CityBeat writers and designers were recognized last week with seven first-place awards and eight runners up by the Cincinnati chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The awards ceremony recognized work completed during the 2014 calendar year, and it followed announcements of two other journalism contests — the Cleveland Press Club statewide contest and the Association of Alternative Newsmedia national awards.
The Cleveland Press Club recognized nine pieces of work, including two first-place winners, while three CityBeat staffers are finalists in the AAN contest (including Art Director Rebecca Sylvester, for her cover art for “Pileup at the Morgue,” “Stranger than Fiction” and “The Love List”). AAN winners will be announced July 18.
This year’s most recognized piece of writing and reporting was “Stranger Than Fiction,” by Arts & Culture Editor Jac Kern and Staff Writer Nick Swartsell. The story won two first place awards in the Cincinnati SPJ contest — Arts/Entertainment Reporting and Investigative/Enterprise/Database Reporting — placed second in the Cleveland Press Club contest and is a finalist for the AAN’s national Arts Writing award. The Cincinnati SPJ describes it as such: “Extraordinarily thorough examination of the real impact of a staged reality TV show on an impoverished Cincinnati neighborhood. Homes were trashed to make for better TV. Story also presents a global look at how neighborhood revitalization really works.”
Other Cincinnati SPJ first-place winners were CityBeat columnist Kathy Y. Wilson for a collection of her columns; Nick Swartsell for Business Reporting (“Whose Gonna Drive You Home?”); John Lasker for Government Reporting (“Legal Limit?”); Rebecca Sylvester for Newspaper/Magazine Design/Graphic (“RAW Numbers”); and the CityBeat staff for Special Section (“Best of Cincinnati 2014”).
CityBeat photographer Jesse Fox won first place in Cleveland Press Club’s “Spot News Photography” category for her image titled, “Hands Up for Justice.” Danny Cross and Maria Seda-Reeder won first place in Arts & Entertainment Reporting for “Your Name Here.”
In addition to Kern’s and Swartsell’s “Stranger Than Fiction,” the Association of Alternative Newsmedia named Rebecca Sylvester a finalist for Cover Design and Jesse Fox’s “Faces of Pride” project a finalist for Innovation/Format Buster.
A complete list of winners and finalists for all three contests is below:
Cincinnati Society of Professional Journalists
INVESTIGATIVE/ENTERPRISE/DATABASE REPORTING
WINNER: Jac Kern & Nick Swartsell, “Stranger Than Fiction”
JUDGE’S COMMENTS: Extraordinarily thorough examination of the real impact of a staged reality TV show on an impoverished Cincinnati neighborhood. Homes were trashed to make for better TV. Story also presents a global look at how neighborhood revitalization really works.
NEWS COLUMN
WINNER: Kathy Wilson
JUDGE’S COMMENTS: Most of the entries were strong and focused. Wilson’s were straight and to the point. She exercised the kind of passion in her opinions that left no doubt about her feelings, regardless of what you thought of them. Some entries in this category were so polite it was hard to remember it was a column for analysis and opinion. Wilson hit both on the head.
BUSINESS NEWS
WINNER: Nick Swarstell, “Who’s Gonna Drive You Home“
JUDGE’S COMMENTS: An engagingly written piece that ably considers the local reverberations from new, disruptive business models.
GOVERNMENT ISSUES
WINNER: John Lasker, “Legal Limit“
JUDGE’S COMMENTS: This detailed and lengthy expose about the use of flawed breathalyzers in Ohio suggests possible story ideas for other states. Well-reported and well-balanced.
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
WINNER: Jac Kern & Nick Swartzell, “Stranger than Fiction”
JUDGE’S COMMENTS: This story skillfully combines good reporting about two issues – the questionable integrity of a “reality” TV show and its impact on property in an at-risk neighborhood. A long read, but worth it.
SPECIAL SECTION
WINNER: Staff, CityBeat, “Best of Cincinnati 2014”
JUDGE’S COMMENTS: Fun, funky look at the best of what the city has to offer, as well as some well-written features of general interest to city and suburban dwellers. Visually exciting and fun, and let’s face it, who doesn’t like to know all there is about beer?
NEWSPAPER/MAGAZINE DESIGN/GRAPHIC
WINNER: Rebecca Sylvester, “RAW Numbers”
JUDGE’S COMMENTS: I think Rebecca did a great job presenting this idea. The stylized graphic treatment showing the money flow from events around the world to the “wheelbarrow-of-revenue” was a nice touch. There’s a good balance between all the elements on page. I also thought the red money backdrop in the pointer box was a nice graphic touch that emphasized the information being presented. Nice work!
FINALISTS
NEWS STORY
Finalist: Nick Swartsell, “Dreaming Big”
INVESTIGATIVE/ENTERPRISE/DATABASE
Finalist: Danny Cross & Maria Seda-Reeder, “Your Name Here“
SPORTS FEATURE/ANALYSIS/COLUMN
Finalist: Jason Gargano, “The Rebuilder“
Finalist: Josh Katzowitz, “Homegrown Heroes“
GOVERNMENT ISSUES
Finalist: Nick Swartsell, “Change of Heart”
HEALTH/MEDICAL NEWS
Finalist: Nick Swartsell, “Last Clinic Standing“
COMMUNITY ISSUES
Finalist; Nick Swartsell, “Historic Crossroads“
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT CRITIQUE
Finalist: Mike Breen, “Spill It“
Cleveland Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards
Complete list here.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
FIRST PLACE: Danny Cross, Maria Seda-Reeder, “Your Name Here”
JUDGE’S COMMENTS: Investigative journalism in an arts & entertainment piece — an unusual and refreshing combination. This was a longer piece, but it was well-written and compelling to read.
SPOT NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY
FIRST PLACE: Jesse Fox, “Hands Up for Justice”
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
SECOND PLACE: Jac Kern & Nick Swartsell, “Stranger Than Fiction”
FEATURES/PERSONALITY PROFILE
THIRD PLACE: Jason Gargano, “The Rebuilder”
JUDGE’S COMMENTS: Really liked how this story started out, what he was saying and what he really felt. The commitment to team, fans and the community. No sportizms. Clearly a man who knows himself. If there’s a sports features category, this should be in it too. Packed paragraphs with great descriptions. Nice!
PUBLIC SERVICE
SECOND PLACE: Nick Swartsell, “Pileup at the Morgue”
SPORTS
SECOND PLACE: Josh Katzowitz, “Homegrown Heroes”
JUDGE’S COMMENTS: Interesting local-interest piece with a national reach.
COMMUNITY/LOCAL COVERAGE
SECOND PLACE: Nick Swartsell, “Battling Barriers”
JUDGE’S COMMENTS: In-depth, comprehensive look at issue of sex-trafficking. Good use of description.
GENERAL FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY
SECOND PLACE: Jesse Fox, “Zip Dip”
Association of Alternative Newsmedia
Complete list here.
FINALISTS:
ARTS WRITING
Jac Kern & Nick Swartsell, “Stranger Than Fiction”
COVER DESIGN
Rebecca Sylvester
INNOVATION/FORMAT BUSTER
Jesse Fox, “Faces of Pride”
This article appears in Jun 17-23, 2015.
