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Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards:
2004 Winners and Finalists
| Lifestyle Journalism Awards |
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| The Darrell Sifford Memorial Prize in Journalism |
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The Missouri School of Journalism has named 53 writers and 36 newspapers as winners and finalists in the 44th annual competition. The competition included 15 categories of writing and general excellence. Judges reviewed nearly 1,400 entries this year. The first place winner in each category will be awarded $1,000 prize money and a lead crystal vase trophy.
General Excellence
Class V (Circ. 300,001+)
Winner
The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California
The judges wrote, "The staff of the Los Angeles Times creates new stories with enough familiarity to retain readers and enough ingenuity to engage new readers. The staff's ability to gauge interest and then create marvelous lifestyle stories is impressive. Designers, writers, editors and photographers do a great job working together to focus the ideas. Marvelous work!"
The Los Angeles Times entry included its Weekend, Home, Calendar, Real Estate, Book Review, Magazine, Travel, Health and Food sections.
Second Place:
Newsday, Melville, New York
Class IV (Circ. 100,001 to 300,000)
Winner:
The Seattle Times, Seattle, Washington
"Whether it's a lively profile of a rising rap star on one section front or the riveting tale of a couple of amateur archeologists on another, the staff of the Times manages to capture the life of its communities," according to the judges. "The writing is uniformly compelling. The designs are eye-catching. The photography and illustrations are story-telling. Clearly, the Times is committed to telling the full range of the Pacific Northwest's stories. The investment of resources pays off for readers in pages that are full of interest because they're full of life.
Second Place:
Miami New Times, Miami, Florida
Third Place:
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas
Class III (Circ. 50,001 to 100,000):
Winner:
Cleveland Scene, Cleveland, Ohio
According to the judges, "The Scene covers Cleveland's culture and arts in a way that is both readable and insightful. Readers can be assured of depth, humor and attitude. The cover concepts are intriguing. The calendar section is extensive, and the weekly sections on film, dining and music are useful contributions to the community's conversation.
Second Place:
The Pitch, Kansas City, Missouri
Third Place:
The News & Record, Greensboro, North Carolina
Class II (Circ. 25,001 to 50,000)
Winner:
Burlington Free Press, Burlington, Vermont
Our lifestyle journalism judges believe, "This entry has a lively sense of local topics and develops them with strong, not ordinary, angles. Lots of thought and hard work are evident, and the sections are unusually well developed for those appearing in a small paper. The writing is also stylish and appealing.
Second Place:
Las Vegas Sun, Las Vegas, Nevada
Third Place:
Herald News, West Paterson, New Jersey
Class I (Circ. Under 25,000)
Winner:
The Litchfield County Times, New Milford, Connecticut
Explained the judges in again selecting The Litchfield County Times as the winner: "Due to its distribution setup, this weekly is in a class of its own, but it's a class most of us would be happy to join. Amazingly lively, pertinent and intriguing even to a reader who's never set foot in any of its publication sites, make this a winner. Yes, this is a magazine approach, but it's one many small papers would be well-advised to consider.
The judges did not award a second or third place in this category.
Winner:
Travel in the Star-Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The judges wrote: "We thought Travel sections were mostly alike. But the Star Tribune's product breaks the mold. Extraordinary layouts that feature pictures as big as the big outdoors. Extraordinary pictures that deserve the play. Themes that show imagination and flair, not just the usual recycled ideas."
Second Place:
Inside & Out in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio
Third Place:
LCT in the Litchfield County Times, New Milford, Connecticut
Multicultural
Winner:
Paul Barrett of The Wall Street Journal. "Radical Politics" (Idaho Arrest Puts Muslim Students Under Scrutiny)
[Full Story]
"This is hard-hitting, off-the-news depth reporting," explained the judges. "The topic is extraordinarily difficult but extraordinarily timely. It provides hard information that helps us understand a religion and a people we are regularly told to think of as enemies. It is unflinching but sensitive. It is not narrative or literary, but it is packed with telling detail and memorable characters."
Finalists:
Joe Miller of The Pitch (Kansas City). "War of Words; Word War 2"
Wil Haygood of The Washington Post. "Heaven's Window"
Consumer
Winner:
Lucette Lagnado of The Wall Street Journal. "The Hidden Injustices of Hospital Bills"
[Full Story]
According to the judges, "Lagnado weaves the facts and figures, of which there is a considerable amount, throughout her stories of real people battling the health care system. As a result, the stories are as entertaining as they are informative. She examines the topics from every conceivable angle. You cannot help but react to the stories with frustration, anger and sadness, and that is a testament to the ability of the writer. This series is a tour de force."
Finalists:
Jane Elizabeth, Eleanor Chute, Carmen Lee and Gretchen McKay of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "A Question of Quality"
Martin Kuz, Cleveland Scene. "The Wal-Mart Menace"
Best Short Feature
Winner:
Timothy Cahill of the Albany Times Union. "For Nora"
"This wonderful story is concise, understated and effective," according to the judges. "Written as story with a character, a complication that produces tension and a resolution, 'Nora' is the story of a father who set to work building his 2-year-old daughter's casket the night she died. The details are chosen carefully. The story is short but the impact is large."
Finalists:
Lee Hill Kavanaugh of The Kansas City Star. "Magical Gift Brightens a Dark Night"
Elizabeth Leland of The Charlotte Observer. "Misty"
Paul L. Myhre Single Story
Winner:
Eric Adler of the Kansas City Star. "The good day: An Alzheimer's love story"
[Full Story]
Wrote the judges about this winner: "This story will make you cry. It will make you smile. It will make you think. This intimate account of a marriage tested by the onset of Alzheimer's disease is meticulously reported and elegantly written. It is harrowing and hopeful and honest. It is also journalism that will be useful to the increasing number of us who will face this test."
Finalists:
Mary Rogers of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Rebel with a cause"
Anna Cearley of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "A better life"
Paul L. Myhre Series/Special Sections
Winner:
Bill Reiter of The Des Moines Register. "Our Homeless Children"
"This series speaks to the power of immersion reporting," observed the judges. "Reiter didn't just interview people. He spent hours living with them, experiencing some small part of their daily struggle, gaining their trust and coming away with a more in-depth look at the homeless than most reporters are able to uncover. There is no condescension here, no falling into the obvious and contrasting traps of sentimentality and blame. Reiter offers a straightforward, compelling narrative brimming with details and humanity. That he did follow-up stories, going back months later to see how things turned out, is to be commended. That kind of long-term attention is often lacking in similar reportage."
Finalists:
Bill Dietrich of The Seattle Times. "Changing Visions"
Linda Negro of the Evansville Courier & Press. "Neighbors: What do we know about us?"
Joe Miller of The Pitch (Kansas City). "War of Words; Word War 2"
Heather Draper and David Kesmodel of the Rocky Mountain News. "Clipped Wings: United's Struggling Employees"
Stephanie Waite of The Times (Beaver, PA). "Left Behind"
Matt Schuman of the Greeley Tribune. "Access & Ability"
Food & Nutrition
Winner:
Kathleen Purvis of the Charlotte Observer. "Nowhere to Shop"
[Full Story]
Explained the judges in naming this one the winner: "Families that live near quality supermarkets take them for granted. Families that live miles from quality supermarkets, or any supermarkets at all, endure all sorts of problems buying edible, affordable groceries. In a three-part series, Kathleen Purvis of the Charlotte Observer shows the supermarket differential between neighborhoods, with race a disturbing factor; demonstrates with a specific example from Charlotte that the difficulties can be solved so that everybody benefits; and how other cities have marshalled resources to provide access to food in lower-income areas. Exemplary reporting and clear, often compelling, writing."
Finalists:
Jane Snow of the Akron Beacon Journal. "Eat Your Medicine"
Rob Kasper of the Baltimore Sun. "Local Flavor"
Mark Stuertz of the Dallas Observer. "Green Giant"
Suzanne Martinson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Dairy Tales"
Robb Walsh of the Houston Press. "Barbecue in Black and White"
David Shaw of the Los Angeles Times. "Is This a Wine List or a Stickup?"
Health & Fitness
Winner:
Lois M. Collins and Elaine Jarvik of the Deseret Morning News. "'Some Guy' saves a life"
"This complicated story," the judges wrote, "helps readers confront their conventional thinking about organ donations and religion. Using a telling example these writers engage readers with compelling writing and courageous reporting. Excellent work."
Finalists:
Tom Hallman Jr. of the Oregonian. "Coaches Never Quit"
Nanci Hellmich of USA Today. "For Raechel, 'it's horrible to be heavy' "
Melissa Healy of the Los Angeles Times. "Thriving despite it all"
Sandra G. Boodman of The Washington Post. "No End to Errors"
Douglas Grant Mine of the Miami New Times. "One For the Heart"
Fashion & Design
Winner:
Eileen Daspin of The Wall Street Journal. "The T-Shirt You Can't Get"
[Full Story]
The judges described the winner this way. "This writer takes a new look at an old story - how designers keep production low to swell desire. She looks at the everyday market and gives readers insights into the practice. Great reporting, compelling writing make this a marvelous piece."
Finalists:
Olivia Barker of USA Today. "Everything is so 5 minutes Ago"
Linda Hales of The Washington Post. "Mean Streets, Made Meaningful"
Barbara King of The Los Angeles Times. "Just Amaze Me"
Arts & Entertainment
Winner:
Bill Ellis and Pam Perkins of The Commercial Appeal. "Stax"
This series explains the history and issues surrounding a new music museum in Memphis. The writers capture the musicians, the racially turbulent times they worked and how the industry evolved. The work is done with savvy and respect, humor and insight.
Finalists:
Andrew Marton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Blinded by the light"
David Bonetti of the St Louis Post Dispatch. "Museums Take Shape"
Gail Pennington and Jeff Daniel of the St Louis Post Dispatch. "She Saw, He Saw"
Bob Longino of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "The unfinished story of Emmett Till"
Justin Davidson of Newsday. "The Age Game"
Bob Hicks of The Sunday Oregonian. "Art for all and all for art"
Mike Hudson of The Roanoke Times. "Hangin' with the Captain"
Susy Buchanan of Phoenix New Times. "A is for Artist"
Jennifer Mathieu of the Houston Press. "Reality TV Bites'
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