2021: Golden Press Card: Digital Only

Here are the winners in the Digital Only categories. The entries were judged by the Greater Cincinnati SPJ Professional Chapter.

CONTINUING COVERAGE (Digital Only)

First Place
Contestant Name: Compass
Entry Title: New Knoxville Stadium
Entry Credit: Scott Barker
Links: See entry, See entry, See entry, See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: The public has a right to know the in and outs of a development project as big as a stadium complex. This series of stories delivers that key information to readers. Well-done. Especially good was the discussion of the community benefits agreement. A definite award winner despite being the only entry in the category.

FEATURE REPORTING (Digital Only

First Place
Contestant Name: Hellbender Press
Entry Title: Preserving points in time: The Hal DeSelm papers
Entry Credit: Thomas Fraser
Links: See entry
Judge Comments: This was a compelling read, and the reporter did a great job integrating quotes from interviewed sources and helping the reader understand the impact of Hal DeSelm’s extensive research. Nicely done!

GENERAL REPORTING (Digital Only)

First Place
Contestant Name: Hellbender Press
Entry Title: Requiem for the Lord God Bird
Entry Credit: Thomas Fraser
Links: See entry
Judge Comments: A fascinating and well-written story that should cause people to support efforts to save aviary species from extinction. The detail with which the problem is described puts you in the middle of the issue. Nice work!

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS REPORTING (Digital Only)

First Place
Contestant Name: Compass
Entry Title: Knoxville City Council elections
Entry Credit: Scott Barker
Links: See entry, See entry, See entry, See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: Important stories with information the voting public needs to know. Good angle on now a non-partisan race became embroiled in party politic. Only four of the five stories submitted here were used for the assessment per the rules of the contest. Still, good balanced work to help let people make their OWN minds at the ballot box.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING (Digital Only)

First Place
Contestant Name: Compass
Entry Title: Knox County’s Immigration Enforcement
Entry Credit: Jesse Mayshark, Tyler Whetstone
Links: See entry, See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: Very thorough and interesting series of stories that explain in great detail how a perhaps well-intentioned program got off the rails. Officials caught in the middle trying to explain the legality or illegality of a program were passing the buck. Shedding light on this problem via a joint venture was brilliant. Congratulations to those involved for how the stories kept surfacing in conversations about immigration.

PANDEMIC REPORTING (Digital Only)

First Place
Contestant Name: Compass
Entry Title: Business in the Pandemic
Entry Credit: Jesse Mayshark
Links: See entry, See entry, See entry, See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: Very thorough and informative series of stories covering a wide range of angles. The writing seems to take you inside the places of business impacted by COVID-19. Such good writing make it easy to connect with readers. It’s the 5W’s plus the impact on people at its best.

SPORTS REPORTING (Digital Only)

First Place
Contestant Name: 247Sports Tennessee
Entry Title: Former Lady Vol Nicky Anosike-Chima: ‘Both of these boys deserve to live’
Entry Credit: Maria Cornelius
Links: See entry, See entry, See entry, See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: FULL DISCLOSURE – Only the first was judged because the category was for a single story. Nonetheless, this i a well-written, emotional story which touches the heart of multiple communities. Well-done. Well-deserving of an award.