SPJ Announces

2005 Green Eyeshade

Award Recipients

Indianapolis, IN/4/18/06—The Society of Professional Journalists announced today the winners of the 2005 Green Eyeshade Awards.

The Green Eyeshade Awards have honored the best in professional journalism in 11 southeastern states for 56 years. The states included in the contest are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

The first place winners in each division, print, radio, television and online, are currently being judged to determine the “best of” awards. The Overall Best of Show: The Green Eyeshade Award will be selected from those named as the “best of” each division. These awards will be announced in May.

For more information about the awards program or the Society, please contact Heather Porter at hporter@spj.org or 317-927-8000 ext. 204.

The Society of Professional Journalists works to improve and protect journalism. The organization is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generations of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.

2005 Green Eyeshade Winners

** Print (Daily) Winners **

Deadline Reporting

First Place: Tom Loftus and Mark Pitsch, The Courier-Journal, “Flectcher pardons nine in state hiring inquiry”

Second Place: Staff, The Charlotte Observer, “Crash in Graniteville”

Third Place: John Pacenti, Nirvi Shah & Jennifer Sorentrue, The Palm Beach Post, “Ramadi Madness: Harsh Scenes of War”

Non-Deadline Reporting

First Place: Debbie Conziper, The Miami Herald, “Blind Eye”

Second Place: Thomas French, Christopher Goffard and Jamie Thompson, St. Petersburg Times, “The Hard Road: Inside the Jennifer Porter Case”

Third Place: Tony Bartelme, The Post & Courier, “Under Fire”

Feature Writing

First Place: Leonard Pitts, Jr., The Miami Herald, “Sad Songs in Hell”

Second Place: Katya Cengel, The Courier-Journal, “Lost Boys, Torn Families”

Third Place: Jeff Kunerth, Orlando Sentinel, Anatomy of an Accident”

Sports Reporting

First Place: Damian Cristodero and Marc Topkin, St. Petersburg Times, “What Went Wrong: 10 Years of Devil Rays”

Second Place: no award presented

Third Place: no award presented

Sports Commentary

First Place: Geoff Calkins, The Commercial Appeal

Second Place: Greg Cote, The Miami Herald

Third Place: Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel

Business Reporting

First Place: Bill Estep, John Stamper and Linda Blackford, Lexington Herald-Leader, “Win, Lose or Draw”

Second Place: Kris Hundley, St. Petersburg Times, “Capitalist China”

Third Place: Bush Bernard, Richard Lawson and Kevin Walters, The Tennessean, “Nissan”

Investigative Reporting

First Place: Aimee Edmondson, Karen Pulfer Focht and Mickie Anderson, The Commercial Appeal, “Born to Die”

Second Place: Brad Schrade, Trent Seibert and Donna de la Cruz, “Tennessee Highway Patrol”

Third Place: Sally Kestin, Megan O’Matz, John Maines and Jon Burstein, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “FEMA: A Legacy of Waste”

Criticism

First Place: Glenn Garvin, The Miami Herald, “Television Criticism”

Second Place: John Beifuss, The Commercial Appeal, “Hustle and Flow”

Third Place: Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, “Collection”

Editorial Writing

First Place: George Arnold, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, “Collection”

Second Place: Blake Fontenay, The Commercial Appeal, “Collection”

Third Place: Jeff Stidham, The Tampa Tribune, “Emergency Room Waits”

Humorous Commentary

First Place: Frank Cerabino, The Palm Beach Post

Second Place: John Brummett, Arkansas News Bureau

Third Place: Wendi C. Thomas, The Commercial Appeal

Serious Commentary

First Place: Leonard Pitts, Jr., The Miami Herald, “In my opinion”

Second Place: Ana Menendy, The Miami Herald, “In my opinion”

Third Place: Larry Dale Keeling, Lexington Herald-Leader, “Death & Corruption”

Photography

First Place: Bernard Troncale, The Birmingham News, “In the heart of AIDS warzone”

Second Place: Benjamin Krain, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, “Photo Collection”

Third Place: Maurice Cohn Band, The Miami Herald, “Land Mines: A legacy of Latin America’s wars”

Editorial Cartoon

First Place: Bill Day, The Commercial Appeal

Second Place: Mike Luckovich, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Third Place: J.D. Crowe, Mobile Register

** Print (Weekly/Monthly) Winners **

Deadline Reporting

No awards presented

Non-Deadline Reporting

First Place: Jeff Stratton, New Times Broward/Palm Beach, “Mr. Big Shot”

Second Place: Jennifer Strom, The Independent Weekly, “Growth Rules!”

Third Place: Tara Servatius, Creative Loafing, “Where’s the justice for Zachary Montognese”

Feature Reporting

First Place: Francisco Alvardo, Miami New Times, “Crack Kills”

Second Place: Faith Dawson, McMedia LLC, “Goodbye Old House”

Third Place: Mara Shalhoup, Creative Loafing, “Losing Hanna”

Sports Reporting

First Place: Noelle C. Haner, Orlando Business Journal, “Predators: Punt, pass & profit”

Second Place: no award presented

Third Place: no award presented

Sports Commentary

no awards presented

Business Reporting

First Place: Wyatt Olson, New Times Broward/Palm Beach, “The Bad Hands People”

Second Place: Brett Sokol, Miami News Times, “Ocean Thrive”

Third Place: Trevor Aaronson, New Times Broward/Palm Beach, “Vested Interests”

Investigative Reporting

First Place: Susan Lundine, Orlando Business Journal, “Outrageous insurance claims”

Second Place: Wyatt Olson, New Times Broward/Palm Beach, “The Bad-Hands People”

Third Place: John Branston, The Memphis Flyer, “Why didn’t you shoot the guy”

Criticism

First Place: Chris Herrington, The Memphis Flyer, “It comes from within”

Second Place: Curt Holman, Creative Loafing, “Collection”

Third Place: Gail Shepherd, New Times Broward/Palm Beach, “Came Sail Away”

Editorial Writing

First Place: Terry Hollahan and Scott Shepard, Memphis Business Journal

Second Place: Faith Dawson, McMedia LLC, “Good vs. Bad”

Third Place: Ken Cogburn, Orlando Business Journal

Humorous Commentary

First Place: Tim Sanders, The Post

Second Place: Tim Nicholas, Rankin Ledger, “Nobody’s Perfect”

Third Place: Mike DaRoza, High Springs Herald, “Being a Guy”

Serious Commentary

First Place: Chuck Strouse, Miami News Times

Second Place: Bob Norman, News Times Broward/Palm Beach, “A Tragedy of Errors”

Third Place: Doug Monroe, Creative Loafing

Photography

no awards presented

Editorial Cartooning

First Place: Brad McMillan, Memphis Business Journal

Second Place: no award presented

Third Place: no award presented

** Television**

General News Reporting

First Place: Patricia Andreu, Scott Zamost, Felix Castro and Danielle Dubetz, WTVJ/NBC 6, “Picture of Deception”

Second Place: Dedrick Russell, WBTV, “The Troubled Ten”

Third Place: Emily Maza and Mark Gambino, Bay News 9, “Woods People”

Feature Reporting

First Place: Matt McGlashen, Aaron Wische and Robin Guess, WFTS/ABC Action News, “FEMA, Fair?”

Second Place: Patricia Andreu, Scott Zamost, Pedro Cancio and Jeff Barnes, WTVJ/NBC 6, “Touched by Angels”

Third Place: Keith Cate and Michael Egger, WFLA-TV, “War Stories-Germany”

Sports Reporting

First Place: Chris O’Connell and Jason McDowell, Bay News 9, “I Challenge”

Second Place: no award presented

Third Place: no award presented

Sports Commentary

no awards presented

Business Reporting

First Place: Travis Sherwin, Stephen Stock, Shannon FitzPatrick and Marc Rice, WESH-TV, “Ford Fires”

Second Place: Ben Roberts and Thomas Jones, WALB-TV, “Fair Rule or Free Ride?”

Third Place: no award presented

In vestigative Reporting

First Place: Stephen Stock, Travis Sherwin, Marc Rice and Jason Morrow, WESH-TV, “Doing Time, Stealing Your Money”

Second Place: Aaron Wische, Matt McGlashen and Robin Guess, WFTS/ABC Action News, “Risky Sherrifs Administrator”

Third Place: Matt McGlashen, Aaron Wische and Robin Guess, WFTS/ABC Action News, “Missing Boy Scouts”

Documentary

First Place: Kate Fox, Mike Hardin and Tammy Robiconti, Bay News 9, “Health Team 9 Investigates”

Second Place: Staff, WCBD-TV, “Bridging the Future”

Third Place: no award presented

Photography

First Place: Thomas Jones, WALB-TV

Second Place: Sydney Brant, WCBD-TV

Third Place: Jonathan Cruz, Bay News 9 En Espanol

** Radio **

General News Reporting

First Place: Rich Rusk and Mary Kay Mitchell, WUGA-FM, “Moore’s Ford March”

Second Place: Jaime Bedrin, Scott Graf, Simone Oredain and Jean Roznik, WFAE-FM, “Coping with High Gas Prices”

Third Place: Tony McVeigh, Kentucky Public Radio, “Merit System Probe”

Feature

First Place: Stephanie Martin, 88.5 WFDD, “NC National Guard at War”

Second Place: Leoneda Inge, North Carolina Public Radio, “Katrina Volunteer”

Third Place: no award presented

Sports Reporting

First Place: Dave DeWitt, North Carolina Public Radio, “NASCAR Hall of Fame”

Second Place: Susanna Capelouto, Georgia Public Broadcasting, “Disc golf in Augusta”

Third Place: Rick Howlett, WFPL Radio, “Muhammad Ali Center Dedication”

Sports Commentary

no awards presented

Business Reporting

First Place: Simone Orendain, WFAE, “Hispanic Banking”

Second Place: Emily Kopp Dantas, George Public Broadcasting, “Goat Boom”

Third Place: Laura Leslie, North Carolina Public Radio, “Short Term Loans”

Investigative Reporting

no awards presented

Documentary

First Place: Leda Hartman, Deborah George and Emily Hanford, North Carolina Public Radio, “Seeds of Sustenance and a Harvest of Change: The Story of the North Carolina Fund.”

Second Place: Pat Duggins, Judith Smelser and Richard Paul, WMFE-FM, “Countdown Discovery”

Third Place: Heidi Caravan, Stephanie Sanders, Robin Fisher and Alice Thompson, WFPL Radio, “The Gander Crash: 20 Years Later”

** Online **

General News Reporting

First Place: Staff, Sun Herald, “Hurricane Katrina Online Coverage”

Second Place: Staff, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Nichols Shooting”

Third Place: Dennis Copeland, The Commercial Appeal, “68 Seconds”

For more information, contact the Society of Professional Journalists at: awards@spj.org