Monday, April 20, 2009
You got a Pull-It-Sir!
Just about 30 minutes ago, they announced the winners of the 2009 Pulitzer prizes. Here's a list of the lucky ones. Gotta say I was glad to see the Detroit Free Press on the list for their coverage of the Kwame Kilpatrick textgate story (if you haven't read their coverage, Google it). It is kinda weird to not see other pieces you think should have gotten serious consideration (like the Chauncey Bailey Project). Slate did a piece I thought was apropos. Enjoy it after you check out the list of winners:JOURNALISM:
Public Service - Las Vegas Sun
Breaking News Reporting - The New York Times Staff
Investigative Reporting - David Barstow of The New York Times
Explanatory Reporting - Bettina Boxall and Julie Cart of the Los Angeles Times
Local Reporting -
Detroit Free Press Staff
and
Ryan Gabrielson and Paul Giblin of the East Valley Tribune, Mesa, AZ
National Reporting - St. Petersburg Times Staff
International Reporting - The New York Times Staff
Feature Writing - Lane DeGregory of the St. Petersburg Times
Commentary - Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post
Criticism - Holland Cotter of The New York Times
Editorial Writing - Mark Mahoney of The Post-Star, Glens Falls, NY
Editorial Cartooning - Steve Breen of The San Diego Union-Tribune
Breaking News Photography - Patrick Farrell of The Miami Herald
Feature Photography - Damon Winter of The New York Times
Labels: awards, Pulitzer, writing
continue...Saturday, May 03, 2008
And the winner is...
Not me.So, I didn't get first place.
Or second place.
You're looking at the winner of two third place finishes here.
In other words, I'm a second place loser.
But it's cool.
We had a great time. The swordfish was banging. My plus one and I coordinated nicely (black and gold, please). And my newspaper racked up the awards. So we rejoice with those who rejoice.
It was crazy because I told you we're the paper of record here, right? So, beginning of the night, the MC starts talking about the contest. Says something about how proud he was that a lot of the little papers had a good showing in the contest this year. Then he says, "and the bigger outfits, not that they don't deserve to be here too, because there's some great journalism there as well, they did okay too."
I cocked my head to the side. I did. Was he trying to do a backhanded dig at my employer? See, my paper is at a handicap in these awards. Anything that originates from the main sheet staff is not eligible. That means no page designs and no photographs from us can be submitted. And each of our bureaus is treated as a seperate paper. So, essentially, we're all competing against one another.
Good and bad, I suppose. I think that sometimes, just to keep us in line, they limit the number of stories they'll let us be finalists in. The cool thing is I think that in just about every category we were nominated for, we won a first place finish.
In the spot news contest, I was competing against another Journal reporter who wrote about a fatal crash, and a local paper, who also wrote about a fatal crash. Mine, as you recall, was a trial verdict. I think the subject matter hindered me a little bit. Trial coverage can't compete with a fatality. Or maybe I'm just making excuses. In the comments section, the judges wrote about my story "nice detail, gave good sense of emotion."
Yup.
In the in-depth feature category, I honestly don't know who I was up against. I know I got third place and the judges wrote of my shoe cobbler story "reminds us that technology isn't everything." I don't know why, the comment kind of got under my skin. It just did.
But we won first place for personality/profile, sport feature, news series, most unusual story, environmental reporting, spot news, and I think that's it. Basically, everyone except me won a first place finish (a couple reporters were nominated for two awards).You'd never know it though, after the ceremony. There were hugs and huge smiles all around. It was actually really cool. It was almost like we were all a team and when one of us wins, we all win together.
That was the best part.
Labels: awards, fun, milestones, musings
continue...Friday, May 02, 2008
Awarding behavior
They announced the finalists for the Livingston Awards yesterday, recognizing the work of talented journalists under the age of 30.Be inspired.
I'm not on the list, but I do have some pre-award butterflies in my tummy.
Tonight is my awards ceremony for the Rhode Island Press Awards.
I've got my dress (a smart black sheath) hanging on the coat rack outside my cubicle. My pumps and shiny purse are in a bag under my desk. I couldn't take the pressure of having to keep my outfit presentable all day, so I figured I'd just change just before the ceremony.
I'm trying not to be too amped. I really am. I don't want to be cocky. And I want to be surprised.
I am, however, thinking positively.
On my resume I added two new lines under awards:
2007 Rhode Island Press Association First Place - Spot News
2007 Rhode Island Press Association First Place - In-Depth Reporting
Sigh.
One can always hope.
Labels: awards, inspiration, spotlight
continue...Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Pulitzer prizes announced
Here's the list of deserving over-achievers!Check them out, here.
Labels: awards, journalism, Pulitzer
continue...Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Nuh uh, You can't tell me nothing
I'm going to take this time to apologize in advance, because I'm about to get ignorant.So, I walk into the office this afternoon to find out that apparently, I'm doing a good job. Two of my stories were selected as finalists for the Rhode Island Press Association Awards!
Big deal? To me it is.
I have yet to win any journalism awards since all the hoopla happened at Hampton a few years back. (Not hip to the situation? Google me.) So ever since I got to Providence in October 2005, my goal was to get an award, just so that I wouldn't feel like the highlight of my journalism career came while I was in college. Depressing thought to think it all goes downhill from there, right? Right.
I remember talking to my girl, Jessie, last year when she won some press awards in Florida. Awards aren't everything, she said. Yeah, I replied, but they're still nice.
Now I get some of my own. So I'm amped.
The thing is, I don't know if I actually won-won, or if I'm honorable mention. The way the Press Awards here works, they give you the names of the finalists and then they announce your ranking at the ceremony, which will be on May 2. Either way, I'm taking it as a win and hopefully, there will be plaques involved.
Please believe I'm going to update my resume on May 3.
Anyway, just in case you missed the stories (which oddly enough, I blogged about right here on Ten95) the two stories up for awards are:
InDepth Feature --- A Job With Heart and Sole, Feb. 2007 blog
and Spot News ---- Mother Guilty of Killing Child, Oct. 2007 blog
Alright. Got that out.
Guess it wasn't as ignorant as I thought it would be, huh?
Labels: awards, milestones, spotlight, writing
continue...