CONTACT: Heather Porter, Assistant Director of Programs, The Society of Professional Journalists
317-927-8000 ext. 204

Atlanta - The Society of Professional Journalists announced today the winners of the 2004 Green Eyeshade Awards.

This year’s winners were chosen from the finalists previously named in April. The Green Eyeshade Awards have honored the best in professional journalism in 11 southeastern states for 55 years. The states included in the contest are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

The winners were announced during the Green Eyeshade banquet, May 14, at the James H. Floyd Building in Atlanta. First, second and third place winners were announced in each category along with the Overall Best of Show, The Green Eyeshade Award. The Green Eyeshade winner was honored with a $1,000 cash award. That award went to Susanna Capelouto of Georgia Public Broadcasting for “Juveniles at Lee Arrendale Prison”

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.

2004 Green Eyeshade Winners

** Print (Daily) Winners **

Deadline Reporting
First Place: Staff, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “Hurricane Jeanne: Storm Torn Florida”
Second Place: Staff, St. Petersburg Times, “Hurricane Charley”
Third Place: Staff, Lexington Herald-Leader, “Firefighter Killed”

Non-Deadline Reporting
First Place: Elizabeth Leland, Eric Frazier and Kathryn Wellin, The Charlotte Observer, “Seven Crosses in Statesville”
Second Place: Joe Mozingo, The Miami Herald, “Crisis in Haiti”
Third Place: Mary Shanklin and Denise Marie Balona, “Lost days in the classroom”

Feature Writing
First Place: Babita Persaud, St. Petersburg Times, “A Husband for Vibha”
Second Place: Zack McMillin, The Commercial Appeal, “Chess king”
Third Place: Leonard Pitts, Jr., The Miami Herald, “The missing past”

Sports Reporting
First Place: Tommy Hicks, The Mobile Register, “Mobile: Baseball City”
Second Place: Rick Maese, The Orlando Sentinel, “Horse racing’s dirty little secret”
Third Place: Dan LeBatard and Jason Cole, The Miami Herald, “Ricky Williams retiring”

Sports Commentary
First Place: Martin Fennelly, The Tampa Tribune
Second Place: Linda Robertson, The Miami Herald
Third Place: Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel

Business Reporting
First Place: Andrew Wolfson, The Courier-Journal, “J.D. Byrider”
Second Place: Ryan Dezember, The Mobile Register, “The Condo Game”
Third Place: Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, “Disney/Comcast: Battle of the media giants”

Investigative Reporting
First Place: Paul Donsky and Ken Foskett, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Wired for waste, Atlanta schools spending scandal”
Second Place: Sally Kestin, Megan O’Matz and John Maines, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “Cashing in on disaster”
Third Place: Staff, The Charlotte Observer, “DWI-Sobering Acquittals”

Criticism
First Place: John Kessler, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Second Place: Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, “Words on Music”
Third Place: Rene Rodriquez, The Miami Herald, “Film Criticism”

Editorial Writing
First Place: Jay Bookman, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Global Georgia Editorial Series”
Second Place: Paul Greenberg, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Third Place: Mac Thrower, The Paducah Sun

Humorous Commentary
First Place: Wendi C. Thomas, The Commercial Appeal
Second Place: Tommy Tomlinson, The Charlotte Observer
Third Place: Brian Gleason, The Charlotte Sun


Serious Commentary
First Place: Paul Greenberg, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Second Place: Kathleen Parker, The Orlando Sentinel
Third Place: Carl Hiaasen, The Miami Herald

Photography
First Place: Nuri Vallbona, The Miami Herald, “Prisoners of the Mind”
Second Place: Greg Lovett, The Palm Beach Post, “Mean Season”
Third Place: Alan Spearman, The Commercial Appeal, “50 Years of Rock”

Editorial Cartoon
First Place: Robert L. Ariail, The State
Second Place: Jeff Parker, Florida Today
Third Place: Jake Fuller, Gainesville Sun

** Print (Weekly/Monthly) Winners **

Non-Deadline Reporting
First Place: Alyssa Abkowitz, Creative Loafing, “Trapped”
Second Place: Eric Alan Barton, New Times Broward/Palm Beach, “The deadliest day”

Feature Reporting
First Place: Bill Jensen, Miami New Times, “Hardcore and Bleeding: Virtual Love and Actual Loss in Miami”
Second Place: Jeff Stratton, New Times Broward/Palm Beach, “Crashing Glass”
Third Place: Jeff Stratton, New Times Broward/Palm Beach, “D.O.A. Delivery”

Sports Reporting
First Place: Sam Eifling, New Times Broward/Palm Beach, “Shadowbox”
Second Place: Eric Alan Barton, New Times Broward/Palm Beach, “The Comeback Kid”
Third Place: Trevor Aaronson, New Times Broward/Palm Beach, “King’s Tarnished Crown”

Sports Commentary
First Place: Christine Selvaggi Baumann, Orlando Business Journal, “Double Header: Disney plays ball with ESPN”
Second Place: Michael Sheffield, Memphis Business Journal, “Big name boxers may be jinxed fighting in Memphis”

Business Reporting
First Place: Adam Levy, Bloomberg News, “Investment Conflict on Wall Street”
Second Place: Dean Foust, Business Week Magazine, “The Real Problem”
Third Place: Kirk Nielsen, Miami New Times, “Cows to Cuba”

Investigative Reporting
First Place: Tristram Korten, Miami New Times, “Devil or Angel”
Second Place: Jon Elliston & Barbara Solow, The Independent Weekly, “A Disaster Waiting to Happen”
Third Place: Heidi Beirich & Bob Moser, The Intelligence Report, “Communing with the Council”

Criticism
First Place: Brett Sokol, Miami New Times
Second Place: Michael Mills New Times Broward/Palm Beach

Editorial Writing
First Place: Tara Servatius, Creative Loafing
Second Place: Terry Hollahan and Scott Shepard, Memphis Business Journal
Third Place: Ken Cogburn, Orlando Business Journal

Humorous Commentary
First Place: Tim Nicholas, The Clinton News, “Room for Improvement”
Second Place: Scott Wright, The Post, “Attention Derelicts: Ginger wants her books back”
Third Place: Susan Lundine, Orlando Business Journal

Serious Commentary
First Place: John F. Sugg, Creative Loafing, “Fishwrapper”
Second Place: Brett Sokol, Miami New Times
Third Place: Chuck Strouse, New Times Broward/Palm Beach, “Half Baked”

** Television**

General News Reporting
First Place: Staff, WLTX-TV, “The Heritage”
Second Place: Staff, WFTS-TV/ABC Action News, “Stormchasers 2004”

Feature Reporting
First Place: Laurie Stein, Shannon High-Bassalik and Jeremy Fisher, WFOR-TV, “Living Beyond Breast Cancer”
Second Place: Hamilton Northcutt, Mitchell Zastrow, Charlene Fisk and Jennifer Houston, Georgia Public Broadcasting, “Remembering Jack Leigh”
Third Place: Stacie Scheible and Jim Webb, WFLA-TV/News Channel 8, “Tommy’s Story”

Sports Reporting
First Place: Ben Roberts and Robert Bramblett, WALB-TV, “Miracle Baseball”

Business Reporting
First Place: Todd Ulrich and Gerry Mendiburt, WFTV, “Secrets Under the Hood”

Investigative Reporting
First Place: Staff, WLTX-TV, “The Heritage”
Second Place: Patricia Andreu, Scott Zamost, Pedro Cancio and Ed Garcia, WTJV-TV/NBC 6, “911 Disconnect”
Third Place: Mike Mason, Matt McGlashen and Aaron Wische, WFTS-TV/ABC Action News, “Alarming Failure”

Documentary
First Place: Laurie Stein, Shannon High-Bassalik and Jeremy Fisher, WFOR-TV, “Living Beyond Breast Cancer”
Second Place: Larry Foley, Arkansas Educational Television Network, “Flight of Glacier Girl”
Third Place: Staff, Georgia Public Broadcasting, “This Old Movie Palace: Fixing the Fox”

Photography
First Place: Steve Daniels, WLTX-TV

** Radio **

General News Reporting
First Place: Laura Leslie, WUNC-FM, “Haywood Floods”
Second Place: Bobbie O’Brien, WUSF, “Hurricane Charley Hits Punta Gorda”
Third Place: Jessica Jones, WUNC-FM, “Greensboro Murders”

Feature
First Place: Stephanie Martin, WFDD 88.5 FM, “Answering the Call: Diary of a National Guardsman”
Second Place: Jaime Bedrin and Scott Jagow, WFAE 90.7 FM, “Pillowtex Workers: One Year Later”
Third Place: Bobbie O’Brien, WUSF 89.7 FM, “Singing Fish”

Sports Reporting
First Place: Jaime Bedrin, Scott Jagow, Amy Quinton and Mark Rumsey, WFAE 90.7 FM, “Panthers Head to Houston”
Second Place: Bobbie O’Brien, WUSF 89.7 FM, “Hockey Culture”
Third Place: James Todd, WUNC FM, “Quail Hunting”

Business Reporting
First Place: Leoneda Inge, WUNC-FM, “Kingsdown”
Second Place: Scott Jagow, WFAE 90/7 FM, “Business Incentives”
Third Place: Leoneda Inge, WUNC-FM, “Middle Eastern Business Women”

Investigative Reporting
First Place: Susanna Capelouto, Georgia Public Broadcasting, “Juveniles at Lee Arrendale Prison”
Second Place: Staff, WUNC-FM, “Touched by War”
Third Place: Bobbie O’Brien, WUSF 89.7 FM, “No 12th Grade”

Documentary
First Place: Staff, WFAE 90.7 FM, “Trust Matters”
Second Place: Pat Duggins, Scott Kim and Bud Lowell, WMFE-FM, “Columbia Remembered…Atlantis, Go for Launch”

** Online **

General News Reporting
First Place: Staff, The Commercial Appeal, “50 Years of Rock”
Second Place: Staff, Tampa Bay Online, “Hurricane 2004”
Third Place: Amy Schlesing, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, “Baghdad Blog”

** Overall Winners **

Best of Print
Bill Jensen, Miami News Times, “Hardcore and Bleeding: Virtual Love and Actual Death in Miami”

Best of Television
Laurie Stein, Shannon High-Bassalik and Jeremy Fisher, WFOR-TV, “Living Beyond Breast Cancer”

Best of Radio
Susanna Capelouto, Georgia Public Broadcasting, “Juveniles at Lee Arrendale Prison”

Best of Online
Staff, The Commercial Appeal, “50 Years of Rock”

Best of Show—The Green Eyeshade Award

Susanna Capelouto, Georgia Public Broadcasting, “Juveniles at Lee Arrendale Prison”

For more information, contact the Society of Professional Journalists at: 317-927-8000 or awards@spj.org

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