorough job of chronicling a series of corruption scandals affecting several Alaska politicians. In addition to following the unfolding events, the series gives readers a wider look at the situation. The pieces on the financial status of the oil-field services company at the heart of the scandals, and the reaction of the company’s customer to the charges, provide helpful context to this wide-ranging story. Break-out stories, such as the one on a colorful attorney defending one of the lawmakers, bring another angle to this unfolding political saga.
Judge: Mary Jo Pitzl is a legislative reporter for The Arizona Republic. She’s been a staff writer for more than 20 years, covering a variety of news beats, from politics to the environment, transportation to schools. She is a recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists’ national Sunshine Award, for her work pushing for and using public records.

CATEGORY 21: BEST SERIES
Small Newspapers and Publications
First place: Sean Pearson and Layton Ehmke, Homer Tribune, “Probing Pebble” Comments: This three-part series on a company’s controversial search for gold, copper and molybdenum under the tundra gives us a look at what’s happening and more importantly, why it is happening. The result is that readers get to see real people on both sides of the issue, get a terrific sense of place and find lots of information about what it will take to accomplish, mean for ordinary Alaskans and cost taxpayers. This is fine explanatory reporting, neither inflammatory nor boosterish.
Second place: “Being Young” by Diana Haecker, the Nome Nugget
Comments: Three cheers for Diana who takes a new look at an old problem – kids in a small town with nothing to do — and makes it fresh by moving around her community to report on services, what kids in even smaller communities outside Nome want and how adults have responded. I admire her ability to take news in plain sight with such enthusiasm. But her bravest move was to hand kids the pen and say, “tell us what you think.”
Third place: “Heritage of Courage,’’ by Mary Lochner, The Northern Light. Comments: Lochner takes a terrific idea and painstakingly traces the history of civil rights for Alaska Natives. This series public service that does much to surprise and reveal including finding people like Helen McNeil. This series is a great resource for teachers.

Large Newspapers and Publications
First place: Wesley Loy, Anchorage Daily News, “A Fateful Step”
Comments: The gripping narrative of a North Slope roustabout stepping into an oil-rig auger would make a powerful narrative in any category. Dramatic and sparely told, it leads readers through a horrifying account of what you think will be man’s last few minutes on earth. What elevates the series came next: the unvarnished Part IV. Loy artfully reveals a fairly unsympathetic subject whose youth, lack of education and immersion in a consumer culture clearly show he is ill-prepared to live one more month, much less a lifetime, of disability. Loy refuses to dude the guy up. And he follows with a strong sidebar on the human costs of oil exploration. Nicely done.
Second place: “The School District’s Wellness Policy,’’ by Robinson Duffy, Fairbanks Daily News Miner — Duffy takes a routine area of beat coverage - the school lunch menu – and delivers a timely series that is full of news, accountability and most importantly, some insight into the sugar-addled brains of teenagers. He talks to kids and adults, writes in a clear, compelling style delivers some news “hiding in plain sight” that parents and educators can truly learn from.
Third place: Julia O’Mally, Anchorage Daily News, “The Way Home”
Comments: O’Malley’s fine and empathetic touch opens the doors on four families separated by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A significant report from the quiet front.
Judge: As a member of the Oregonian’s Investigations team, Julie Sullivan shared reporting duties on “Liberty’s Heavy Hand,” an expose of abuses at the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service that earned the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.

CATEGORY 22: BEST HEADLINE WRITING
First place: Tony Hall, Anchorage Daily News,”Fairbanks alcohol dries up, bar one”
Second place: Greg Johnson, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, “Shortfall sours Mat Maid optimism”
Third place: Cheryl Chapman, Anchorage Daily News, “Urban scrawl / Volunteer graffiti-buster paints out Anchorage’s visual trash”
Judge: Seth Markow has been a copy editor/proofreader for 18 years and with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin for 11, the past eight as slot man.

CATEGORY 23: EDITORIAL CARTOON
First place: Mike O’Meara, Homer News, “Special Caucus Room”
Comments: A strong and pointed message, simply but effectively laid out and clearly rendered.
Second place: Jamie Smith, The Ester Republic, “Surge”
Comments: A clever and thoughtful idea, buttressed with strong graphics.
Third place: Tony Newman, Juneau Empire, “Quarter Designs”
Comments: Humorous but pointed. Lots of lettering, but avoids looking cluttered. Thanks for including contextual notes with entry.
Judge: John Trever has been an editorial cartoonist at the Albuquerque Journal since 1976. His cartoons appear in more than 350 daily newspapers. Among his awards are honors by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Free Press Association and the Overseas Press Club.

CATEGORY 24: BEST SECTION
Large newspapers and publications
First place: PLAY, Anchorage Daily News
Comments: Marvelous! It’s the complete package, carried off with grace and panache. Story topics, writing, headlines, photography, and illustrations hit all the right notes. The design craftsmanship is inspired and technically superb.
Second place: LIFE & ARTS, Anchorage Daily News
Comments: Beautiful, fascinating centerpieces with insight
Third place: LATITUDE, Fairbanks News Miner
Comments: Dramatic use of cover art, strong local content
Small newspapers and publications
First place: MOTION, The Northern Light
Comments: Consistently high-quality, orderly design that keeps the spotlight on well-written stories and engaging photography and artwork.
Second place: SPORTS, Alaska Star
Comments: Strong photography brings this section to life.
Third place: MILITARY, Alaska Star
Judge: Jim Springhetti is a member of The Oregonian presentation staff.

CATEGORY 25: BEST WEEKLY
First place: The Homer Tribune
Comments: The Trib offers readers a blend of punchy writing, informed skepticism and a real engagement with its community. The paper’s four-part series on the proposed Pebble Mine was an ambitious examination of a complicated proposition, and exactly the kind of public interest reporting that papers of all sizes should strive to execute.
Second place: The University of Alaska Fairbanks Sun Star
Comments: The Sun Star asks tough questions about gender, university pay and administrative pork. Although the paper also includes a well-chosen variety of topics, its focus on accountability provides students and the broader community around the university a valuable service.
Third place: The Anchorage Press
Comments: The Press is a writer’s paper with a strong point of view and sharp edge. The combination of emphasis on connecting to issues and places outside Anchorage makes the Press a great read.
Judge: Nigel Jaquiss is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for Willamette Week in Portland, Ore.

CATEGORY 26: BEST ILLUSTRATION
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Lucas Ketner, Anchorage Press, “Tales from the Trash”
Comments: Lucas’ style lends itself well to this homage to those classic EC comics of the ‘50s. Nicely capturing that feel, incorporating the mast and headline for a completely integrated presentation. The concept grabs the eye while communicating an emotional truth to the story itself. It’s a perfect blend of story and illustration.
No second- or third-place award given.
Small newspapers and publications
First place: Stephanie D. Johnson, Alaska Star, “Tasty Tradition”
Comments: Stephanie tackled what often comes from an illustrator’s way. One where the story is less than exciting where the artist must still strike a visual balance between the tone of the story and a compelling illustration that will drive readers into the content. Here, she does a fine job doing that with a great scratchboard illustration that sets just the right tone.
Judge: Rick Nease is the nationally recognized art director at the Detroit Free Press.

Category 27: BEST PAGE LAYOUT AND DESIGN
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Greg Johnson, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, “Page 1”
Comments: Nice top-down design. Interesting reefers and solid use of a grid structure. Use of information boxes are helpful.
Second place: Tim Nichols, Juneau Empire, “Alive and kicking”
Comments: The cutout helps to energize the page. Structure is easy to follow, from the secondary story on the left to bottom articles. nice use of photography to move reader through page.
Third place: Kim Andree, Juneau Empire, “Fall Harvest Table”
Comments: Nice use of color art in presentation. The downpage feature is interesting, though I would be interested in seeing some of the student’s art on the page too.

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Aaron Burkhart, The Northern Light, “Deciphering High-Def”
Comments: The page begins with a nice typographic treatment to help the reader generally understand the possible confusing nature of the technology. There is also nice use of the grid for copy and comparison of the two format choices.
Second place: Aaron Burkhart, The Northern Light, “Summer Meltdown III”
Comments: This is a nice listing page. Silhouetted figures create a energetic mood from the start. The use of small images to highlight some of the bands is also a nice touch.
Third place. No award given.
Judge: Adrian Johnson designs the Arts and Life section at the Cleveland Plain Dealer for seven years, where he designs the Arts and Life section. He has also designed the Sunday Arts section, the Friday entertainment magazine and front pages.

CATEGORY 28: BEST GRAPHIC
First place: Tim Nichols and Michael Plett, The Juneau Empire, “Crimson Bears on Offense, Defense”
Comments: We’ve all seen play diagrams. Usually bad ones with circles and arrows going every which way and are useful for one play only. This graphic avoids that pitfall. The presentation is very clean and sets up what we should expect to see game day. Clip and saves are always a good thing.
Second place: Aaron Burkhart, Suzanna Caldwell and Ashley Smith, The Northern Light, “Basketball Powerhouses Venture North for Annual Tournament”
The expanded bracket gave good information of the teams’ makeup and went further to include an excellent brief chronology of each teams’ season to date. The only suggestion I would offer is that the all-team player and season stats have the same neutral screen tint, say 8% gray. There is a little too much rainbow effect going on.
Judge: Randy Cox, visuals and production editor, is helping lead the integration of the paper’s visual journalism efforts into the Internet while supervising his newspaper’s photo and graphics departments.

CATEGORY 29: BEST SPOT PHOTO
Large newspapers and publications
First place: John Wagner, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, “Rollover”
Comments: This was one of the best photos we saw in any category; a well-executed news
photo.
No awards given for second and third place.
Judges: Staff photographer Lara Solt; photo editor Brad Loper and deputy director of photography Chris Wilkins at the Dallas Morning News.

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Thad Poulson, Daily Sitka Sentinel, “Plane Crash”
Comments: Great job at getting to the scene quickly and making a dramatic photograph
Second place: Layton Ehmke, Homer Tribune, “Caribou Hills Fire”
Comments: Great moment and beautiful composition.
Third place: Sean Pearson, Homer Tribune, “Plane Crash Victim”
Comments: Great job at getting an emotional moment.
Judges: Judy DeHass, staff photographer; Janet Reeves, director of photography; and Dean Krakel, assistant director of photography of The Rocky Mountain News.

CATEGORY 30: BEST GENERAL NEWS PHOTO
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Al Grillo, Associated Press, “Guilty”
Comments: Strong moment as the verdict was announced, photographer did well with what he had.
Second place: Al Grillo, Associated Press, “Healer”
Comments: Good caption information elevated this image to second place and gave this photo news value.
Third place: David Sheakley, Juneau Empire, “Bubblenet”
Comments: Interesting situation shot well by photographer, little bit of an off fit in the news category.
Judges: Staff photographer Lara Solt; photo editor Brad Loper and deputy director of photography Chris Wilkins at the Dallas Morning News.

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Darrell L. Breese, Alaska Star, “Case Closed”
Comments: Great moment inside the courtroom.
Second place: Klas Stolpe, Petersburg Pilot, “Herring Catch”
Comments: Beautifully composed image with vibrant color.
Third place: Rob Stapleton, Alaska Journal of Commerce, “Picketline”
Comments: Well-composed image and an interesting photo of a boring subject
Judges: Judy DeHass, staff photographer; Janet Reeves, director of photography; and Dean Krakel, assistant director of photography of The Rocky Mountain News.

CATEGORY 31: BEST ARTS PHOTO
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Brian Wallace, Juneau Empire, “Annaleisa Place”
Comments: Clear winner, well composed and nice moment. Her intensity and expression
make the photo.
Second place: Michael Penn, Juneau Empire, “Lifted embrace”
Comments: Very interesting photo, was hurt by dull lighting though.
Third place: Joshua Borough, Anchorage Daily News, “Dancing”
Comments: Interesting flash use elevated to the photo into top three.
Judges: Staff photographer Lara Solt; photo editor Brad Loper and deputy director of photography Chris Wilkins at the Dallas Morning News.

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Klas Stolpe, Petersburg Pilot, “Oregon Ballet Nutcracker”
Comments: Great angle, beautifully composed.
Second place: Greg Lincoln, The Delta Discovery, “Hooper Bay Traditional Dancers”
Comments: Great moment, excellent expression on subject’s face.
Third place: Monique Musick, The Ester Republic, “Junior Joey”
Comments: Good angle and choice of lenses.
Judges: Judy DeHass, staff photographer; Janet Reeves, director of photography; and Dean Krakel, assistant director of photography of The Rocky Mountain News.

CATEGORY 32: BEST PICTURE STORY
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Al Grillo, Associated Press, “Nome Drinking”
Second place: David J. Sheakley, Juneau Empire, “Celebrating excellence”
Third place: David J. Sheakely, Juneau Empire, “Hunting how to”
Small newspapers and publications
First place: Greg Lincoln, The Delta Discovery, “Camai Dance Festival”
Second place: Nicolette Sauro, The Sun Star, “Spring Fest”
Third place: Klas Stolpe, Petersburg Pilot, “Prom”
Judges: Roberto E. Rosales and the photography staff at the Albuquerque Journal.

CATEGORY 33: BEST SPORTS PHOTO
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Al Grillo. Associated Press, “Shooting the hoop”
Second place: Robert DeBerry, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, “Sweet Catch”
Third place: Evan R. Steinhauser, Anchorage Daily News, “XC Skiers”
Small newspapers and publications
First place: Greg Lincoln, The Delta Discovery, “Collin”
Second place: Sean Pearson, Homer Tribune, “Bull flip”
Third place: Ben Stuart, Homer News, “It’s a stretch”
Judges: Roberto E. Rosales and the photography staff at the Albuquerque Journal.

CATEGORY 34: BEST SCENIC PHOTO
Large newspapers and publications
First Place: Bob Martinson, Aurora
Comments: This photograph has a great awe-factor. It’s a beautiful scenic showing off one of Alaska’s most famous wonders.
Second Place: Klas Stolpe, Big Blue
Comments: Majestic. Amazing colors and nice composition. An extremely in depth caption.
Third Place: Bob Martinson, Sow and Cubs
Comments: This photograph has a nice supporting background and composition. Both foreground and background scream ALASKA.
Overall comments: All the photographs entered were amazing. It was very difficult to narrow them down to three winners. A pleasure and challenge to judge!
Judges: Dan Schlatter, staff photographer; Laura Stumbaugh, production coordinator, Puget Sound Business Journal, Seattle

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Bob Martinson, The Cordova Times, “Rainbow Boat”
Comments: 
A classic rainbow image cast in a still-life scene of serenity along the
waterfront. Then, throw into that mix the wonderful mirror-like reflection
and the almost perfect circle of refraction. The result is stunning and
clearly first-place. I’d like to keep it on my desktop it’s so much fun to
look at over and over again.
Second place: Besty Lund, Kodiak Daily Mirror, “Tree”
Comments: Striking contrasts and exposure criticality make up this almost-symmetrical
black-and-white pastoral scene of winter. Not often do I think a photo shot directly
into the burst of a bright sun make much of a photo, but in this case the
photographer used what appears to be either end of day or late in the day
angle of suncast to provide the shadowing of that dainty little tree with
skill and appeal.
Third place: Sean Pearson, Homer Tribune, “Eagle has landed”
Comments: Yeah, it’s an awfully corny title, but a lovely photo nonetheless.
Silhouettes and sunsets are often the ticket to competent vacation
photography, but in this case the two combine to provide us a look of the
wild, of creatures we can only dream of emulating. What a vast, open space
Alaska is and to see that eagle landing so gracefully, so powerfully is a
great pleasure to visually share in.

CATEGORY 35: BEST PORTRAIT PHOTO
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Evan Steinhauser, Anchorage Daily News, “Katie Campbell”
Comments: We got the most feeling from this photo, well executed portrait utilizes
nice light & a powerful moment.
Second place: Brian Wallace, Juneau Empire, “Bishop Nikolai”
Comments: Symmetrical, colorful and well-framed portrait. Interesting to look at.
Third place: Al Grillo, Associated Press, “Thanks”
Comments: This was a little bit of an odd fit for portrait but a great moment elevated it into the winning ranks.
Judges: Staff photographer Lara Solt; photo editor Brad Loper and deputy director of photography Chris Wilkins at the Dallas Morning News.

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Gretchen Weiss, The Northern Light, “Urban Artist”
Comments: Great placement of the subject and excellent use of surroundings.
Second place: Greg Lincoln, The Delta Discovery, “Bearskin Boat Maker”
Comments: A beautiful subject and nice moment.
Third place: Rob Stapleton, Alaska Journal of Commerce, “Demographer”
Comments: Unique idea for a portrait, well done.
Judges: Judy DeHass, staff photographer; Janet Reeves, director of photography; and Dean Krakel, assistant director of photography of The Rocky Mountain News.

CATEGORY 36: BEST FEATURE PHOTO
Large newspapers and publications
First place: Hall Anderson, Ketchikan Daily News, “Just do it”
Comments: Just great seeing by the photographer, an unusual moment shot well.
2nd place: Robert DeBerry, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, “Comforting”
Comments: Close finish for first place, tight & clean moment sums up an emotional event.
Third place: Robert DeBerry, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, “Backflip”
Comments: Body language of the cyclist combined with clean composition make this photo really work as a feature.
Judges: Staff photographer Lara Solt; photo editor Brad Loper and deputy director of photography Chris Wilkins at the Dallas Morning News.

Small newspapers and publications
First place: Klas Stolpe, Petersburg Pilot, “Puckered Ornament”
Comments: Great moment and excellent color.
Second place: Tyler Rhodes, Nome Nugget, “Taking the Plunge”
Comments: Wonderful expressions on the people’s faces.
Third place: Sean Pearson, Homer Tribune, “Popeye Wrestlers”
Comments: What a hilarious moment!
Judges: Judy DeHass, staff photographer; Janet Reeves, director of photography; and Dean Krakel, assistant director of photography of The Rocky Mountain News.

Alaska Press Club Awards 2006 (announced 4/21/07)-1 of 2 (PRINT)

PRINT

BREAKING NEWS
Judge: Lee Ann Colacioppo, The Denver Post

Large Papers
1st: ”Anderson Indicted,” by Richard Mauer, Lisa Demer, Tom Kizzia, Kyle Hopkins, Anchorage Daily News. Comments: This story was packed with details and showed the reporters’ command of the material. A good job weaving the news with lots of context.

2nd: “BP shuts down Prudhoe Bay,” by Wesley Loy and Richard Richtmyer, Anchorage Daily News. Comments: Tracking down all the elements of a breaking news story on a weekday morning is one thing. Doing it on a Sunday afternoon is quite another. Story reflected great hustle under tough conditions.

3rd: “Feds probe non-profit,” by Rod Boyce and Sam Bishop, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Comments: This story had good depth, apparently because the
paper had been on top of the issue. While the story broke on deadline, it reads with the authority and depth of a longer-term piece.

Small Papers
1st: “Number of discarded crab soars,” by Margaret Bauman, Alaska Journal of Commerce

2nd: “Rural Alaska to receive ....” by Rob Stapleton, Alaska Journal of Commerce

3rd: “Security Aviation Investigation,” by Rob Stapleton, Alaska Journal of Commerce

BEST GENERAL NEWS STORY

Not available as of press time.

BEST USE OF STORY & PHOTOS BY A JOURNALIST
Large Papers
Judge: Mark Holm, Photo Editor, Albuquerque Tribune

1st: “Silver lining,” by Amy Schenck, Frontiersman. Comments: This piece about great salmon fishing at a popular recreation area contained the “best-of-show” single image among the entries. Beyond that, among the four photos used in this piece, good lens choices and perspectives were used to best describe visually, how popular the Jim Creek area has become. The wide-angle photo, shot at water level, of fish on a stringer, with over a dozen anglers diminishing into the beautiful Alaskan background was very well executed.

2nd: “Iraquis say they’re living in fear,” by Margaret Friedenauer, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Comments: The two photos used with this story about insecurities felt by some Baghdad residents because of continuing violence did a good job of visualizing the environment in a residential area. The lede photo keys on the body language of a US soldier stepping gingerly through a flooded street. A figure on the edge of the secondary photo, peering cautiously out of a doorway as two soldiers talk to a resident outside, adds tension to the photo.

3rd: “Raptors in Alaska,” by Mark Farmer, The Associated Press. Comments: Photos do a good, straight-forward, yet artful job of physically describing the fighter jets discussed in the story, the F22A Raptor and the F-15C Eagle.  Sources in the story seemed pretty enthusiastic about the Raptor, so we found ourselves wondering if photos of pilots in or around the planes on the flight line, or some other (documentary) situation might not add a human touch to the piece. Obviously, that may, or may not have been possible.

Small Papers
Judges: Photo editor Doug Parker and staff photographers Eliot Kamenitz and Sean Gardner, The New Orleans Times-Picayune

1st: “At Last!” by Brian Lepley, Alaska Post. Comments: Nice, peak emotion of reunion communicates the ties to family and the community. Nice mix of tight, emotional shots with overalls.

2nd: “Governor Face Off,” by Bryan Martin, Kodiak Daily Mirror. Comments: Good, solid journalism communicates succinctly the intensity of the situation. Please, the mortise is not necessary and almost ruins an otherwise outstanding news photograph.

3rd: “A tale of two villages,” John Pennell, Alaska Post. Comments: A good selection of photos.

BEST SHORT FEATURE
Judge: Linda Castrone, Assistant Business Editor, Denver Post

Large Papers
1st: “Bugle Girl” by Mike Dunham, Anchorage Daily News. Comments: This story was well reported and well told, but it stood out above the others because of the subject’s unusual tale. Through 15-year-old Nichelle Cushing, Mike was able to address the rapidly aging veteran population, the sorrow of our losses in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the urge. In his moving lead, Mike painted a stirring picture of the rain, the coffin, the tiny girl and her 105-year-old bugle. He allowed the scene to unfold slowly before he jumped to Nichelle’s motivations - a father in Iraq and their move to Alaska - and then elegantly wound back to the opening scene for his ending.

2nd: “My Space, I *heart* You” by Lynne Snifka, Anchorage Press. Comments: In many cases, first-person stories read like diary entries because so much of their content is cerebral. In this case, Lynne has used the voice of a strong narrator to carry her readers through an online adventure. She strengthens it with solid reporting, including such details as daily increase in the number of MySpace users, and allows us to experience the website along with her. As in all good nonfiction writing, she lets us see her foibles as well as her successes (paranoia about posting her real age, decision to post it as 100). Lynne also uses dialog well, inserting little bits of it on occasion to add life to her story.

3rd: “The Great Pumpkin” by George Bryson, Anchorage Daily News. Comments: George has taken an annual event and turned it into an opportunity for good storytelling. From the lead (which asks the question at the heart of all state fair entries - just how big is it?), through the background material and the eventual punchline, he has woven an enthralling narrative. His use of detail adds richness throughout. The language is clean and simple. The story is perfectly constructed to build drama, and most of all, I loved that he didn’t answer the opening question until the very end. Kudos to the headline and cutline writers for not spoiling that surprise.

Small Papers
1st: ”Bean’s Cafe offers hope to Anchorage’s homeless” by James Halpin, The Northern Light. Comments: This reporter has captured the ambiance of an urban soup kitchen as well as the character of its regular customers through rich use of descriptive writing. James is not afraid to use his observational skills to describe clouds of breath in the frigid morning air, or the smell of burnt grease in the humid kitchen. Deftly woven in are statistics about homelessness in Alaska and the voices of the homeless.

2nd: “A Valentine set in Stone” by Kristen Inbody, Kodiak Daily Mirror. Comments: The Stones’ story is not unusual, but Kristen has been able to translate it beautifully into something every reader can relate to. Her language is spare and direct, which lets the couple’s romantic tale tell itself. The mundane details are sublime - he arrived late in white turtleneck, chinos and penny loafers, for example. We get them one at a time as the story plays out, and at the end get a lovely little piece of advice about how they have made their marriage succeed.

3rd: ”Hiland inmates re-stitch their lives” by Mary M. Rall, Alaska Star. Comments: The beauty of this piece is its simple language and straight-forward storytelling. It starts with a nice touch in the lead (learning, growing and making amends one stitch at a time) and continues with nice quotes from women who were not always so nice (Wasilla is currently serving a 99-year sentence for murder, attempted murder and arson). This reporter also seems to have created a good rapport with the inmates and was able to translate that into some moving quotes.

BEST LONG FEATURE
Judge: Bill Slakey, city editor, Albuquerque Tribune

1st: ”Peaceful Harbor,” by Tom Kizzia, Anchorage Daily News. Comments: A fascinating story, deeply and sensitively reported. The details of the two families’ lives together take the reader into their world and the difficulty of their decisions. The descriptive writing—in the lead paragraphs in particular—draws the reader right into the story and never lets go.

2nd: “Ashes to ashes” by Debra McKinney, Anchorage Daily News. Comments: I laughed out loud repeatedly while reading this story. Excellent pacing and set-up made the payoff in each of the anecdotes that much more delicious. The sidebars were well-conceived and added important elements to the story without bogging the main story down.

3rd: ”Bardcore—Up all night in Fairbanks with Shakespeare” by Tom Moran, Anchorage Press. Comments: I liked the loose chronological structure of this piece, which helped tie together a big cast of characters and a wide range of themes. What I really liked, though, was that the chronology wasn’t overemphasized—it was just strong enough to unify the piece without overwhelming it. The same can be said for the Shakespeare allusions and the playful use of lines from the plays: They were weighted just right and added just the right character to the story without overdoing it.

BEST BUSINESS REPORTING
Judge: Becky Bisbee, business editor, Seattle Times
Large Papers
1st: “Powerful Pair,” by Wesley Loy, Anchorage Daily News. Comment: Good watchdog journalism—keeping track of the revolving door between people in power and the oil industry. Writer allowed each side to have their say and let the reader decide. Nice details that brought the two subjects to life.

2nd: “In real estate, bidding wars give way,” by Richard Richtmyer, Anchorage Daily News. Comment: Well researched look at changing real estate market. Full of people talking about what they are seeing and reasons for the shift. Good use of charts and photos to illustrate report.

3rd: “Vend will I see you again,” Lynne Snifka, Anchorage Press. Comment: Delightful behind-the-scenes read about something every office can relate to—vending machines. Interesting details about choices consumers make.

Small Papers
1st: ”Barrick, NovaGold pulling no punches (link is to a pdf download, story on B7),” by Sarah Hurst, Petroleum News. Comment: Good command of each company’s financials. Good discussion of the hostile takeover. Appropriately technical for a trade journal.

2nd: “Homeowners’ dreams become nightmares,” by Kate Tracy, Alaska Star
Comment: Even-handed reporting on common construction issue for new homes. Brought to life the problems by talking to real people and showing the reader what the home owners are dealing with.

3rd: ”Small business stays afloat in cove,” by McKibben Jackinsky, Homer News
Comment: Great sense of place story. Good quotes. Fun read.

BEST GOVERNMENT STORY
Large Papers
Judge: Paul Simon, Editor, MediaNews Wire Services
1st: “Child Protection List,” by Lisa Demer, Anchorage Daily News. Comment: Excellent reporting and writing evoke a strong outrage on this one. Well-structured and easily understood. The beauty is one can question whether the main character is totally innocent while recognizing a flawed system that unfairly penalizes parents - often without their knowledge and without due process.

2nd: ”How pet projects in Alaska became pet peeve on hill.” By Yereth Rosen, Christian Science Monitor. Comment: Aha, so that is what the “bridge to nowhere” was all about. This was a great subject to explore as an example of controversial congressional earmarks. The entry clearly examined the merits - or lack thereof—of the two proposed bridges in Alaska as well as the whole process that leads to lawmakers’ quietly pursuing pet projects as taxpayer expense.

3rd: ”No Jesus” by Leila Kheiry, Frontiersman. Comments: Fascinating coverage outside the norm from a planning commission, of all things. Why the commission just doesn’t accede to law and cease opening prayers that address a specific religion is puzzling - but it’s great fun reading the comments of various officials seeking to justify their so-called right to invoke the name of Jesus. Hard to believe this was occurring in 2006 rather than 1906.

Small Papers
Judge: Diane Alters, Assistant City Editor, Denver Post

1st: ”City Merger Plan Draws Ire,” by Carey James, Homer Tribune. Comments: well-written; explores a complex issue well.

2nd: ”Cruise Initiative Raises Voices,” by Emily Palm, The Skagway News

3rd: ”Tony Knowles, 63, Joins Facebook Trend,” by Nate Raymond, Sun Star

BEST EDUCATION STORY
Judge: Lee Ann Colacioppo, Denver Post

1st:”The Unfinished Education” and ”Dropouts defy stereotypes” by Eric Morrison, Juneau Empire. Comments: Telling statistics, good examples of kids and powerful quotes combine to make this the best of the education stories. It’s both newsy and highly readable.

2nd: “It’s a time for wishing,” by Katie Pesznecker, Anchorage Daily News. Comments: The story makes the reader feel like you actually have been to Hope. You see the town, you feel what the residents are going through.

3rd: “ABCs of Reading,” by Katie Pesznecker, Anchorage Daily News

Small Papers
1st: ”Union: Mat-Su threatens to fire overpaid teachers,” by James Halpin, The Northern Light. Comments: A strong effort at trying to sort through the complicated, secretive process of an ongoing audit. Nice variety of voices and well-balanced.

2nd: “Looking forward,” by Scott Christiansen. Kodiak Daily Mirror. Comments: This presents a great slice of life mixed with an interesting tale of a man on a mission. Nice detail about the conversations and the backgrounds of the people this program is trying to reach.

3rd: “Homeschooling a full-time job,” McKibben Jackinsky, Homer News. Comments: We could have heard more about this family and the challenges they face and how they make it all work. An interesting tale about an interesting family.

BEST PROFILE
Large Papers
Judge: Paula Span, a former Washington Post staff writer, is a contributing writer for the Washington Post Magazine and a contributing columnist for the New York Times. She teaches at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

1st: A tie!

“She Takes Lead in Deciding Fate of Kids” by Lisa Demer, Anchorage Daily News
Comment: By showing (not telling) how a state official makes decisions about custody and foster care, Demer not only brings an individual to life, but points out changing policies in the Office of Children’s Services.

and

“Potato Head” by Debra McKinney, Anchorage Daily News. Comment: Charmingly rendered profile of a spudmeister with idiosyncrasies to spare.

2nd: “Hero’s Farewell,” by Alex deMarban, Anchorage Daily News. Comment: Portrait not only of a slain soldier, but of the Guardsmen and the grieving town that cherished him. Nicely non-generic.

3rd: ”Atlas Smirked,” by Lynne Snifka, Anchorage Press. Comment: Fine example of journalism-by-hanging around, resulting in a lively look at a web maven/musician/producer/Ayn Rand apostle.

Small Papers
Judge: Tom Koetting, deputy managing editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Koetting has worked at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel since 1997. He worked as a copy editor and a reporter at the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and then as a reporter and an assignment editor at The Wichita Eagle. He has won several national and regional writing awards.

1st: “’The Weather Lady’ forged the way to safer waters,” by Melissa Campbell, Alaska Journal of Commerce. Comment: A wonderful profile of an unassuming woman who became a bit of legend, written in a way that readers get a sense of how life in Alaska has changed over the years. Great context; good quotes.

2nd: “For Provost Reichardt, end in sight,” by Nate Raymond, Sun Star. Comment: A fairly straightforward assignment that was elevated by smooth, graceful writing. Readers get a real sense of the subject, and what makes him tick professionally.

3rd: “Meet the Eagle Lady,” by Mary M. Rall, Alaska Star. Comment: Very good use of detail and descriptive language.

BEST ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING
Judge: Douglas Fischer, Oakland Tribune

Large Papers
No winners. Comments: I am dismayed to report that no submission on environmental coverage from a large paper in Alaska could be considered prizeworthy in 2006. Given the astounding challenges on virtually every aspect of the environment in Alaska – and the exemplary efforts extended to cover them by the state’s small-market papers – this dearth of quality reporting from Alaska’s papers of record is inexcusable. A handful of capable features on environmental issues were submitted. But in a year where global warming went mainstream, the Pebble prospect gathered steam, Lower Slate Lake was sacrificed, the idea of a Tangle Lakes refuge developed, and the Bush Administration continued to roll back Clinton-era restrictions on drilling in the NPR-A, Alaska’s readers got nary a word – at least, not a word the state’s largest papers considered noteworthy. There was no word on growth, on energy development, on climate change, on hunting. This is a shame. Alaskans deserve more.

So I call on reporters in Alaska’s most well-staffed, resource-rich newsrooms to look anew in 2007 at the many challenges to Alaska’s environment. A tempting response is that many of these issues have been covered ad nauseam in prior years. That is no excuse for silence. A journalist’s job is to shed light, find new angles, help advance the debate. On the environment in 2006, Alaska’s best journalists left the issues to languish behind closed doors. This is disappointing.

Small Papers

General comments: Kudos to Alaska’s smallest papers for aggressively and ambitiously tackling the environment in 2006. Had any of these stories appeared under the masthead of the state’s largest papers, I would have been thrilled. And the body of work was impressive: The pool of entries was deep enough to have filled both large and small papers slots with top-shelf examples from the state’s smallest newsrooms. I’m glad to see somebody’s covering the environment in Alaska, and I hope Alaska Press Club officers will indulge my desire to single out two additional pieces with honorable mentions.

1st: “Global warming threatens Northwest Arctic coast,” by Susan B. Andrews and John Creed, The Arctic Sounder. Comments: Years from now 2006 will be known as the year global warming went mainstream. Andrews’ and Creed’s description of Kotzebue’s eroding shoreline, swamped lowlands and efforts to reduce its carbon footprint is a stellar example of how an amorphous, difficult-to-report issue like climate change can be made extremely relevant for local readers. The authors seamlessly mixed the latest science with elders’ observations and the costly challenges facing the borough. Most refreshingly, they did not waste any space on climate naysayers. All together, the piece highlighted the patent ignorance behind the Alaska congressional delegation’s unsustainable stance on climate change.

2nd: “Tanker flow long noted as risky,” by Carey James, Homer Tribun