The Deseret News earned 43 excellence-in-journalism awards, finishing first in nine categories, at the Utah Headliners Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists annual awards banquet Saturday night.
Again this year, the newspaper captured more awards than any other Utah news organization in the competition judged by news professionals in Chicago and southern California.The board of directors of the Utah chapter of the professional organization also gave special awards to Deseret News reporter Lee Davidson and retired University of Utah professor Parry Sorensen.
Davidson received the Roy B. Gibson Freedom of Information Award, awarded in memory of the television broadcasting pioneer and ardent First Amendment advocate. The award honors an individual or organization for promoting First Amendment principles.
Davidson used the federal Freedom of Information Act to dig out secret documents revealing how the government secretly bombarded Utah for decades with much more nerve gas, germ weapons, nuclear fallout and other hazardous materials than residents ever imagined.
University of Utah professor Parry Sorensen received the Clifford P. Cheney Service to Journalism Award. This award honors the late Cheney, who served as Utah Headliners president in 1978.
Sorensen has been at the U. since 1946, when he organized the University Public Relations department. He taught and worked in university public relations and journalism positions until his retirement in 1992. He has also worked for the Deseret News, Washington Post and the Los Angeles Examiner.
First-place awards for the Deseret News:
Davidson, investigative reporting: "Revealing Secret Cold War Tests in Utah," yearlong coverage of five decades of weapons testing in Utah using documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act that revealed the spread of chemical, nerve and radiological agents far beyond anything previously made public.
Doug Robinson, feature writing: "Starving in the Land of Plenty," Aug. 22, 1994. Judges said his story of gymnast Christy Henrich's death from an eating disorder was "interesting and well-done."
Mary Beth Jarvis, headline writing, five samples. "Clever heads without losing the point of the story. Good, integrated use of italicized sub-heads," the judges said.
Staff, front-page design, three samples of A1 pages. "Eye-catching use of color, interesting topic headers. Index and weather boxes just right . . . well executed," the judges said.
Robert Noyce, design, "Guns - Keeping the Piece?" May 26, 1994. The judges described his work illustrating gun ownership in Utah as having "dramatic, eye-grabbing design plus plenty of information."
Jeffrey D. Allred, spot news photography, "Final Kiss," Feb. 20, 1994. Allred captured Luis Martinez bidding a final farewell to his wife, Margaret Martinez, who was killed while working in a West Jordan shoe store.
Allred, sports photography, "Tangled Up," Jan. 6, 1994. Allred photographed a jumble of basketball players going up for a rebound during a game between Highland and Bountiful high schools.
Allred, feature photography, "Breaking Through," Jan. 21, 1994. Allred showed a worker making his way through the rubble during the dramatic demolition of the old Salt Palace arena.
Tom Smart, general excellence in photography, 10 photographs.
Editorial writer Jay Evensen won a second-place award for his columns on local government issues. Feature writer Elaine Jarvik took second place in feature writing for a story about a child's battle with cancer and second place in lifestyle writing for a piece on learning how to breathe.
Reporter Brooke Adams won a third place in the lifestyle writing category with a story about a woman's personal war on the drug dealers responsible for her sister's death.
Reporters Paul Parkinson and Karl Cates won a third place in the investigative reporting category for a series on the disappearance of more than $1 million donated to create a conservative utopia in southern Utah.
Sports writer Doug Robinson won second place in sports feature writing for a profile on University of Utah gymnastics coach Greg Marsden and an honorable mention in sports news reporting for coverage of the Cougars-Ute game.
Assistant city editor Brian West placed second in sports news reporting, for coverage of former Utah Jazz player Luther Wright's troubles.
"Rockmonster" Brad Rock won third-place awards in both sports feature writing and sports news reporting. Rock won the sports feature writing award with a story about flamboyant NBA player Dennis Rodman, and the award for sports news reporting for coverage of a Jazz-San Antonio Spurs game.
Noyce, who heads the newspaper's art department, also captured two other awards in the design category, second place for "Weapons Testing" and an honorable mention for "Apollo 11."
Artist Lou Ann England made it a clean sweep in that category for the Deseret News, winning third place for "Beethoven Quartet Cycle from the Muir," and two honorable mentions, for "Breathing Lessons" and "No Books Day."
Photographer Allred won two other awards in the sports photography category, second for "Carried Away," and an honorable mention for "Through the Hoop."
Smart, head of the newspaper's photo department, took third in sports photography for "Clinching the Gymnastics Title." Photographer Ravell Call won an honorable mention for "Loose Ball Fight."
The Deseret News also won all of the awards in the general excellence in photography category, with Call winning second; Allred, third; and Kristan Jacobsen, an honorable mention.
Smart also won a second place in the photo essay category for "Megan's World." Photographer Carmen Troesser won an honorable mention for "Coast of Ecuador."
In feature photography, Smart placed third for "Morning Ski Solitude," and Call earned two honorable mentions for "Simply Saucy" and "White Rim Trail."
Six honorable mentions were awarded to Deseret News staffers in news reporting categories. In the comprehensive reporting category, honorable mentions were given to the staff for its coverage of the 1994 elections, and to political editor Bob Bernick Jr. and reporters Jerry Spangler and Lee Davidson, for stories on Gov. Mike Leavitt's national fight for states' rights.
In the series and special projects categories, an honorable mention went to reporter Nicole A. Bonham for reporting on how the push to require Utah law officers to have a college degree is pitting rural police against their urban counterparts.
Reporter Amy Donaldson won two honorable mentions in the series and special projects category for profiling Utah's black citizens who have broken down barriers and detailing how the health care needs of American Indians remain unmet despite legal obligations.
Human services writer Lois M. Collins won an honorable mention in the non-deadline reporting category for reporting about how the elderly are preyed upon because of their vulnerability.
Reporters Brent Israelsen, Brooke Adams and Joseph Bauman won an honorable mention in the non-deadline specialty reporting category for stories on the health dangers of air pollution.
Here are the winners in all categories:
PRINT CATEGORIES
Editorials, print and broadcast, (only one award given): First place: Lex Hemphill, Salt Lake Tribune.
Opinions/Columns Writing: First Place: Tom Wharton, Salt Lake Tribune; second place: Jay Evensen, Deseret News; third place: Susan Snyder, Standard-Examiner
Editorial cartoon (only one award given): First place: Calvin Grondahl, Ogden Standard-Examiner, for his cartoon "Looking for a Bottle."
Investigative Reporting: First place: Lee Davidson, Deseret News, for "Revealing Secret Cold War Tests in Utah"; second place: Christopher Smith, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Cartisano Is Up to His Old Tricks"; third place: Paul Parkinson and Karl Cates, Deseret News, for "Victims Blame Founder for Utopia Gone Sour"; honorable mentions: Nancy Hobbs, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Wheelchair Promoter: Fund-Raiser or Fake?"; Amy Joi Bryson, Standard-Examiner, for "Retirees' Checks Forged"; honorable mention: Judy Fahys, Salt Lake Tribune, for "An Island Dream? Utah Developers Won't Tell Whole Story."
Comprehensive Reporting: First place: Lynn Packer, Private Eye Weekly, for "Bonneville Pacific Fraud"; second place: Pat Bean, Standard-Examiner, for "The Workers of Hill"; third place: Joan O'Brien, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Gender Equity - Title IX"; honorable mentions: Deseret News city desk staff, for "1994 Election Coverage"; Dan Harrie, Tony Semerad, Christopher Smith, Rebecca Walsh, and Laurie Sullivan, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Campaign '94"; Bob Bernick Jr., Jerry Spangler and Lee Davidson, Deseret News, for "Gov. Leavitt Fights for State's Rights."
Series/Special Projects: First place: Lex Hemphill, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Winter Olympics"; second place: Staff of the Standard-Examiner, for "Your Vote Counts"; third place: Sheila R. McCann and Norma Wagner, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Violence at Home"; honorable mentions: Nicole A. Bonham, Deseret News, for "Guns 'n Diplomas: Push to Require Utah Law Officers to Have College Degree Pits Rural Police Against Their Urban Counterparts"; Amy Donaldson, Deseret News, for "Breaking Through Barriers"; Amy Donaldson, Deseret News, for "Broken Promise."
Deadline News Reporting: First place: Christopher Smith, Lee Siegel, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Early Morning Shake-Up"; second place: Michael Nakoryakov, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Ex-KGB Spy: More to U.S. Side of Story . . . "; third place: Staff of the Logan Herald-Journal, for "Logan Firings."
Nondeadline Reporting - General: First place: Stephen Hunt, Sheila R. McCann, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Judging a Judge"; second place: Joshua B. Good, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Utah's Young Guns"; third place: Norma Tharp, Salt Lake Tribune, for "The Mirrored Ceiling"; honorable mentions: Lois M. Collins, Deseret News, for "Vulnerable - Preying on the Elderly"; Samuel Autman, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Utah Schools Face Challenge of AIDS"; Dan Harrie, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Sex Abuse Panel Has 1 Flaw: It Has Only One Woman Member."
Nondeadline Specialty Reporting: First place: Lori Bona Hunt, Standard Examiner, for "Gail's story"; second place: Cherill Crosby, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Prozac - Utah's Favorite Drug"; third place: Becky Cairns, Standard-Examiner, for "Give me wings"; honorable mentions: Brent Israelsen, Brooke Adams and Joseph Bauman, Deseret News, for "Toxic Haze"; Lee Siegel, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Designing Drugs."
Feature Writing: First place: Doug Robinson, Deseret News, for "Starving in the Land of Plenty"; second place: Elaine Jarvik, Deseret News, for "Letters from a Lost Child"; third place: Brooke Adams, Deseret News, for "Sister Vows to Keep Fighting Drug Use."
Lifestyle Writing: First place: Ben Fulton, Private Eye Weekly, for "Interviews with Vampires"; second place: Elaine Jarvik, Deseret News, for "Breathing Lessons"; third place: Mark Saal, Standard-Examiner, for "Matuschka"; honorable mentions: Kathy Schvaneveldt, Standard-Examiner, for "Hip Hop Pop"; Mark Saal and Susan Snyder, Standard-Examiner, for "Rolling Stones."
Sports Feature Writing: First place: Gordon Monson, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Gaining Perspective"; second place: Doug Robinson, Deseret News, for "Eye of the Storm"; third place: Brad Rock, Deseret News, for "Dancing on the Edge of Lunacy"; honorable mentions: Gordon Monson, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Brothers in Blue"; Lex Hemphill and Gordon Monson, Salt Lake Tribune, for "There is No Joy in Buzzville"; Roger Graves, Salt Lake Tribune, for "After All These Years, Miller Can Still Sink Every Putt . . . "
Sports News Reporting: First place: Gordon Monson, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Whew! Jazz Reach Western Finals"; second place: Brian West, Deseret News, for "Luther Wright's Lost Weekend"; third place: Brad Rock, Deseret News, for "Jazz Ship Spurs Back to Texas"; honorable mentions: Doug Robinson, Deseret News, for "Cougars' Final Bomb Finishes Utes"; Lex Hemphill, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Norway and Winter Games"; Joe Baird, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Cougars Leave Irish Eyes Crying."
Headline Writing: First place: Mary Beth Jarvis, Deseret News; second place: David Noyce, Salt Lake Tribune; third place: Ben Fulton, Private Eye Weekly.
Front Page Design: First place: Deseret News; second place: Standard-Examiner.
Design: First place: Robert Noyce, Deseret News, for "Guns - Keeping the Piece?"; second place: Robert Noyce, Deseret News, for "Weapons Testing"; third place: Lou Ann England, Deseret News, for "Beethoven Quartet Cycle from the Muir"; honorable mentions: Robert Noyce, Deseret News, for "Apollo 11"; Lou Ann England, Deseret News, for "Breathing Lessons"; Lou Ann England, Deseret News, for "No Books Day."
Spot News Photography: First place: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News, for "Final Kiss"; second place: Steven Griffin, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Listen Buster"; third place: Steven Griffin, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Cat Rescue"; Paul Fraighton, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Cats n' Dogs"; Deirdre Eitel, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Emotional Vigil."
Sports Photography: First place: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News, for "Tangled Up"; second place: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News, for "Carried Away"; third place: Tom Smart, Deseret News, for "Clinching the Gymnastics Title"; honorable mentions: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News, for "Through the Hoop"; Ravell Call, Deseret News, for "Loose Ball Fight."
Feature Photography: First place: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News, for "Breaking Through"; second place: Deirdre Eitel, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Custom Boots"; third place: Tom Smart, Deseret News, for "Morning Ski Solitude"; honorable mentions: Ravell Call, Deseret News, for "Simply Saucy"; Ravell Call, Deseret News, for "White Rim Trail."
Photo Essay: First place: Rick Egan, Salt Lake Tribune, for "Grateful Dead"; second place: Tom Smart, Deseret News, for "Megan's World"; third place: August Miller, Standard-Examiner, for "Quads"; honorable mention: Carmen Troesser, Deseret News, for "Coast of Ecuador."
General Excellence in Photography: First place: Tom Smart, Deseret News; second place: Ravell Call, Deseret News; third place: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News; honorable mention: Kristan Jacobsen, Deseret News.
Magazine Feature: First place: Michael Phillips, Salt Lake City Magazine, for "Ministering Angel"; second place: Elaine Jarvik, Salt Lake City Magazine, for "Bill and Twinkie: A Love Story"; third place: Susan Lyman-Whitney, Salt Lake City Magazine, for "The Prince and I"; honorable mentions: Katharine Biele, Private Eye Weekly, for "Switching Channels"; Ben Fulton, Private Eye Weekly, for "Along the Bi-Way."
Magazine News: First place: Rich Tuttle, Private Eye Weekly, for "Highway Robbery"; second place: Daniel P. Sorensen, Utah Business, for "Rise and Fall of a Media Empire"; third place: Rich Tuttle, Private Eye Weekly, for "Small Evidence . . . Big Frame"; honorable mentions: Gail Newbold, Utah Business, for "The Gender of Politics"; Ben Fulton, Private Eye Weekly, for "Mandatory Minimal Justice."
RADIO, TELEVISION CATEGORY
Spot News Story - Radio: First place: KSL News Staff for "Hooper F-16 Crash"; second place: KSL News Staff for "Deputy Shooting"; third place: KSL News Staff for "Martinez Capture."
Nondeadline News Reporting - Radio: First place: Maggie St. Claire, KSL, for "The New Russia"; second place: Maria Titze, KUER, for "Alternative Education"; third place: Kat Snow, KUER, for "Drug Stamp Tax"; honorable mentions: Doug Fabrizio, KUER, for "Ute Land Dispute"; Jeff Rice, KUER, "Tooele Incinerator."
Talk/Public Affairs Reporting - Radio: First place: KUER Staff for "Child Abuse"; second place: L. Gerald Pond, LDS Church, for "Adoption"; third place: L. Gerald Pond, LDS Church, for "Teens and Smoking."
Feature Reporting - Radio: First place: Kat Snow, KUER, for "Peggy Rose"; second place: Ed Yeates, KSL, for "Hospital Kids"; third place: Jeff Rice, KUER, for "Lawn Law."
Documentaries/Series/Special Projects: First place: KUER Staff for "Manic Depression." No other awards given.
Sports Reporting - Radio: First place: Jeff Rice, KUER, for "Bull Riding"; second place: Shelley Osterloh, KSL, for "Olympic Athlete Profiles"; third place: Doug Fabrizio, KUER, for "Buzz Arrive."
Spot News - TV: First place: KSL Staff for "Library Hostages"; second place: KTVX Staff for "Cop Shooting"; third Place: Steve Eager, Russ Fill, Grace Gabriel, KSL, for "Downtown fire."
Nondeadline News Reporting - TV: First place: John Hollenhorst & George Dansie, KSL, for "Escape"; second place: Jane Clayson, Kerry Jensen & Bob Brown, KSL, for "Bad Job Humane Society"; third place: Mary Sawyers, KTVX, for "Black and White."
Investigative Reporting - TV: First place: Paul Murphy, KTVX, for "Collections Investigation"; second place: Kerry Birmingham, KUTV, for "Totalled."
Feature Reporting, short format - TV: First place: David James, KUTV, for "Denver International Airport"; second place: John Hollenhorst, Tim Gibbons, Darren Gould, KSL, for "Camel Trek"; third place: Jerry Andersch, KTVX, for "Angel in Winter"; honorable mentions: Paul Murphy, KTVX, for "Voodoo Economics"; Bruce Lindsay et al., KSL, for "Ogden Cemetery"; Ken Fall et al., KUTV, for "Coffee Culture."
Sports Reporting - TV: First place: Mike Allen, KTVX, for "Deer Valley Demo Team"; second place: Chris Vanocur, KTVX, for "The mayor takes the mound"; third place: Brad Steinke, Steve Landeen, Jay Jamison, KSL, for "Jordan Kinetics."
Documentaries/Special projects - TV: First place: Twinkle Chisolm, Nancy Green, Ken Verdoia, KUED, for "Faces of Breast Cancer"; second place: Shelley Osterloh, Jeri Openshaw, KSL, for "Cool the Heat"; third place: Rod Jackson, KTVX, for "Undersea Voyagers."
Series - TV: First place: Keith McCord, Bob Greenwell, Suzanne Malloy, KSL, for "Loving Utah to Death"; second place: Jane Clayson, Marty Metcalf, Bob Brown, George Dansie, KSL, for "Taken for a Ride"; third place: Michael Rawson, Jerry Merrick, KUTV, for "Manti Polygamists."
Best newscast - TV: First place: KTVX, Jeff Whipple, producer; second place: KUTV, Pat Benedict, producer; third place: KSTU, Rod Haberer, producer
Feature Editing - TV: First place: Jack Hubbell, KSL, for "Road to Gold."
General excellence in editing - TV: First place: Jerry Andersch, KTVX; second place: Ken Fall, KUTV; third place: David Rowan, KUTV
Spot News Photography - TV: First place: Russ Fill, KSL, for "Downtown Fire"; second place: Chuck Grady, KTVX, for "Parade Shooting"; third place: Rick Brown, KUTV, "County Deputy Killed."
Feature photography, short format - TV: First place: Scott Jones, KUTV, for "Coffee Culture"; second place: Dennis Kurumada, KTVX, for "Dick Bass."
Feature photography, long format - TV: First place: Chuck Grady, KTVX, for "SLPD Blue"; second place: Brian Warner, KSTU, for "The Real Dream Team."