2020 GOLDEN PRESS CARD: Television | Newspapers | Radio | Digital | All Media | Golden Press Card
Here are the winners in the Newspaper categories. The entries were judged by the Oklahoma SPJ Professional Chapter.
CONTINUING COVERAGE (Newspaper – Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: Chattanooga Times Free Press
Entry Title: Easter Sunday tornadoes
Entry Credit: Mary Fortune, Ben Benton, Wyatt Massey
Links:
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/apr/13/overnight-storms-kill-7-murray-county-georgia/520561/
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/apr/13/least-nine-dead-dozens-hospitalized-and-150-buildings-damaged-after-storms-and-tornado-rip-through-chattanooga-area/520573/
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/apr/18/deadly-drift-tornadoes-rise-southeast-they-de/520970/
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/apr/14/why-hamilton-county-says-it-did-not-send-any-alerts-sundays-deadly-tornado/520668/
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/edge/story/2020/oct/03/its-not-been-easy-journey-after-storms-recove/533134/
DEADLINE/BREAKING NEWS REPORTING (Newspaper – Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: ‘There was no warning’ — surviving the Chattanooga tornado
Entry Credit: Calvin Mattheis, Ryan Wilusz
Link:
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/weather/2020/04/14/chattanooga-families-survive-easter-tornado-dramatic-stories-tell/2986134001/
Second Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: East Tennessee representatives during the U.S. Capitol insurrection
Entry Credit: Tyler Whetstone
Link: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/06/trump-protests-d-c-shots-fired-protesters-overrun-capitol-rep-tim-burchett-says/6568424002/
EDITORIAL WRITING (Newspaper – Non-Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: The Crossville Chronicle
Entry Title: Heather Mullinix-Crossville Chronicle
Entry Credit: Heather Mullinix
Links:
https://bncentryassets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1882/attachments/1064836377609002d6b1661_0.pdf
https://bncentryassets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1882/attachments/598530385609002d6c4fb5_1.pdf
https://bncentryassets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1882/attachments/789951977609002d6d5ca1_2.pdf
Second Place
Contestant Name: BLANK Newspaper
Entry Title: Homebound by Steve Wildsmith
Entry Credit: Steve Wildsmith
Link: http://blanknews.com/homebound-steve-wildsmith/
EDITORIAL WRITING (Newspaper – Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: A call to Knox County leaders for pandemic leadership
Entry Credit: Joel Christopher
Links:
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/opinion/2020/09/13/knox-county-leaders-must-join-forces-now-fight-covid-19-catastrophe-says-editorial-board-knox-news/5771098002/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/health/2020/10/05/covid-19-knox-county-leaders-unite-improve-communication-response/3616834001/
FEATURE REPORTING (Newspaper – Non-Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: BLANK Newspaper
Entry Title: Twenty Candles for The Pilot Light
Entry Credit: Steve Wildsmith
Link: http://blanknews.com/twenty-candles-for-the-pilot-light/
Second Place
Contestant Name: The Crossville Chronicle
Entry Title: Heather Mullinix-Gift of Life
Entry Credit: Heather Mullinix
Link: https://bncentryassets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1882/attachments/1981569199608ae8e0e8e85_0.pdf
FEATURE REPORTING (Newspaper – Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: Chattanooga Times Free Press
Entry Title: Mike Carter’s terrifying journey
Entry Credit: Elizabeth Fite
Link: https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/oct/10/virus-mike-carter/533863/#/questions
Second Place
Contestant Name: Kristi Bumpus
Entry Title: Edge of extinction – Bluff City man says zoning requirements put his prehistoric park at risk
Entry Credit: Kristi L. Nelson
Link: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/life/2019/12/24/backyard-terrors-dinosaur-park-bluff-city-sullivan-county-chris-kastner/2662714001/
GENERAL REPORTING (Newspaper – Non-Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: BLANK Newspaper
Entry Title: Healing and wholeness at Oglewood Avenue
Entry Credit: Steve Wildsmith
Link: http://blanknews.com/healing-and-wholeness-on-oglewood-avenue/
GENERAL REPORTING (Newspaper – Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: Kristi Bumpus
Entry Title: ˜He never looked depressed”
Entry Credit: Kristi L. Nelson
Link: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2020/01/07/elementary-age-suicide-heartbreaking-how-can-you-help/2805626001/
Second Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Knox County Sheriff’s Office Corruption
Entry Credit: Travis Dorman
Links:
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2020/05/07/tbi-investigating-whether-knox-sheriffs-fleet-manager-ronnie-kidd-tied-bentley-theft/3088865001/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2020/10/13/knox-county-sheriffs-official-pleads-guilty-inmate-exposes-scheme/3114574001/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2020/10/27/knoxville-restauranteur-christopher-captain-sam-and-andys-pleads-guilty-fraud-scheme/3745928001/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2020/12/10/purchases-inmate-labor-investigated-knox-county-sheriffs-office/6505430002/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2021/03/25/third-knox-county-sheriffs-office-work-release-program-employee-fired/6998059002/
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS REPORTING (Newspaper – Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: Chattanooga Times Free Press
Entry Title: Hamilton County destroys records
Entry Credit: Sarah Grace Taylor
Links:
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/feb/01/hamiltcounty-attorneys-destroy-public-records/514665/
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/feb/05/hamilton-county-attorney-admits-records-charge-conflicts-state-law-when-grilled-county-commissioners/514950/
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/jun/21/hamiltcounty-keeps-withholding-records-even-a/525830/
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/jun/11/records-bill/525124/
Second Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: A Knoxville legislator played loose with campaign funding, and we revealed it
Entry Credit: Tyler Whetstone
Links:
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/22/rick-staples-paid-4-000-to-a-public-relations-company-whose-only-client-was-rick-staples/5149047002/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/03/10/representative-rick-staples-campaign-expenses-audit/5004367002/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/02/21/tennessee-state-representative-rick-staples-has-history-questionable-campaign-expenses/4794087002/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/02/12/tennessee-state-representative-rick-staples-eviction-qb-realty-team/4718290002/
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING (Newspaper – Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Coal Ash Radioactivity
Entry Credit: Jamie Satterfield
Links:
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/tennessee/tvacoalash/2020/05/17/duke-testing-shows-kingston-coal-ash-uranium-triple-report-levels/5035210002/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/tennessee/tvacoalash/2020/05/15/tennessee-regulators-deleted-and-altered-radiological-tests-kingston-coal-ash-spill/4928047002/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2020/11/28/knox-news-wins-fight-protect-sources-coal-ash-probe/6041413002/
Second Place
Contestant Name: Chattanooga Times Free Press
Entry Title: The Windfall Profit
Entry Credit: Wyatt Massey
Links:
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/life/faith/story/2020/dec/19/windfall-prophet/538164/
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/dec/20/windfall-prophet-did-chattanoogbusinessmmicha/538205/
PANDEMIC REPORTING (Newspaper – Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: COVID-19 in East Tennessee
Entry Credit: Vincent Gabrielle
Links:
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2020/08/11/suburbs-not-cities-worse-covid-19-transmission/3337128001/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2020/07/14/tennessee-scientists-cutting-edge-discoveries-covid-19-race-oak-ridge-vaccine/5408399002/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2020/05/18/we-had-questions-tennessees-cloth-masks-so-knox-news-had-them-tested/5200678002/
Second Place
Contestant Name: Chattanooga Times Free Press
Entry Title: Times Free Press Business pandemic coverage
Entry Credit: Elizabeth Fite, Wyatt Massey
Links:
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/may/14/coronavirus-hot-spot-emerges-chattanooga/522972/
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/dec/27/how-whitfield-county-became-one-georgias-wors/538514/#//
https://www.timesfreepress.com/virus/
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/jun/13/we-are-all-they-have-chattanoognurses-share-w/525275/
https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/nov/22/chattanoogarehospitals-warned-looming-covid-1/536557/
PERSONAL COLUMNS/REVIEW/CRITICISM (Newspaper – Non-Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: Marcus Fitzsimmons
Entry Title: Check Mark columns
Entry Credit: Marcus Fitzsimmons
Links: https://bncentryassets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1882/attachments/138698763607b19295a779_0.pdf
https://bncentryassets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1882/attachments/1656309060607b19296ea76_1.pdf
https://bncentryassets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1882/attachments/1697170361607b192981043_2.pdf
Second Place
Contestant Name: BLANK Newspaper
Entry Title: Slam! Working for the Census
Entry Credit: Wayne Bledsoe
Link: http://blanknews.com/slam-working-for-the-census-can-change-some-brain-cells/
PERSONAL COLUMNS/REVIEW/CRITICISM (Newspaper – Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: Mark Harmon
Entry Title: Unfinished Literature/Remembering a Friend/Knoxville Center
Entry Credit: Mark Harmon
Links:
https://bncentryassets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1882/attachments/455316024605df7eae8910_0.pdf
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/opinion/2020/04/06/time-finish-some-unfinished-literature/2955710001/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/opinion/2020/11/03/during-pandemic-treasure-and-nurture-your-unlikely-friendships/5429432002/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/opinion/2020/06/09/empty-knoxville-center-mall-perfect-gop-convention/5320057002/
Second Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Sam Venable on life and life lessons
Entry Credit: Sam Venable
Links:
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/entertainment/columnists/sam-venable/2020/10/15/split-decision-took-more-than-60-years-develop-sam-venable/5968682002/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/entertainment/columnists/sam-venable/2020/07/15/neil-armstrongs-car-ads-wouldve-been-out-world-sam-venable/5381701002/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/entertainment/columnists/sam-venable/2020/06/18/remembering-johnny-majors-we-can-thank-our-dads-some-memories/3197459001/
SERIES/PACKAGE/PROJECT WRITING (Newspaper – Non-Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: The Crossville Chronicle
Entry Title: EMS service
Entry Credit: Heather Mullinix
Links:
https://bncentryassets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1882/attachments/1026847426608aec8ea4bbc_0.pdf
https://bncentryassets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1882/attachments/1109490798608aec8eb71f0_1.pdf
https://bncentryassets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1882/attachments/635547035608aec8ec7769_2.pdf
Second Place
Contestant Name: BLANK Newspaper
Entry Title: When I Get to Heaven
Entry Credit: Blank Staff
Link: http://blanknews.com/when-i-get-to-heaven-john-prines-conjuring-nature-put-him-among-historys-finest-interpreters-of-the-human-condition/
SERIES/PACKAGE/PROJECT WRITING (Newspaper – Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Tennessee put the 19th Amendment across the finish line
Entry Credit: Allie Clouse, Monica Kast, Tyler Whetstone
Links:
https://www.knoxnews.com/in-depth/life/women-of-the-century/2020/08/18/tennessee-suffragists-changed-history-without-firing-shot/4648293002/
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/life/womenofthecentury/2020/08/14/tennessees-anti-suffragists-wooed-and-boozed-lawmakers-in-secret-jack-daniels-suite/5547728002/
https://www.knoxnews.com/in-depth/life/women-of-the-century/2020/08/18/womens-suffrage-harry-burn-mother-one-changed-history/4500997002/
SPORTS REPORTING (Newspaper – Metro)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: A portrait of CTE: The life of Richard Pickens
Entry Credit: Blake Toppmeyer
Link: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/football/2020/07/12/cte-tennessee-football-richard-pickens-concussion-ut-vols-brain-injury/3278578001/
Second Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: How Alyson Pointer became the first woman to coach football in Knox County Schools
Entry Credit: Aaron Torres
Link: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/high-school/2020/09/03/tssaa-football-alyson-pointer-assistant-coach-austin-east-high-school/5676237002/