Green Eyeshade Awards: 17 finalists in Alabama

The Society of Professional Journalists’ Green Eyeshade Awards announced its finalists today, including 17 entries from Alabama media outlets, four from Birmingham.

The Birmingham finalists in print are both from Laurel Mills of Lipstick magazine, which closed in March, in the Serious Commentary and Humorous Commentary categories.

The radio division includes 2008 winner WBHM (90.3 FM) in the Public Service category for “Considering Faith” and news director Tanya Ott in the Radio Specialized Reporting category for “Bible Belt Beer Brawl,” “Wilcox County’s Pain at the Pump” and “College Fight Songs.”

Other Alabama finalists:

Print

• Breaking News: “Desperate Search” News Staff, Press-Register (Mobile)
• Feature Writing: “Rumble, Rumble, Rumble” Challen Stephens, The Huntsville Times (Huntsville)
• Breaking Business News: “Sky-High” George Talbot, Jeff Amy, Dan Murtaugh, Press-Register (Mobile)
• Courts and the Law Reporting: “Big Bad Wolf Hunt” Brendan Kirby, Press-Register (Mobile)
• Editorials: “Collection of Editorials” Mac Thrower, Press-Register (Mobile)
• Feature Writing: “Outside Agitators” David Holthouse, Intelligence Report (Montgomery)
• Sports Commentary: “Spaceships and Playoff Systems” Scott Wright, The Post (Centre)
• Courts and the Law Reporting: “Capital Murder Trial Coverage” Scott Wright, The Post (Centre)
• Humorous Commentary: “Series of Columns” Tim Sanders, The Post (Centre)
• Editorials: “Theology of the Dispossessed” Mark Potok, Intelligence Report (Montgomery)
• Graphics: “Skimboarding” Bronwyn Coffeen, Press-Register (Mobile)
• Editorial Cartoons: “J.D. Crowe Editorial Cartoons” J.D. Crowe, Press-Register (Mobile)

Online

• Videography: “Mr. Postman” Brandon Ross, Times Daily (Florence)

Winners will be announced this summer.

Full list of finalists, after the jump …

For Immediate Release: May 19, 2009

For more information:

• Sarah Prickett, GES Contest Administrator, gesawards@spj.org
• Sonny Albarado, SPJ Region 12 Director, (901) 529-2703 or salbarado@spj.org
• Darcie Lunsford, SPJ Region 3 Director, (954) 949-7523 or dlunsford@bizjournals.com

Finalists named in
59th annual Green Eyeshade Awards

The Society of Professional Journalists announces the finalists for the 59th annual Green Eyeshade Awards.

This regional journalism competition recognizes outstanding journalism in 11 southeastern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

The Green Eyeshade Awards were started by the Atlanta Professional Chapter of SPJ and are now administered by regional directors for the Society.

The Society of Professional Journalists works to improve and protect journalism. The organization is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.

FINALISTS (in random order)

Note: In the television, radio and online divisions, all categories that received too few entries to be judged separately were combined into a “Special Reporting” category in each division.

Print- Daily Division

1. and 2. Breaking News (large and small dailies, combined)

• “Desperate Search” News Staff, Press-Register (Mobile)
• “Sunday of Sorrow” News Sentinel Staff, News Sentinel (Knoxville)
• “First terror, then grief” Staff, The Tennessean (Nashville)

3. Non-Deadline Reporting (large dailies)

• “Rx O.D.” Chris Tisch and Abbie Vansickle, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “Taken for a Ride: How the transit tax went off track” Larry Lebowitz, The Miami Herald (Miami)
• “Gone too Soon” Claudia Pinto, The Tennessean (Nashville)

4. Non-Deadline Reporting (small dailies)

• “Confession from Prison” Ryan Mills, Naples Daily News (Naples, FL)
• “Hidden: On the trail of a bank robber” Gary A. Hark, The Charleston Gazette (Charleston)
• “School funding” Andy Meek, The Daily News (Memphis)

5. Feature Writing (large daily)

• “The Girl in the Window” Lane DeGregory, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “John’s Wish” Mitch Stacy, The Associated Press (Florida)
• “Paving the Way” Zack McMillin, The Commercial Appeal (Memphis)

6. Feature Writing (small daily)

• “A Long Time Healing” Jimmy Tomlin, High Point Enterprise (High Point, NC)
• “Economic misfortune leaves students without a place to call home” Matthew Clark, Naples Daily News (Naples, FL)
• “Rumble, Rumble, Rumble” Challen Stephens, The Huntsville Times (Huntsville)

7. and 8. Investigative Reporting (large and small dailies, combined)

• “Law and Disorder” Glenn Smith and Doug Purdue, The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)
• “Right by Miles” Meg Laughlin, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “Borrowers Betrayed” Jack Dolan, Matthew Haggman and Rob Barry, The Miami Herald (Miami)

9. and 10. Sports Reporting (large and small dailies, combined)

• “Struggling Jai-Alai” Antonio Gonzalez, The Associated Press (Florida)
• “Goalie’s Battle” Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press (Florida)
• “Players are dying from mat drills” Andrew Carter, The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando)

11. and 12. Public Service (large and small dailies, combined)

• “Politifact” Times Staff, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “The Cruelest Cuts” Ames Alexander, Kerry Hall, Franco Ordonez and staff, The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte)
• “DHEC Under Fire” Sammy Fretwell, John Monk, The State (Columbia)

13. Sports Commentary

• “Sports Commentary by John Helyar” John Helyar, Bloomberg News
• “Collection of Three” Gary Shelton, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “An unsung hero, Memphis sings the blues, Rhodes star truly super” Geoff Calkins, The Commercial Appeal (Memphis)

14. Breaking Business News

• “Sky-High” George Talbot, Jeff Amy, Dan Murtaugh, Press-Register (Mobile)
• “Broken Rules, Broken Fortunes” John Pacenti, Daily Business Review (Miami)
• “Whiplash” Staff, The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte)

15. Enterprise Business Reporting

• “Lost Paradise” C.S. Murphy, Amy Upshaw, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)
• “At the Center of Everywhere” Michael Kruse and Theresa Blackwell, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “The Good Deal that Wasn’t” Rick Rothacker, The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte)

16. Courts and the Law Reporting

• “Big Bad Wolf Hunt” Brendan Kirby, Press-Register (Mobile)
• “South Florida’s Medicare Racket” Jay Weaver, The Miami Herald (Miami)
• “Guantanamo’s War Court” Carol Rosenberg, The Miami Herald (Miami)

17. Public Affairs Reporting

• “Mayor Willie W. Herenten” Mark Perrusquia, The Commercial Appeal (Memphis)
• “Schools act as money funnels” Diane Knich, The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)
• “DHEC Under Fire” Sammy Fretwell, John Monk, The State (Columbia)

18. Disaster Coverage

• “South’s storm toll up to 54” Carolyne Park and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Staff, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)
• “Night of Destruction” Tom Charlier, Clay Bailey, Krisina Goetz, Trevor Aaronson, The Commercial Appeal (Memphis)
• “First terror, then grief” Staff, The Tennessean (Nashville)

19. Coverage of Politics

• “Collier Sheriff’s Race” Ryan Mills, Naples Daily News (Naples, FL)
• “PolitiFact” Times Staff, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “Florida Minority Vote” Brendan Farrington and Laura Wides-Munoz, The Associated Press (Florida)

21. Consumer Reporting

• “Taken for a Ride?” Billy Shields, Daily Business Review (Miami)
• “Danger at the Mall” Sun-Sentinel Staff, South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale)
• “Florida Gas Prices” Mc Nelly Torres, South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale)

22. Criticism

• “Critical Mass” Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)
• “Collette Bancroft Collection” Colette Bancroft, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “Nuts, bolts, and heart; Peers pay respects; His favorite subject” John Beifuss, The Commercial Appeal (Memphis)

23. Serious Commentary

• “If Gays Can Marry, I Just Might Annul My Wedding” Ann Woolner, Bloomberg News
• “End of a Nightmare” Joe Kirby, Marietta Daily Journal (Marietta)
• “Myriam Marquez Columns” Myriam Marquez, The Miami Herald (Miami)

24. Humorous Commentary

• “Parenting” Annette Clifford, Florida Today (Melbourne)
• “Internet puts some in ticklish situations, Burgers and fries?, VP Palin?” Geoff Calkins, The Commercial Appeal (Memphis)
• “Kelly Kazek’s Columns” Kelly Kazek, The News Courier (Athens)

25. Editorials

• “Editorials” David Barham, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock)
• “Collection of Editorials” Mac Thrower, Mobile Press-Register (Mobile)
• “Collection of Three” Tim Nickens, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)

Print- Nondaily Division

26. Non-Deadline Reporting

• “To Hug a Porcupine” Deirdra Funcheon, New Times Broward/Palm Beach (Ft. Lauderdale)
• “The Bankruptcy Burn in Tampa Bay” Margie Manning and the Tampa Bay Business Journal Editorial Team, Tampa Bay Business Journal (Tampa)
• “Running on Empty” Andy Meek, The Memphis News (Memphis)

27. Feature Writing

• “Staying Stephen” Michael Kruse, Richard Thurmond, Charlotte Magazine (Charlotte)
• “Outside Agitators” David Holthouse, Intelligence Report (Montgomery, AL)
• “Missing” Marilyn Sadler, Memphis Magazine (Memphis)

28. Investigative Reporting

• “Bernanke Grapples with Greenspan” Steve Matthews, Bloomberg News
• “Ten Days That Changed Wall Street” John Helyar, Alison Fitzgerald, Mark Pittman and Serena Saitto, Bloomberg News
• “Water Woes” Staff, Orlando Business Journal (Orlando)

29. Sports Commentary

• “The Lost Season” Bob Norman, New Times Broward/Palm Beach (Ft. Lauderdale)
• “Double Team: How long can Memphis support two teams?” Eric Smith, The Daily News (Memphis)
• “Spaceships and Playoff Systems” Scott Wright, The Post (Centre, AL)

30. Business Reporting

• “Cleaning Up South Florida’s Foreclosure Mess” Brian Bandell, Oscar Pedro Musibay, Bill Frogameni, Ed Duggan and Darcie Lunsford, South Florida Business Journal (Ft. Lauderdale)
• “Implosion of Fireline” Janet Leiser, Tampa Bay Business Journal (Tampa)
• “A Troubled Town” Lee Weisbecker, Amanda Jones Hoyle, Adam Linker, Triangle Business Journal (Raleigh)

31. Courts and the Law Reporting

• “Black October” Tim Elfrink, Miami New Times (Miami)
• “Petties DTO: Feds Target Memphis Kingpin to Unravel City’s Biggest Drug Case” Bill Dries, The Daily News (Memphis)
• “Capital Murder Trial Coverage” Scott Wright, The Post (Centre, AL)

32. Public Affairs Reporting

• “Behind the Back Spending, Bucking the Trend, Constitutional Considerations” Amy Keller, Cynthia Barnett, Florida Trend (St. Petersburg)
• “Wet Foot, Dusty Foot” Francisco Alvarado, Russell Cobb, Paul Knight, Miami New Times (Miami)
• “With a Bullet” Thomas Francis, New Times Broward/Palm Beach (Ft. Lauderdale)

34. Coverage of Politics

• “And Still We Rise!” Charles W. Cherry II and Florida Courier Team, Florida Courier (Tampa)
• “Dead Weight” Francisco Alvarado, Miami New Times (Miami)
• “Ricky and Joe: The Quest for a Comeback” Bill Dries, The Daily News (Memphis)

37. Criticism

• “Collection” Joan Altabe, Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, FL)
• “Café Reviews” Lee Klein, Miami New Times (Miami)
• “The Magic City” Brett Sokol, Ocean Drive Magazine (Miami Beach)

38. Serious Commentary

• “Lauren” Laurel Mills, Lipstick Magazine (Birmingham)
• “Simple Pleassures We Enjoy” Mark W. Maguire, Cobb Life Magazine (Marietta, GA)
• “Bambi Bump-off, Che Who?, Wacko Like Winton” Chuck Strouse, Miami New Times (Miami)

39. Humorous Commentary

• “This one time at camp…” Laurel Mills, Lipstick Magazine (Birmingham)
• “Ask Vance” Vance Lauderdale (Michael Finger), Memphis Magazine (Memphis)
• “Series of Columns” Tim Sanders, The Post (Centre, AL)

40. Editorials

• “Theology of the Dispossessed” Mark Potok, Intelligence Report (Montgomery)
• “Editorials” Cindy Barth, Orlando Business Journal (Orlando)
• “Local School System Controversies” The Memphis News Staff, The Daily News (Memphis)

41. Public Service

• “The State of the Dream: 40 Years Later” Mary Helen Randall, Michael Finger, Marilyn Sadler, Frank Murtaugh, Memphis Magazine (Memphis)
• “The F-school Bomb” Francisco Alvarado, Miami New Times (Miami)
• “Sticker Shock” Andy Meek, The Memphis News (Memphis)

All Print Divisions

43. Feature Photography

• “Haute Hues” Carrie Campbell, Chris Edwards, Blake Miller, Lisa Summerell and Jade Willis, Charlotte Magazine (Charlotte)
• “Home Gone” John Raoux, The Associated Press (Florida)
• “Nashville Ballet” Dipti Vaidya, The Tennessean (Nashville)

44. Sports Photography

• “A Dream Come True” Chris O’Meara, Associated Press (Florida)
• “Home Run Ball” Wilfredo Lee, The Associated Press (Florida)
• “Tennessee Football” Larry McCormack, The Tennessean (Nashville)

45. Graphics

• “The Iraq War: What Would MLK Say?” Charles W. Cherry, Florida Courier (Tampa)
• “Skimboarding” Bronwyn Coffeen, Mobile Press-Register (Mobile)
• “Now what?” John Corbitt, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)

46. Editorial Cartoons

• “Cartoons” Clay Bennett, Chatanooga Times Free Press (Chatanooga)
• “J.D. Crowe Editorial Cartoons” J.D. Crowe, Mobile Press-Register (Mobile)
• “Best Cartoons” Bill Day, The Commercial Appeal (Memphis)

Television Division

47. News Coverage

• “I-4 Pile-Up” Bay News 9 Staff, Bay News 9 (St. Petersburg)
• “Kite Surfer” Peter D’Oench, Yuzeith Osorio, Adrienne Roark, WFOR-TV (Miami)
• “I-4 Disaster” ABC Action News Staff, WFTS-TV, ABC Action News (Tampa)

49. Investigative Reporting

• “The Robert Felner Investigation” Adam Walser, Steven Richard, Jason Solan and Aron Pryor, WHAS (Louisville)
• “Shiloh Eyesore” Steve Burgin, Paul Ahmann, WLKY TV (Louisville)
• “Charity or Con?” Keli Rabon, Jim O’Donnell, WREG-TV (Memphis)

52. Feature Reporting

• “Olympic Tailor” Mike Hardin, Quintin Wynn, Bay News 9 (St. Petersburg)
• “Seizure Dog- Katya’s Sixth Sense” Debi Chard, Matt Gladwell, Craig Lloyd, WCSC-TV (Charleston, SC)
• “Daytripping: Gatorama” Kyle Jordan, Jason Sill, WINK (Fort Myers, FL)

58. Public Service

• “Watching Your Money” Richelle Ridgeway, Jacqui Clark, Al Ruchel, Bay News 9 (St. Petersburg)
• “Growing up with Gangs” David Zelski, Philip C. Proctor, Carol Flask, Georgia Public Broadcasting (Atlanta)
• “Mold” Marisa Mendelson, Jason Richards, James Goodwin, Miguel Gayton, WFTX-TV (Cape Coral, FL)

Television Specialized Reporting

• “Tropical Storm Fay” News 13, News 13 (Orlando)
• “Truth Tests” Greg Fox and Pete Delis, WESH-TV 2 (Winter Park, FL)
• “Deadly Tornadoes” Shae Crisson, WTVD-TV (Durham)

Radio Division

69. Feature Reporting

• “Cave Conservation” Kristin Espeland, WFPL (Louisville)
• “Organic Meat Farm” Mary Kay Mitchell, WUGA-FM (Athens)
• “Everything is Coming up Rosa” Bobbie O’Brien, WUSF (Tampa)

70. Public Affairs Reporting

• “Genocide Studies” Elizabeth Kramer, WFPL (Louisville)
• “The Learning Curve at Just Elementary” Bobbie O’Brien, WUSF (Tampa)

72. Public Service

• “Drilling Fluids” Ron Breeding, KUAR Radio (Little Rock)
• “Considering Faith” WBHM News Team, WBHM-FM (Birmingham)
• “Ready for Independence at 18?” Margie Menzel, WFSU-FM (Tallahassee)

74. Courts and the Law Reporting

• “DNA Exonerations” Melissa Stiers, Georgia Public Broadcasting (Atlanta)
• “Domain Name Seizures” Tony McVeigh, Kentucky Public Radio (Louisville)
• “Electing Judges” Bobbie O’Brien, WUSF (Tampa)

76. Coverage of Politics

• “Senate Runoff Special” Rickey Bevington, Mary Ellen Cheatham, Josephine Bennett, Noel Brown, Georgia Public Broadcasting (Atlanta)
• “Race in the Presidential Election” Simone Orendain, WFAE-FM (Charlotte)
• “Robocalls” Gabe Bullard, WFPL (Louisville)

Radio Specialized Reporting

• “The Letters” Kathryn E. Mobley, 88.5 WFDD (Winston-Salem)
• “Bad News in News” Orlando Montoya, Georgia Public Broadcasting (Atlanta)
• “Beer Law, Wilcox Gas, Fight Song” Tanya Ott, WBHM-FM (Birmingham)

Online Division

80. Best Multimedia

• “The Girl in the Window” Times Staff, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “Hidden Lead” Ilyce Mackler and Leonora LaPeter Anton, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “Hidden: On the trail of a bank robber” M.K. McFarland, Gary A. Hork, James I. Davison, Leslie M. Arntz, The Charleston Gazette (Charleston)

82. Best Blog

• “Stuck in the 80s” Steve Spears, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “Deal Divas” Stephanie Hayes, Nicole Hutcheson, Colleen Jenkins, Letitia Stein, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “The Buzz” Times Politics Team, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)

85. Non-Deadline Reporting

• “White House in Carolina” Ken Whitehouse, SouthComm Inc. (Nashville)
• “Gone too soon” Claudia Pinto, The Tennessean (Nashville)
• “The Murders at Grassy Creek” Winston-Salem Journal Staff, Winston-Salem Journal (Winston-Salem)

89. Videography

• “I don’t want to be homeless” John Pendygraft, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “The White House Boys” Emily Michot, Candace Barbot and Chuck Fadely, The Miami Herald (Miami)
• “Mr. Postman” Brandon Ross, Times Daily (Florence. AL)

Online Specialized Reporting

• “Top 25 Super Bowl Moments” Dave Scheiber, Frank Pastor, Stephanie Boyar and Lee Glynn, St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg)
• “The changing face of the music industry” Staff, The Tennessean (Nashville)
• “Tornado Coverage” Staff, The Tennessean (Nashville)