2022 GOLDEN PRESS CARD: Television | Newspapers (Large) | Newspapers (Small) | Radio | Digital | All Media | Student Journalism | Golden Press Card
Here are the 2022 Golden Press Card winners in the All Media categories. The entries were judged by the Hawaii SPJ Pro Chapter.
PHOTOJOURNALISM – BEST NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY (All Media)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Wildfires and a beagle rescue
Entry Credit: Saul Young
Links: See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: Amazing photographs that tell a story.
PHOTOJOURNALISM – BEST NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY (All Media)
Second Place
Contestant Name: The Crossville Chronicle
Entry Title: Michael Moser
Entry Credit: Michael R. Moser
Links:
Judge Comments: Great coverage of spot news.
CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING (All Media)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Pollutants color the Smokies’ namesake haze, the coal ash tragedy, fighting fossil fuels with fossil fuels
Entry Credit: Anila Yoganathan
Links: See entry, See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: Who would have thought that breathing in air at the Great Smoky Mountains is like taking in cigarette smoke. The TVA thinks transferring its electricity generating from coal to natural gas is part of the answer. It still pollutes and has some transmission problems. The Knoxville News Sentinel did a great job of analyzing the plans by a top polluter in the state on how it would be cleaning up its act. But the TVA doesn’t seem to answer many questions.
CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT REPORTING (All Media)
Second Place
Contestant Name: WVLT
Entry Title: Ben Cathey Climate & Environment 2022
Entry Credit: Ben Cathey
Links: See entry
Judge Comments: Excellent collection of climate change stories. Kind of a mixed bag, but interesting nonetheless. One pointed out the use of old mine sites for solar panel fields that could be used in Tennessee. Another showed the problems Jack Daniels has in aging its whiskey. The higher temps could increase evaporation in the whiskey barrels, making distillers watch out for changes in taste. Then there are the ramps that are disappearing because of higher temperatures. Nice job.
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY REPORTING (All Media)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: PR fires, wildfires and inside a visionary developer’s plans
Entry Credit: Ryan Wilusz
Links: See entry, See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: Watch what you Tweet. businesses stay away from controversial issues so as to not offend customers. Wildfire cutback on availability for visitors. Call it a pipe dream but a blank slate for a platform for the arts in downtown Knoxville? Somebody’s brain is working.
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY REPORTING (All Media)
Second Place
Contestant Name: WUOT
Entry Title: Tennessee’s Digital Divide and Broadband Development
Entry Credit: Chrissy Keuper
Links: See entry
Judge Comments: Mapping the digital dvide in Tennessee. People can check out hotspots to access the internet but access is limited. This is going to be key to business in the future.
SPORTS BEAT REPORTING (All Media)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Harnessing the history of an athletics program to illustrate the present
Entry Credit: Adam Sparks
Links: See entry, See entry, See entry, See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: Adam Sparks knows his Tennessee football. Each of his stories is like a piece of history told in a conversation style best peppered with shots of whiskey knocked back with beers. A governor who missed the first LSU-Tennessee football game which was legendary coach Neyland’s first game. How a Tennessee edge rusher went through a career of shop jobs before becoming a premier NFL prospect. Or the first black quarterback to star for a major televised football game.
SPORTS BEAT REPORTING (All Media)
Second Place
Contestant Name: WCYB
Entry Title: Heather Williams
Entry Credit: Heather Williams
Links: See entry
Judge Comments: Interesting series of stories. There was the 1972 Vikings football team that became national champions and still hold records. Then the Viking girls softball going to the state tournament dedicating everything to a teammate killed in a domestic case. Then there was an unknown L.W. Wright who showed up for a NASCAR race at Talladega but was waved off the track for not maintaining minimum speed. And an ETSU assistant coach who has come home. All stories had heart.
HORACE V. WELLS JR. COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD (All Media)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Cop’s lies reveal gap in how KPD commanders review use of force incidents
Entry Credit: Tyler Whetstone
Links: See entry
Judge Comments: This police officer wrestled with a woman after she drove by a police scene. Her sports bra came off during the scuffle. The officer lied about his actions, and charges against the women were dismissed. This story led to creation of a Use of Force Review board to review police officers’ actions. A top-flight public service to the community.
HORACE V. WELLS JR. COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD (All Media)
Second Place
Contestant Name: WATE
Entry Title: Costly Romance Scams
Entry Credit: Don Dare, Dave Wignall
Links: See entry
Judge Comments: Two good stories about elderly widows in romance-related scams. One lost more than $100,000 to a potential boyfriend and another apparently laundered money through bitcoin for a potential boyfriend. Growing problem in the U.S., and WATE TV brought viewers two examples and hopefully alerted the community to the problem.
FREELANCE WRITING (All Media)
First Place
Contestant Name: Tennessee Lookout
Entry Title: Video confirms abuse of immigrants by federal agents in East Tennessee slaughterhouse raid
Entry Credit: Jamie Satterfield
Links: See entry, See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: This series of features about a raid on a slaughterhouse that targeted Latino workers represents the power of journalism as the fourth estate, necessary to a functioning democracy. Thank you to Tennessee Lookout for putting your resources into uncovering abuses by law enforcement and thank you to Jamie Satterfield for clear reporting. Without reporters and publishers tenacious enough to follow stories like this, regular people–particularly disenfranchised populations–have difficulty holding their lawmakers and law enforcers accountable. This series of articles deftly reveals incriminating facts that would’ve otherwise gone unnoticed and unaddressed. Your work is a credit to your community.
FREELANCE WRITING (All Media)
Second Place
Contestant Name: Super Lawyers Magazine
Entry Title: State of the Unions / Direct Connection / The Shakespeare Guy
Entry Credit: Nancy Henderson
Links:
Judge Comments: Henderson’s writing is a joy to read. Her stories start with a bang and that momentum carries through to the final word. Each story incorporates colorful and telling quotes that speak to Henderson’s interviewing skills–sources don’t just drop gold like that, rapport has to be built first. Terrific reporting and storytelling.
ARTS & CULTURE REPORTING (All Media)
This new award is in memory of Brandon Gibson, who died in November at age 36. Gibson, managing director of the Marble City Opera, was well-known in the Knoxville arts community an actor, voice actor, writer, reviewer and essayist. He also won a Golden Press Card award for his writing in the BLANK Newspaper.
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Making great art accessible to all
Entry Credit: Ryan Wilusz, Calvin Mattheis
Links: See entry, See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: This entry delivers creative, insightful reporting about the arts and culture scene in Knoxville. Really appreciate the multimedia approach so readers can hear the voices and music. The Big Ears festival. Turbo polka. Diverse voices. Ukraine conflict. Plus podcasts. This entry stands our strong for its compelling voice plus deep and broad reporting that offers insight into this community that I hadn’t seen elsewhere. Words, voices, photos, music, everything came together to make this work. Clearly a team effort that shows how local journalism can shine in telling the stories of the community.
ARTS & CULTURE REPORTING (All Media)
Second Place
Contestant Name: BLANK Newspaper
Entry Title: The continuing adventures of Superdrag
Entry Credit: Steve Wildsmith
Links: See entry
Judge Comments: Interesting deep dive into the history, lore and lives of a local band that hit the national charts and what happened since then. Even if you’d never heard of Superdrag, this is a compelling read. The band’s journey echoes the changes in the country and community over time and weaves in the hometown pride. Detailed stories about the good, the bad and the ugly of success on the stage helped make it a story that resonates beyond the band.
PHOTOJOURNALISM – BEST SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY“ (All Media)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Capturing iconic moments in Tennessee athletics
Entry Credit: Brianna Paciorka
Links: See entry, See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: The rules say three photos should be attached to the entry but many times that amount were submitted. Accordingly, I judged the first photo of Brianna Paciorka’s three attachments with multiple photos of hers. If that is OK, she wins because the photo of the Michigan basketball coach comforting a losing Volunteer player in s NCAA March Madness game. Powerful and emotional shot. The other two shots were good, but this one stood out among all the entries.
PHOTOJOURNALISM – BEST SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY“ (All Media)
Second Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Tip-offs, takeoffs and doggie kisses
Entry Credit: Calvin Mattheis
Links:
Judge Comments: Two shots were technically well done and of course the dog kissing the girl is the best of the batch.
PHOTOJOURNALISM – BEST PHOTOGRAPHER (All Media)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Buzzer-beater joy
Entry Credit: Saul Young
Links: See entry
Judge Comments: I looked at the top three photo submissions by Saul Young and found them to be outstanding. The shot of the Kentucky basketball player rejoicing after hitting a buzzer beater in the SEC championship game is priceless.
PHOTOJOURNALISM – BEST PHOTOGRAPHER (All Media)
Second Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Brianna Paciorka’s best work of the year
Entry Credit: Brianna Paciorka
Links:
Judge Comments: Great shot of two kids watching their dad vote.
BEST NEWS VIDEO (All Media)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Tennessee football NCAA investigation: What has happened since Jeremy Pruitt was fired?
Entry Credit: Angela Gosnell
Links: See entry
Judge Comments: Good job of showing the state of Tennessee in three minutes after the firing of coach Jeremy Pruitt.
BEST PODCAST (All Media)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: The Scruffy Stuff
Entry Credit: Ryan Wilusz, Brenna McDermott, Adeem the Artist
Links: See entry, See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: The nice thing about podcasts is that the communicator can personalize details that print or limited video just can’t do. Excellent Scruffy Stuff episodes were presented. The downtown development (I’m sure) got personalized for a lot of people, and the singing by Adeem the Artist was icing on the cake
BEST PODCAST (All Media)
Second Place
Contestant Name: ORAU
Entry Title: Further Together: The ORAU Podcast
Entry Credit: Michael Holtz, Bo Cumberland
Links: See entry, See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: Admirable job of telling the public what is going on at the Oak Ridge Institute, like working with artificial intelligence. There isn’t a lot of time or space to explain these subjects, but these podcasts are good explainers.
BEST DIGITAL CONTENT (All Media)
First Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: John Calvin Ward came home with the Medal of Honor, but never left the war
Entry Credit: Tyler Whetstone
Links: See entry
Judge Comments: Great piece about a Tennessee man who won the Medal of Honor but never got an honorable discharge causing him problems in post-World War I life. The nice thing is that this great story can be enshrined forever.
BEST DIGITAL CONTENT (All Media)
Second Place
Contestant Name: News Sentinel
Entry Title: Vintage motorcycle club rides into the sunset, 90-year-old man handpaints iconic sign
Entry Credit: Ryan Wilusz, Calvin Mattheis
Links: See entry, See entry
Judge Comments: Good job of getting bikers to open up and the link between the motorcycle club ending and the bar closing just brought the story home. Good use of Internet tools to tell the story.