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Awards & Honors Committee Chair

Peter Rasmussen
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2021 Sigma Delta Chi Award Honorees

The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for excellence in journalism.

Judges chose the winners from entries in categories covering print, radio, television and online. The awards recognize outstanding work published or broadcast in 2021.

Dating back to 1932, the awards originally honored six individuals for contributions to journalism. The current program began in 1939, when the Society granted the first Distinguished Service Awards. The honors later became the Sigma Delta Chi Awards.

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 generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.

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Awards Video

DEADLINE REPORTING

Radio Breaking News Reporting (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication) Assault on the US CapitolStaff, CBS News Radio View Online: Link 1

Breaking News Photography (circ 100k+ or Affil. Website) Woman from EviaKonstantinos Tsakalidis, Bloomberg View Online: Link 1

Breaking News Photography (circ. up to 100k or affil. website) Survivors Ben Fractenberg, The City View Online: Link 1 |

Television Breaking News Coverage (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service) January 6thStaff, ABC News View Online: Link 1

Television Breaking News Coverage (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market or Network/Syndication) Hurricane IdaMelissa Dart, WDSU-TV View Online: Link 1 |

Spanish-language Print/Online News Reporting La pandemia dispara las sobredosis de opioides y los latinos son los más vulnerablesJorge Carrasco, Eulimar Núñez, Noticias Telemundo View Online: Link 1

Deadline Reporting (Single-issue circ. up to 100k) Hurricane Ida hits LouisianaStaff, The Advocate View Online: Link 1

CONTINUING COVERAGE

Non-Deadline Reporting (Single-issue circ 100k+ or online only) Cheated at WorkAlexia Fernández Campbell, Joe Yerardi, Susan Ferriss, Center for Public Integrity with The Associated Press, Univision View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |

Non-Deadline Reporting (Single-issue circ up to 100k) The costly toll of dead-end drug arrestsFrank Main, Casey Toner, Jared Rutecki, Chicago Sun-Times/Better Government Association View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5

Washington correspondence The Attack on American democracy Vera Bergengruen, W.J. Hennigan, Vera Bergengruen, W.J. Hennigan, Molly Ball, Christopher Lee, Time Magazine View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |

Magazine Writing (National Circulation) How 'shadow' foster care is tearing families apartLizzie Presser, ProPublica, The New York Times Magazine View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 |

Magazine Writing (Regional/Local Circulation) The formation of Reggie AdamsRobert W. Fieseler, 64 Parishes View Online: Link 1

Informational Graphics What the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre destroyedStaff, The New York Times View Online: Link 1 |

Digital Video Afghanistan: The war comes homeRichard Engel, Staff, NBC News Now / On Assignment with Richard Engel View Online: Link 1

Data Visualization Bloomberg Vaccine TrackerStaff, Bloomberg News View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4

Immersion Journalism Hear a Harlem choir rejoice againStaff, The New York Times View Online: Link 1

Specialized Journalism Site Climate Change 101Staff, The Weather CompanY View Online: Link 1 |

SDX INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

Investigative Reporting (Single-issue circ 100k+ or online only) The secret IRS filesStaff, ProPublica View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5

Spanish-language Print/Online Investigative Reporting La Luz del MundoIsaías Alvarado, Gerardo Reyes, Peniley Ramírez, Ahtziri Cárdenas, Univision View Online: Link 1 | Link 2

Magazine Investigative Reporting (National Circulation) The invisible wall - Purgatory at sea - Fish farming Is feeding the globe. What’s the cost for localsIan Urbina, The Outlaw Ocean Project , The New Yorker, The Atlantic View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |

Magazine Investigative Reporting (Regional/Local Circulation) Locked up and left to dieMichael Barajas, Sophie Novack , Texas Observer View Online: Link 1 | Link 2

Radio Investigative Reporting (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication) 'Fertile soil For abuse': A reckoning At Covenant Fellowship ChurchEsther Yoon-Ji Kang, Susie An, Alden Loury, WBEZ Chicago View Online: Link 1 | Link 2

Radio Investigative Reporting (Market 101+) COVID-19 in Virginia PrisonsSandy Hausmang, WVTF View Online:

Television Investigative Reporting (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service) SolarWindsBill Whitaker, Graham Messick, Jack Weingart, Michael Mongulla, 60 Minutes, CBS News View Online: Link 1

Television Investigative Reporting (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market) Ticket to an autopsyChris Ingalls, Ryan Coe, Julie Wolfe, KING 5 Television View Online: Link 1

Spanish-language Television Investigative Reporting Nos estamos muriendo de sed': el pueblo mexicano de los Cucapá lucha contra el cambio climáticoAlbinson Linares, Eulimar Núñez, Noticias Telemundo View Online: Link 1 |

FEATURE REPORTING

Feature Reporting (Single-issue circ 100k+ or online only) Black children were jailed for a crime that doesn’t exist. Almost nothing happened to the adults in Meribah Knight, Ken Armstrong, ProPublica View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5 |

Feature Reporting (Single-issue circ up to 100k) The day the war on drugs came to ChimayóAlicia Inez Guzmán, Searchlight New Mexico View Online: Link 1

Feature Photography (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+ or Affiliated Website/National Magazine) An American emergencyAdam Ferguson, Time View Online: Link 1 |

Feature Photography (Newspaper Cir. 1-100,000/Regional Magazine/ Non-Daily Publication) Conservationists see rare nature sanctuaries. Black farmers see a legacy bought out from under them.Rashod Taylor, ProPublica View Online: Link 1

Sports Photography (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+ or Affiliated Website/National Magazine) Morning workoutJ. Conrad Williams Jr. , Newsday View Online: Link 1

Sports Photography (Newspaper Cir. 1-100,000/Regional Magazine/ Non-Daily Newspapers) The savaged turns the tablesScott Serio, Eclipse Sportswire View Online: Link 1

Radio Feature Reporting (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication) Immigration Hard-Liner Files Reveal 40-Year Bid Behind Trump's Census ObsessionHansi Lo Wang, NPR View Online: Link 1

Radio Feature Reporting (Market 101+) 3,000 Kansas kindergartners and untold preschoolers skipped last year. now they're behindSuzanne Perez, KMUW View Online: Link 1 |

Television Feature Reporting (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service) Soul of a Nation: Miss LucilleStaff, ABC News View Online: Link 1

Television Feature Reporting (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market) Land of 10,000 Stories Boyd Huppert, Chad Nelson, Rieta Buttaro, KARE TV View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3

Television Feature Reporting (Small-Market Station: 51+ market) Brotherly competitionKevin Kelly, KLRT - FOX 16 News View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3

Podcast: Conversational Going for BrokeRay Suarez, Jeb Sharp, Alissa Quart, David Wallis, Economic Hardship Reporting Project Economic Hardship Reporting Project with The Nation, Latino USA View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3

Podcast: Narrative American RadicalAyman Mohyeldin, Preeti Varathan, NBC News View Online: Link 1

DOCUMENTARIES

Radio Documentaries (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication) Asbestos town David Boraks, WFAE View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 |

Television Documentaries (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service) Blood on Black Wall Street: The legacy of the Tulsa MassacreDigital Feature Video staff, NBC News View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 |

Television Documentaries (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market) Eyewitness to 9/11: Behind the lensEmily Sowa, Stephen Cioffi, Rolando Pujol, Kim Dillon, WABC-TV View Online: Link 1

Television Documentaries (Small-Market Station: 51+ market) Breakdown: The frontline response to the mental health crisisStacey Cameron, Bubba Kneipp, Mark Klein, Jayne Ruben, KSLA News 12 View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4

EDITORIALS

Editorial Writing (Single-issue circ 100k+ or online only) Surfside Condo CollapseStaff, Miami Herald View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5

Editorial Cartooning (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+ or Affiliated Website/National Magazine) Smith's WorldMike Smith, Greenspun Media Group View Online: Link 1

Editorial Cartooning (Newspaper Cir. 1-100,000 or Regional Magazine) Clay Jones cartoonsClay Jones, Claytoonz.com View Online:

COLUMN WRITING

General Column Writing (Single-issue circ 100k+ or online only) Columns from and about ArizonaFernanda Santos, The Washington Post View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5

General Column Writing (Single-issue circ up to 100k) Melinda Henneberger columns Melinda Henneberger, The Kansas City Star View Online: Link 1

Sports Column Writing (Single-issue circ 100k+ or online only) ColumnsIan O'Connor, New York Post View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5

Sports Column Writing (Single-issue circ up to 100k) Philadelphia sports columnsMike Sielski, The Philadelphia Inquirer View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5

PUBLIC SERVICE

Public Service in Radio Journalism (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication) Reports on healthcare mistreatment in Maine State PrisonSusan Sharon, Mark Simpson, Maine Public Radio View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3

Public Service in Television Journalism (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service) Broken medical boardsJim Axelrod, Andrew Bast, Jessica Kegu, Shawna Thomas , CBS News View Online: Link 1

Public Service in Television Journalism (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market) Conduct unbecoming Ross Jones, Randy Lundquist, Ramon Rosario, Johnny Sartin , WXYZ-TV View Online: Link 1

Public Service in Television Journalism (51 + market) Growing pains: A parent's guide to mental healthStaff, KETK View Online: Link 1 |

Public Service in Newsletter Journalism The Atlanta Objective: Deconstructing Violent Crime in AtlantaGeorge Chidi, The Atlanta Objective View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5

ALL PLATFORMS

Collaborative Journalism Printing hateStaff, Capital News Service/Howard Center for Investigative Journalism View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3

Fact Checking Vehicle Thefts Are Up In Connecticut, But Experts Say Juvenile Justice Laws Aren't To BlameWalter Smith Randolph, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Jim Haddadin, Connecticut Public Broadcasting View Online: Link 1

Inequalities in Society (Television / Audio) No man's land: fighting for fatherhood in a broken systemCandice Nguyen, Robert Campos, Mark Villarreal , NBC Bay Area View Online: Link 1 | Link 2

Inequalities in Society (Print/Online) As EqualsAs Equals staff, CNN View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 |

Video Game/Tabletop Game Reporting ABC News Originals for Hulu: GameStoppedRebecca Jarvis, Victoria Thompson, Taylor Dunn, Roxanna Sherwood, ABC News Originals for Hulu View Online: Link 1

Travel Journalism Wish you were here: Trekking with the FARCJohn Otis, NPR News View Online: Link 1

Arts/Fashion Journalism The road back to BroadwayMichael Paulson, The New York Times View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 |

Cultural Criticism Carolina A. Miranda columns Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times View Online: Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3 | Link 4 | Link 5

Food/Restaurant Journalism States of farmingJocelyn Ruggiero, Boston Globe View Online: Link 1 |