For Immediate Release

Contact:
Lauren Rochester, Awards Coordinator, 317-927-8000 ext. 210, lrochester@spj.org
Abby Henkel, SPJ Communications Manager, 317-927-8000 ext. 215, ahenkel@spj.org


INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce recipients of the 2011 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for excellence in journalism.

Judges chose the winners from over 1,700 entries in categories covering print, radio, television and online. The awards recognize outstanding work published or broadcast in 2011.

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.

Click here to review the winners’ work in each category.

The awards banquet will be July 20 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

For more information contact Lauren Rochester at 317-927-8000 ext. 210 or lrochester@spj.org.

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. For more information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.

2011 Sigma Delta Chi Winners

Newspaper/Wire Services

Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation 100,001+)
Groundhog Day blizzard – by Staff, Chicago Tribune

Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation 50,001-100,000)
Capitol shocker – by Staff, Wisconsin State Journal

Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation 1-50,000)
Tropical Storm Irene – by Staff, Valley News (White River Junction, Vt.)

Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation 100,001+)
Breakaway wealth – by Staff, The Washington Post

Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation 50,001-100,000)
Pill sick – by Matt Lakin, Knoxville News Sentinel

Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation 1-50,000)
Blue water veterans – by Will Doolittle, The Post-Star (Glens Falls, N.Y.)

Non-Deadline Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)
Other People's Money – by Greg Lamm, Puget Sound Business Journal

Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation 100,001+)
Shattered trust – by Raquel Rutledge, Rick Barrett, John Diedrich and Ben Poston, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation 50,001-100,000)
Danger below: Cancer cluster raises questions about legacy of toxic waste – by Amy Choate-Nielsen, Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation 1-50,000)
The case of Dr. Konasiewicz – by Brandon Stahl and Mark Stodghill, Duluth (Minnesota) News Tribune

Investigative Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)
"The Waste Land" and other stories of people living near garbage – by Rebekah L. Cowell, Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism. Published in The Independent Weekly. (Durham, N.C.)

Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation 100,001+)
A Chance in Hell – by Corinne Reilly, The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.)

Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation 50,001-100,000)
Transgender – by Paul Grondahl and Cindy Schultz, Albany Times Union

Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation 1-50,000)
Hard lessons of the tweed – by Candace Page, Burlington (Vt.) Free Press

Feature Reporting (Non-Daily Reporting)
My father's bones – by Stefan Kamph, New Times Broward/Palm Beach

Editorial Writing (Daily Circulation 100,000+)
Hospital merger: A series of editorials – by Keith Runyon, The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.)

Editorial Writing (Daily Circulation 1-100,000/Non-Daily Publication)
Editorials on social justice issues – by Jane Eisner, Forward Newspaper

Washington Correspondence
Disabled system – by Damian Paletta, The Wall Street Journal

Foreign Correspondence
China: Repression and dissension – by Tom Lasseter, McClatchy Newspapers

General Column Writing (Daily Circulation 100,000+)
Columns by Brian McGrory, The Boston Globe

General Column Writing (Daily Circulation 1-100,000)
Columns by Dan Casey, The Roanoke Times

Sports Column Writing (Daily Circulation 100,000+)
Columns by Sally Jenkins, The Washington Post

Sports Column Writing (Daily Circulation 1-100,000)
Russell monument would cap overdue reconciliation – by Ron Chimelis, The Republican (Springfield. Mass.)

Public Service Journalism (Daily Circulation 100,000+)
The End of Privacy – by Staff, The Wall Street Journal

Public Service Journalism (Daily Circulation 50,001-100,000)
Jerry Sandusky and Penn State – by Sara Ganim, Donald Gilliland, Ivey DeJesus and Jeff Frantz, The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pa.)

Public Service Journalism (Daily Circulation 1-50,000)
For a child's sake: The epidemic of child abuse – by Douglas Walker and Keith Roysdon, The Star Press (Muncie, Ind.)

Public Service Journalism (Non-Daily Publication)
Rotten to the core: An investigation of the McKay Scholarship Program – by Gus Garcia-Roberts, Miami New Times


Magazines

Magazine Writing (National Circulation)
Smoke signals – by J. Malcolm Garcia, The Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute/The Oxford American

Magazine Writing (Regional/Local Circulation)
The Return: One Marine's story of a mission accomplished, but not really over – by Sarah Stuteville, The Common Language Project. Published in Pacific Northwest Magazine.

Magazine Investigative Reporting (National Circulation)
The invisible army – by Sarah Stillman, The New Yorker

Magazine Investigative Reporting (Regional/Local Circulation)
Behind bars: Love, sex, rape and New York's women prisoners – by Kelly Virella, City Limits (New York City)

Public Service in Magazine Journalism (National Circulation)
Why your food isn’t safe – by Madeline Drexler, Good Housekeeping

Public Service in Magazine Journalism (Regional/Local Circulation)
Out at first – by Angela Caputo and Kimbriell Kelly, The Chicago Reporter


Arts/Graphics

Breaking News Photography (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+ or Affiliated Website/National Magazine)
For those I love I will sacrifice – by Laura Rauch, Stars and Stripes

Breaking News Photography (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000 or Online Independent)
Violence, vandals divide a movement – by Ray Chavez, Bay Area News Group

Editorial Cartooning (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+ or Affiliated Website/National Magazine)
Cartoons by Matt Bors, Universal Press Syndicate

Editorial Cartooning (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000, Regional Magazine, or Non-Daily Publication)
Cartoons by Marty Two Bulls, Indian Country Today Media Network

Feature Photography (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+ or Affiliated Website/National Magazine)
A lasting toll – by Katie Falkenberg, Los Angeles Times

Feature Photography (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,00, Regional Magazine, or Non-Daily Publication)
Hope for Haiti – by Andrew West, The News-Press Media Group (Fort Myers, Fla.)

Informational Graphics (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+ or Affiliated Website/National Magazine)
The recession's toll: A Seattle Times report – by Drew DeSilver, Sanjay Bhatt, Justin Mayo and Whitney Stensrud, The Seattle Times

Informational Graphics (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000, Regional Magazine, or Non-Daily Publication)
Fracking environmental impact – by Robert Zavala, Dianna Wray and Chris Cobler, Victoria (Texas) Advocate

Sports Photography (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+ or Affiliated Website/National Magazine)
Keith Appling – by Jimmy Colton, Steve Fine, John W. McDonough and Jennifer Grad, Sports Illustrated Magazine

Sports Photography (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000, Regional Magazine, or Non-Daily Publication)
The shot! – by William Gibson and Dean Hockney, Sports Journal of Central Indiana


Radio

Breaking News Reporting (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)
Death of Osama bin Laden – by Staff, CBS Radio News

Breaking News Reporting (101+ Market)
Tuscaloosa tornado – by Pat Duggins, Ryan Vasquez, Maggie Martin and Stan Ingold, Alabama Public Radio

Investigative Reporting (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)
Native foster care: Lost children, shattered families – by Laura Sullivan and Amy Walters, NPR

Investigative Reporting (101+ Market)
Bone marrow testing scandal – by Jon Greenberg, New Hampshire Public Radio

Feature Reporting (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)
Frank’s donation – by David C. Barnett, WVIZ/PBS and 90.3 WCPN ideastream (Cleveland)

Feature Reporting (101+ Market)
Assistance in dying case raises legal and ethical questions in Connecticut – by Craig LeMoult and Naomi Starobin, WSHU Public Radio (Fairfield, Conn.)

Documentaries (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)
Our 9/11 – by Staff, WNYC Radio Rookies and PRX (New York City)

Documentaries (101+ Market)
Fear of fracking – by Sandy Hausman, WVTF and RadioIQ (Roanoke, Va.)

Public Service in Radio Journalism (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication)
Danger at work – by John Ryan and Jim Gates, KUOW-FM (Seattle)

Public Service in Radio Journalism (101+ Market)
LIPA struggles to provide oversight of storm costs – by Charles Lane and Naomi Starobin, WSHU Public Radio (Fairfield, Conn.)


Television

Breaking News Coverage (Large-Market Station 1-50)
State Fair tragedy – by 24-Hour News 8 Staff, WISH-TV (Indianapolis)

Breaking News Coverage (Small-Market Station 51+)
Giddings homicide investigation – by Michelle Quesada and Tyler Southard, WGXA NewsCentral FOX24/ABC16 (Macon, Ga.)

Breaking News Coverage (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
World News with Diane Sawyer: Disaster in the Pacific – by Diane Sawyer and the staff of World News, ABC News

Documentaries (Large-Market Station 1-50)
Desert underwater – by Staff, KLAS-TV (Las Vegas)

Documentaries (Small-Market Station 51+)
32 minutes in May – by Michelle Bogowith and Jim Riek, KOMU-TV 8 (Columbia, Mo.)

Documentaries (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports: Terror in the dust – by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Roni Selig,Timothy Langmaid and Stephanie Smith, CNN

Feature Reporting (Large-Market Station 1-50)
When cultures clash – by Tara Rosenblum, Jack Kearney, Gina Curran & Eric Leeds, News 12 Westchester (New York)

Feature Reporting (Small-Market Station 51+)
15 days: A soldier's journey home – by Mark Geary, Erik Arendt and Liz Martin, KCRG-TV9 (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)

Feature Reporting (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
60 Minutes: Hard times generation (I) – by Scott Pelley, Robert G. Anderson, Daniel Ruetenik and Nicole Young, CBS News 60 Minutes

Investigative Reporting (Large-Market Station 1-50)
Toxic secrets – by Tammy Leitner and David L. Paredes, KPHO - CBS 5 News (Phoenix)

Investigative Reporting (Small-Market Station, 51+)
Hiding behind the badge – by Lee Zurik, Donny Pearce, Greg Phillips and Mikel Schaefer, WVUE-TV (New Orleans)

Investigative Reporting (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
Brian Ross investigates “Peace Corps: A trust betrayed” – by Brian Ross, Anna Schecter, Rhonda Schwartz and Angela Hill, ABC NEWS

Public Service in Television Journalism (Large-Market Station 1-50)
Bully Project – by News 4 Team, WIVB-TV (Buffalo, N.Y.)

Public Service in Television Journalism (Small-Market Station 51+)
Recording police illegal – by Patrick Fazio, Bob Bruce and Tony Grant, WTWO-TV (Terre Haute, Ind.)

Public Service in Television Journalism (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
The CNN Freedom Project – by Staff, CNN Worldwide Staff


Newsletters

Public Service in Newsletter Journalism
Fukishima fallout – by Douglas P. Guarino, Inside EPA


Research

Research about Journalism
Tablet revolution and non-profit news: Two groundbreaking studies of emerging trends in journalism – by Tom Rosenstiel, Amy Mitchell and the staff of the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism


Online Reporting

Deadline Reporting (Affiliated)
Occupy Burlington shooting – by Staff, Burlington (Vt.) Free Press

Deadline Reporting (Independent)
Gene therapy may reverse hemophilia – by Brenda Goodman, Sean Swint and Laura Martin, MD, WebMD

Digital Media Presentation (Affiliated)
The reckoning – by Staff, The New York Times

Digital Media Presentation (Independent)
31 days, 31 ways: The casualties of Texas' budget crisis – by Staff, Texas Tribune

Investigative Reporting (Affiliated)
Wired for repression – by Vernon Silver, Ben Elgin and Alan Katz, Bloomberg News

Investigative Reporting (Independent)
Green energy: Contracts, connections and the collapse of Solyndra – by Ronnie Greene and Matthew Mosk, The Center for Public Integrity in partnership with ABCNews.com

Non-Deadline Reporting (Affiliated)
Victoria's secret revealed in child picking Burkina Faso cotton – by Cam Simpson, Bloomberg News

Non-Deadline Reporting (Independent)
Fueling fears – by Jim Morris and Chris Hamby, The Center for Public Integrity

Online Column Writing (Affiliated)
American Story with Bob Dotson – by Bob Dotson, MSNBC

Online Column Writing (Independent)
The great recession, c. 2011 – by Robert Scheer, Truthdig

Public Service in Online Journalism (Affiliated)
The Fed's trillion-dollar secret – by Richard Teitelbaum, Bob Ivry, Bradley Keoun and Phil Kuntz, Bloomberg News

Public Service in Online Journalism (Independent)
Poisoned places: Toxic air, neglected communities – by The Center for Public Integrity in partnership with NPR and Investigative News Network

Specialized Journalism Site
SchoolBook – by Staff, The New York Times and WNYC

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