ASNE announces 2004 award winners
Posted 2/19/2004 5:01:00 PM

RESTON, Va. -- The AmericanSociety of Newspaper Editors has selected the winners of its annual awards fordistinguished writing and photography.

Winners of the 2004 ASNEAwards are:

• The Boston Globe: Ellen Barry, Douglas Belkin, Thomas Farragher, Michele Kurtz, Raja Mishra, Michael Paulson -- (tie) Jesse Laventhol Prize for Deadline News Reporting by a Team
• The New York Times: William Broad, James Glanz, David Halbfinger, Richard Oppel Jr., David Sanger -- (tie) Jesse Laventhol Prize for Deadline News Reporting by a Team
• Anthony Shadid, The Washington Post -- Jesse Laventhol Prize for Deadline News Reporting by an Individual
• S. Lynne Walker, Copley News Service, San Diego-- The Freedom Forum/ASNE Award for Outstanding Writing on Diversity
• Dan Neil, Los Angeles Times -- commentary/column writing
• Cathy Frye, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock -- nondeadline writing
• Mark Mahoney, The Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y. -- editorial writing
• Tommy Tomlinson, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer -- profile writing
• Brian Vander Brug, Los Angeles Times -- community service photojournalism

The Jesse Laventhol prizeseach carry a $10,000 cash award; all of the others will receive $2,500 prizes.The awards will be made April 23, during the Society’s convention in Washington,D.C. The winning entries and interviews with the winners and finalists willbe published in "Best Newspaper Writing 2004," by The Poynter Institute forMedia Studies, St. Petersburg, Fla.

A look at the winners:

The team from The BostonGlobe won for its empathetic coverage of the Rhode Island nightclub fire thatkilled 100 and maimed scores. The judges said, "Informed by their collectivesolid street reporting, this team put you in the center of a horrific event."

The team from The New YorkTimes won for its vivid account of the breakup of the shuttle Columbia, which,the judges said, "exhibited comprehensive, well-organized and seamless newswriting seasoned with appropriate drama, meaningful context and authoritativebackground."

Anthony Shadid of The WashingtonPost won the Laventhol prize for individual deadline reporting for his coverageof the war in Iraq. The judges said, "Shadid delivered from Iraq with an enormousdescriptive range and great lyrical power. He did it all from the base of greatreporting strength."

S. Lynne Walker of CopleyNews Service, San Diego won The Freedom Forum/ASNE Award for Outstanding Writingon Diversity for her account of the changes in a town brought by an influx ofimmigrants. The judges praised her blunt honesty. "It is a slice of Americaalso written about by others, yet in this case delivered in a compelling waythat offers a deeper understanding."

Dan Neil of the Los AngelesTimes won the commentary/column award for being what the judges called "themost uncommon auto columnist in the country." "He delivers great leads, allowsno fall off in the writing as he delivers little treasures throughout and yetalways rewards the reader at the end," the judges said.

Cathy Frye of the ArkansasDemocrat-Gazette, Little Rock, won the nondeadline writing award forher account of a 13-year-old girl’s fateful venture into the Internet chat roomculture. The judges praised Frye’s use of recovered e-mail conversations asa powerful device. "In a riveting, novelistic style, Cathy Frye weaves the detailsof dogged reporting masterfully, pulling the reader through a journey despitea sense of dread about the ending," the judges said.

Mark Mahoney of The Post-Star,Glens Falls, N.Y., won the editorial writing award for his "pointed and persuasiveways." The judges said, "He gets quickly to the point, exhibits humor when appropriateand shows a broad range. Most important, he never leaves his point-of-view orsuggested remedies in doubt."

Tommy Tomlinson of The Charlotte(N.C.) Observer won the profile writing award, a special competition for thisyear only, because he "captures readers quickly and keeps them engaged," thejudges said. "In powerful narratives that resist the push to be maudlin, thewriter displays a great gift for showing subjects through a variety of lenses."

Brian Vander Brug of theLos Angeles Times won the community service photojournalism award for his starkand powerful photos about murder victims and those left behind. "The faces ofmurder -- those shot and those left behind -- are powerful, impactful and memorableimages that deliver understanding of the high cost of these tragedies," thejudges said.

The ASNE judges also recognizedthe work of other newspaper journalists as finalists:

Deadline news reportingby a team

• The Wall Street Journal: Susanne Craig, Ianthe Jeanne Dugan, Kate Kelly

Deadline news reportingby an individual

• Terence Hunt, Associated Press, Washington
• Somini Sengupta, The New York Times

The Freedom Forum/ASNEAward for Outstanding Writing on Diversity

• Jill Leovy, Los Angeles Times
• Amy Argetsinger, The Washington Post

Commentary/column writing

• Robert Jamieson, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
• Howard Troxler, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times

Nondeadline writing

• Robert Lee Hotz, Los Angeles Times
• Lane DeGregory, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times

Editorial writing

• Randy Bergmann, Asbury Park Press, Neptune, N.J.
• Andrew Malcolm, Los Angeles Times

Profile writing

• Chuck Culpepper, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.
• Amy Ellis Nutt, The Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J.

Community service photojournalism

• Alan Spearman, The Commercial-Appeal, Memphis
• Rob Finch, The Oregonian, Portland

This year’s contest attractedmore than 550 entries from news organizations throughout the United States andCanada.

The Jesse Laventhol Prizesare named in honor of a longtime Philadelphia newspaperman. They are endowedby his son, David A. Laventhol, a former editor and executive for Times Mirror,who is now chairman and editorial director of the Columbia Journalism Review.Laventhol has been a member of ASNE for many years and serves as a member ofthe ASNE Awards Board. He said he wanted to encourage excellence in a key aspectof newspaper reporting -- "to recognize the best deadline work and to encouragemore of it."

This is the third year diversityhas been recognized as a permanent category in the ASNE competition. The FreedomForum, which has partnered with ASNE on many diversity efforts, funds this award.

The ASNE Foundation -- whichis supported by gifts from ASNE members, newspaper companies and foundations-- funds the other awards. The Poynter Institute administers the competition.Keith Woods of The Poynter Institute will be the editor of "Best Newspaper Writing2004."

The awards were made forwork completed in 2003. All daily newspapers and wire services in the UnitedStates or Canada are eligible to enter. Also eligible are other newspapers inthe Americas that are headed by an active member of ASNE. The work must be inEnglish.

Tim McGuire, Plymouth, Minn.,chaired the Awards Board this year. Also judging were: Jim Amoss, The Times-Picayune,New Orleans; Caesar Andrews, Gannett News Service, McLean, Va.; Gilbert Bailon,The Dallas Morning News; Amanda Bennett, The Philadelphia Inquirer; ASNE PresidentPeter Bhatia, The Oregonian, Portland; Neil Brown, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times;Jerry Ceppos, Knight Ridder, San Jose, Calif.; Milton Coleman, The WashingtonPost; Gregory Favre, The Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, Fla.; Deborah Howell,Newhouse News Service, Washington; David Laventhol, New York; Pam Luecke, Washingtonand Lee University, Lexington, Va.; Rich Oppel, Austin (Texas) American-Statesman;Chris Peck, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.; Skip Perez, The Ledger, Lakeland,Fla.; Maddy Ross, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Janet Weaver, The Poynter Institute;Jim Willse, The Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J.

Carolyn Lee, New York, chairedthe photojournalism award judging. Three other photo experts joined in the judging:Vin Alabiso, Associated Press; Marcia Prouse, The Orange County Register, SantaAna, Calif.; and Kenny Irby, The Poynter Institute.

Judges abstain from discussionwhen there is either a personal or professional conflict of interest.

With about 800 members,ASNE is the principal organization of American newspaper editors. It is activein a number of areas, including open government, freedom of the press, journalismcredibility and ethics, newsroom management, diversity and readership.