FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Christine Cordial, SPJ Program Coordinator, 317-920-4788, awards@spj.org
Anna Gutierrez, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-920-4785, communications@spj.org
Editor's note: This release has been updated to include the final honorees.
INDIANAPOLIS The Society of Professional Journalists is proud to recognize the recipients of the Sigma Delta Chi Awards, which honor exceptional professional journalism produced in 2017.
Prominent veteran journalists, who served as SDX Awards judges, selected 82 honorees from more than 1,100 submissions. The winners will be honored at an awards banquet June 8 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Tickets may be purchased through May 25.
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.
Entries included submissions from television and radio broadcasts, newspapers, online news outlets and magazines. Visit the SDX Awards winners website for individual links to the winning works.
Judges may withhold an award if they determine no entry merits recognition; any category not listed has no winner.
This list reflects the spelling and titles submitted in the award entries.
2017 Sigma Delta Chi Winners
Newspapers/Wire ServicesDeadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 1-50,000)
Northern California Wildfires by The Press Democrat staff
Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 50,001-100,000)
Mass Shooting on the Strip - by Las Vegas Review-Journal staff
Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
San Francisco Chronicle: Wine Country Fires - by San Francisco Chronicle staff
Deadline Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)
Unbreakable Vegas: Stories of Heroism and Resilience in the Face of Tragedy - by Greenspun Media Group staff
Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 1-50,000)
Race in the Rock River Valley - by Corina Curry, Rockford Register Star
Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 50,001-100,000)
'The Expendables' - by Jamie Satterfield, Knoxville News Sentinel
Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
Falling Off the Cliff - by Ronnie Polaneczky, Philadelphia Media Network
Non-Deadline Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)
How a Floating Bale of Cocaine Led to the Florida Keys' Worst Murder in Decades - by Tim Elfrink, Miami New Times
Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation of 1-50,000)
High Crimes - by Matt Troutman and Erin Sloan, Traverse City Record-Eagle
Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation of 50,001-100,000)
One War. Two Races. - by Josh Salman, Dak Le and Michael Braga, Sarasota Herald Tribune
Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
Shock Tactics - by Jason Szep, Peter Eisler, Tim Reid, Lisa Girion, Grant Smith and Team, Reuters
Investigative Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)
Sebastian Gorka's Ties to an Anti-Semitic Hungarian Militia - by Larry Cohler-Esses and Lili Bayer, Forward
Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation of 1-50,000)
Behind the Front Door: Inside Domestic Violence in Greenwich - by Emilie Munson, Hearst Connecticut Media
Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation of 50,001-100,000)
Lightning: A Survivor's Tale - by Ken Willis, Daytona Beach News-Journal
Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
Hanging: The Mysterious Case of the Boy in the Barn - by Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News
Feature Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)
Acid Trip - by Chris Walker, Westword
Editorial Writing (Daily Circulation of 1-100,000/Non-Daily Publication)
Shedding Light on Death - by Jeffery Gerritt, Palestine Herald-Press
Editorial Writing (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
Crumbling Foundations - by Carolyn Lumsden, Hartford Courant
Washington Correspondence
Russia - by The Washington Post staff
Foreign Correspondence
Boko Haram Coverage - by Dionne Searcey, New York Times
General Column Writing (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
Petula Dvorak - by Petula Dvorak, The Washington Post
Sports Column Writing (Daily Circulation of 1-100,000/Non-Daily Publication)
The Resurrection of Howard Baseball - by David Cook, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Sports Column Writing (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
A Season Under the Gun - by Rick Telander, Chicago Sun-Times
Public Service Journalism (Daily Circulation of 1-50,000)
Understanding Harvey - by Jessica Priest, Laura Garcia, Jon Wilcox and Marina Riker, Victoria Advocate
Public Service Journalism (Daily Circulation of 50,001-100,000)
Detroit Evictions - by Christine MacDonald, The Detroit News
Public Service Journalism (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)
Harassed - by The New York Times staff
Public Service Journalism (Non-Daily Publication)
The Price of Homelessness - by Puget Sound Business Journal staff
MagazinesMagazine Investigative Reporting (National Circulation)
Ronan Farrow's Investigation of Harvey Weinstein - by Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker
Magazine Investigative Reporting (Regional/Local Circulation)
Death from Above - by Christopher Collins, The Texas Observer
Magazine Writing (National Circulation)
"A Mass Shooting, Only in Slow Motion" - by Glenn Jeffers and Staff, Nieman Reports, Nieman Foundation for Journalism
Magazine Writing (Regional/Local Circulation)
Alan Dickson's Final Days - by Alexandra Becker, TMC Pulse - Texas Medical Center
Public Service in Magazine Journalism (National Circulation)
Vital Signs - by Kayla Webley Adler, Marie Claire
Public Service in Magazine Journalism (Regional/Local Circulation)
Trump's Wall and Prescott Hall - by Neil Swidey, The Boston Globe Magazine
Art/GraphicsBreaking News Photography (Newspaper Circulation-100,001+) or Affiliated Website/National Magazine
Rohingya: A Crisis - by Bernat Armangue and Dar Yasin, Associated Press
Editorial Cartooning (Newspaper Cir. 1-100,000/Regional Magazine/ Non-Daily Publication)
Walt Handelsman 2017 Cartoons - by Walt Handelsman, The Advocate
Editorial Cartooning (Newspaper Circulation of 100,001+) or Affiliated Website/National Magazine
The Cartoons of Clay Bennett - by Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Feature Photography (Newspaper Cir. 1-100,000/Regional Magazine/ Non-Daily Publication)
Unheard - by David Bitton, Stillwater News Press
Feature Photography (Newspaper Circulation of 100,001+) or Affiliated Website/National Magazine
Death from Above - by Marcus Yam, Los Angeles Times
Informational Graphics (Newspaper Cir. 1-100,000/Regional Magazine/ Non-Daily Publication)
Choke Hold: The Fossil Fuel Industrys Fight Against Climate Policy, Science and Clean Energy - by Paul Horn and Staff, InsideClimate News
Informational Graphics (Newspaper Circulation of 100,001+ or Affiliated Website/National Magazine)
Russia Interactives - by Marshall Cohen, Tal Yellin and Liz Stark, CNN
RadioRadio Breaking News Reporting (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication)
Las Vegas Shooting - by Kevin DeLany, Westwood One
Radio Breaking News Reporting (Market 101+)
Shooting Near Ft. Drum Raises Questions about Army Recruitment - by Lauren Rosenthal, Martha Foley and Brian Mann, North Country Public Radio
Radio Investigative Reporting (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication)
The Gangs of Nantucket - by Phillip Martin, Aaron Schachter and Kenneth Cooper, WGBH Radio News
Radio Investigative Reporting (Market 101+)
Allegations of Sexual Harassment Surface at Colorado Capitol - by KUNC FM staff
Radio Feature Reporting (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication)
Cassettes of Hurricane Andrew - by Alicia Zuckerman, WLRN News
Radio Feature Reporting (Market 101+)
One of a Kind "Ant Dog" Searches for Invasive Ants in the Channel Islands - by Lance Orozco, KCLU AM/FM
Radio Documentaries (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication)
Her Own Devices - by Jennifer Block, The Investigative Fund and Reveal
Radio Documentaries (Market 101+)
A Scar on the System- The Case of Albert Fink - by WNIN-FM staff
Public Service in Radio Journalism (Market 1-100 or Network Syndication)
Gambling on a Shady Casino Operation - by Steve Mistler, Keith Shortall and Andrew Catalina, Maine Public Radio
Public Service in Radio Journalism (Market 101+)
Divided by Design - by 90.3 WCPN ideastream staff
TelevisionBreaking News Coverage (Small-Market Station: 50+ market)
Hurricane Harvey Coverage - by Leslie Aguilar, KRGV
Breaking News Coverage (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market)
A City Turned to Ash: The Morning a Wildfire Destroyed Santa Rosa - by Katie Nielsen and Gregg Welk, KPIX-TV (CBS)
Breaking News Coverage (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
Las Vegas Mass Shooting - by NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt staff
Documentaries (Small-Market Station: 50+ market)
Black Jack Pershing: Love and War - by Bernard R. McCoy, Luis Peon-Casanova, Paul Pytlowany and Christine Lesiak, Painted Rock Productions
Documentaries (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market)
Fallen - by Josh Hinkle, David Barer, Ben Friberg and Shannon Wolfson, KXAN
Documentaries (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 - by John Ridley, Jeanmarie Condon, Melia Patria and Fatima Curry, ABC News Lincoln Square Productions
Feature Reporting (Small-Market Station: 50+ market)
Eric Hanson's This is Iowa - by Eric Hanson, Glen Biermann, Michael Sims and Cortney Kintzer, KCCI-TV
Feature Reporting (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market)
Land of 10,000 Stories - by Boyd Huppert, Chad Nelson and KARE Photography Staff, KARE TV
Feature Reporting (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
Against All Odds - by Deborah Kim, Fred Rothenberg, Kate Snow and Terrell Tangonan, Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly
Investigative Reporting (Small-Market Station: 50+ market)
State of Unrest - by Lee Zurik, Jon Turnipseed, Tom Wright, Mike Schaefer and Greg Phillips, WVUE-TV
Investigative Reporting (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market)
Faking the Grade - by Chris Papst, Carolyn Sachse and Dwayne Myers, WBFF-TV
Investigative Reporting (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
60 Minutes: You're Fired - by Bill Whitaker, Ira Rosen, Sam Hornblower and Craig Crawford, CBS
Public Service in Television Journalism (Large-Market Station: 1-50 market)
Show Us Your Bills 2017 - by Chris Vanderveen, Anna Hewson, Katie Wilcox and Nicole Vap, KUSA
Public Service in Television Journalism (Small-Market Station: 50+ market)
Cracking the Code - by Lee Zurik, Jeanne Pinder, Jed Lipinski, Jon Turnipseed and Tom Wright, WVUE-TV
Public Service in Television Journalism (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)
60 Minutes and The Washington Post: The Whistleblower - by Bill Whitaker, Ira Rosen, Sam Hornblower and Robert Zimet, CBS
NewsletterPublic Service in Newsletter Journalism
Communications Daily Investigates FCC - by Warren Communications News/Communications Daily staff
ResearchResearch About Journalism
The American Journalist in the Digital Age: A Half-Century Perspective - by Lars Willnat, David H. Weaver and G. Cleveland Wilhoit, Indiana University Media School
Online ReportingDeadline Reporting (Affiliated)
Las Vegas Shooting - by Los Angeles Times staff
Deadline Reporting (Independent)
Las Vegas Shooting - by The Associated Press staff
Investigative Reporting (Affiliated)
Schoolhouse Sex Assault by The Associated Press staff
Investigative Reporting (Independent)
All Work. No Pay. - by Amy Julia Harris and Shoshana Walter, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting
Non-Deadline Reporting (Affiliated)
Paradise Papers: Secrets of the Global Elite - by Paradise Papers Reporting Team, ICIJ & Partners
Non-Deadline Reporting (Independent)
Sold Out - by Morgan Smith, Edgar Walters, Neena Satija and Ryan Murphy, The Texas Tribune
Online Column Writing (Affiliated)
Timothy L. O'Brien: Column Writing - by Timothy L. O'Brien, Bloomberg View
Online Column Writing (Independent)
The Global Politico - by Susan Glasser, POLITICO
Digital Audio
Three Rivers, Two Mysteries - by Michael A. Fuoco and Ashley Murray, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Audio Slide Show
For Art's Sake: The Newspaper My Father Gave Me - by Michael Cavna and Tom Racine, The Washington Post
Digital Video
'They're taking everybody' - by Debra Nathan, Maisie Crow and Lauren Feeney, The Intercept
EBooks
Drawing Fire: The Political Cartoons of Rebel Pepper - by Liming Wang, Minh-Ha Le, Christen Billing and Vince Meadows, Radio Free Asia
Specialized Journalism Site
United States of Climate Change - by United States of Climate Change Reporting Team, The Weather Channel Digital & Partners
Public Service in Online Journalism (Affiliated)
Separate and Unequal - by Newsday staff
Public Service in Online Journalism (Independent)
Lost Mothers - by ProPublica and NPR, ProPublica
SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund, or give to the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation.The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation is a public foundation dedicated to ensuring that those who carry on the tradition of a free press are prepared for the challenge. The SDX Foundation supports educational and professional needs of journalists and journalism students. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Give to the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation. -END-