2017 Sigma Delta Chi Award Honorees

The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for excellence in journalism.

Judges chose the winners from entries in categories covering print, radio, television and online. The awards recognize outstanding work published or broadcast in 2017.

Dating back to 1932, the awards originally honored six individuals for contributions to journalism. The current program began in 1939, when the Society granted the first Distinguished Service Awards. The honors later became the Sigma Delta Chi Awards.

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.

Sigma Delta Chi award winners will be honored at an awards banquet on June 8 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Newspaper/Wire Services

Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)

San Francisco Chronicle: Wine Country Fires
Staff, San Francisco Chronicle
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 50,001-100,000)

Mass Shooting on the Strip
Staff, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Download [PDF]

Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 1-50,000)

Northern California Wildfires
Staff, The Press Democrat
Download [PDF]

Watch supplemental video

Deadline Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)

Unbreakable Vegas: Stories of Heroism and Resilience in the Face of Tragedy
Staff, Greenspun Media Group
Download [PDF]

Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation of 100,001+)

Falling Off the Cliff
Ronnie Polaneczky, Philadelphia Media Network
Download [PDF]

Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation 50,001-100,000)

‘The Expendables’
Jamie Satterfield, Knoxville News Sentinel
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Non-Deadline Reporting (Daily Circulation 1-50,000)

Race in the Rock River Valley
Corina Curry, Rockford Register Star
Download [PDF]

Non-Deadline Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)

How a Floating Bale of Cocaine Led to the Florida Keys' Worst Murder in Decades
Tim Elfrink, Miami New Times
Read online

Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation 100,001+)

Shock Tactics
Jason Szep, Peter Eisler, Tim Reid, Lisa Girion, Grant Smith and team, Reuters
Read online

Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation 50,001-100,000)

One War. Two Races.
Josh Salman, Dak Le and Michael Braga, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Read online

Investigative Reporting (Daily Circulation 1-50,000)

High Crimes
Matt Troutman and Erin Sloan, Traverse City Record-Eagle
Download [PDF]

Investigative Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)

Sebastian Gorka's Ties To An Anti-Semitic Hungarian Militia
Larry Cohler-Esses and Lili Bayer, Forward
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation 100,001+)

Hanging: The Mysterious Case of the Boy in the Barn
Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News
Read online

Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation 50,001-100,000)

Lightning: A Survivor's Tale
Ken Willis, Daytona Beach News-Journal
Download [PDF]

Feature Reporting (Daily Circulation 1-50,000)

Behind the Front Door: Inside Domestic Violence in Greenwich
Emilie Munson, Hearst Connecticut Media
Download [PDF]

Feature Reporting (Non-Daily Publication)

Acid Trip
Chris Walker, Westword
Read online: Link 1 | 2

Editorial Writing (Daily Circulation 100,001+)

Crumbling Foundations
Carolyn Lumsden, Hartford Courant
Read online

Editorial Writing (Daily Circulation of 1-100,000/Non-Daily Publication)

Shedding Light on Death
Jeffery Gerritt, Palestine Herald-Press
Download [PDF]

Washington Correspondence

Russia
Staff, The Washington Post
Download [PDF]

Foreign Correspondence

Boko Haram Coverage
Dionne Searcey, New York Times
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

General Column Writing (Daily Circulation 100,001+)

Petula Dvorak
The Washington Post
Download [PDF]

General Column Writing (Daily Circulation 1-100,000/Non-Daily Publication)

No winner chosen

Sports Column Writing (Daily Circulation 100,001+)

A Season Under the Gun
Rick Telander, Chicago Sun-Times
Download [PDF]

Sports Column Writing (Daily Circulation 1-100,000/Non-Daily Publication)

The Resurrection of Howard Baseball
David Cook, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Public Service Journalism (Daily Circulation 100,001+)

Harassed
Staff, The New York Times
Download [PDF]

Public Service Journalism (Daily Circulation 50,001-100,000)

Detroit Evictions
Christine MacDonald, The Detroit News
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Public Service Journalism (Daily Circulation 1-50,000)

Understanding Harvey
Jessica Priest, Laura Garcia, Jon Wilcox and Marina Riker, Victoria Advocate
Read online

Public Service Journalism (Non-Daily Publication)

The Price of Homelessness
Staff, Puget Sound Business Journal
Read online

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Magazines

Magazine Investigative Reporting (National Circulation)

Ronan Farrow's Investigation of Harvey Weinstein
Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Magazine Investigative Reporting (Regional/Local Circulation)

Death from Above
Christopher Collins, The Texas Observer
Download [PDF]

Magazine Writing (National Circulation)

"A Mass Shooting, Only in Slow Motion"
Glenn Jeffers, Nieman Reports, Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University
Read online

Magazine Writing (Regional/Local Circulation)

Alan Dickson’s Final Days
Alexandra Becker, TMC Pulse - Texas Medical Center
Download [PDF]

Public Service in Magazine Journalism (National Circulation)

Vital Signs
Kayla Webley Adler, Marie Claire
Read online

Public Service in Magazine Journalism (Regional/Local Circulation)

Trump's Wall and Prescott Hall
Neil Swidey, The Boston Globe Magazine
Read online

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Art/Graphics

Breaking News Photography (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+, Affiliated Website, National Magazine)

Rohingya: A Crisis
Bernat Armangue and Dar Yasin, Associated Press

Breaking News Photography (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000, Regional Magazine, Non-Daily Publication or Online Independent)

No winner chosen

Editorial Cartooning (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+, Affiliated Website, National Magazine)

Clay Bennett
Chattanooga Times Free Press
View online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Editorial Cartooning (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000, Regional Magazine, Non-Daily Publication or Online Independent)

Walt Handelsman
The Advocate
Download [PDF]

Feature Photography (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+, Affiliated Website, National Magazine)

Death From Above
Marcus Yam, Los Angeles Times
View online

Feature Photography (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000, Regional Magazine, Non-Daily Publication or Online Independent)

Unheard
David Bitton, Stillwater News Press
View online

Informational Graphics (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+, Affiliated Website, National Magazine)

Russia Interactives
Marshall Cohen, Tal Yellin and Liz Stark, CNN
View online: Link 1 | 2

Informational Graphics (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000, Regional Magazine, Non-Daily Publication or Online Independent)

Choke Hold: The Fossil Fuel Industry’s Fight Against Climate Policy, Science and Clean Energy
Paul Horn and Staff, InsideClimate News
View online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Sports Photography (Newspaper Circulation 100,001+, Affiliated Website, National Magazine)

No winner chosen

Sports Photography (Newspaper Circulation 1-100,000, Regional Magazine, Non-Daily Publication or Online Independent)

No winner chosen

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Radio

Breaking News Reporting (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)

Las Vegas Shooting
Staff, Westwood One News

Breaking News Reporting (101+ Market)

Shooting Near Ft. Drum Raises Questions about Army Recruitment
Lauren Rosenthal, Martha Foley and Brian Mann, North Country Public Radio
Listen online

Investigative Reporting (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)

The Gangs of Nantucket
Phillip Martin, Aaron Schachter and Kenneth Cooper, WGBH Radio News
Read story and listen online: Link 1 | 2

Investigative Reporting (101+ Market)

Allegations of Sexual Harassment Surface at Colorado Capitol
Staff, KUNC FM
Read story and listen online: Link 1 | 2 | 3

Feature Reporting (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)

Cassettes of Hurricane Andrew
Alicia Zuckerman, WLRN News
Read story and listen online

Feature Reporting (101+ Market)

One of a Kind “Ant Dog” Searches for Invasive Ants in the Channel Islands
Lance Orozco, KCLU AM/FM
Read story and listen online

Documentaries (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)

Her Own Devices
Jennifer Block and Fernanda Camerena, The Investigative Fund and Reveal
Read story and listen online: Link 1 | 2

Documentaries (101+ Market)

A Scar on the System- The Case of Albert Fink
WNIN, Tri-State Public Media
Read story and listen online

Public Service in Radio Journalism (1-100 Market or Network Syndication)

Gambling On A Shady Casino Operation
Steve Mistler, Keith Shortall and Andrew Catalina, Maine Public Radio
Read story and listen online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Public Service in Radio Journalism (101+ Market)

Divided by Design
Staff, 90.3 WCPN ideastream
Read story and listen online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Television

Breaking News Coverage (Large-Market Station, 1-50 market)


A City Turned to Ash: The Morning a Wildfire Destroyed Santa Rosa
Katie Nielsen and Gregg Welk, KPIX-TV (CBS)
Watch online

Breaking News Coverage (Small-Market Station, 51+ market)


Hurricane Harvey Hits
Leslie Aguilar and Arturo Vargas, KRGV
Watch online

Breaking News Coverage (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)


Las Vegas Mass Shooting
Staff, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt
Watch online

Documentaries (Large-Market Station, 1-50 market)


Fallen
Josh Hinkle, David Barer, Ben Friberg and Shannon Wolfson, KXAN
Watch online

Documentaries (Small-Market Station, 51+ market)


Black Jack Pershing: Love and War
Bernard R. McCoy, Luis Peon-Casanova, Paul Pytlowany and Christine Lesiak, Painted Rock Productions and Nebraska Educational Telecommunications
Watch online

Documentaries (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)


Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992
John Ridley, Jeanmarie Condon, Melia Patria and Fatima Curry, ABC News Lincoln Square Productions
Watch online

Feature Reporting (Large-Market Station, 1-50 market)


Land of 10,000 Stories
Boyd Huppert, Chad Nelson and KARE Photography Staff, KARE TV
Watch online

Feature Reporting (Small-Market Station, 51+ market)


Eric Hanson's This is Iowa
Eric Hanson, Glen Biermann, Michael Sims and Cortney Kintzer, KCCI-TV
Watch online: Link 1 | 2

Feature Reporting (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)


Against All Odds
Kate Snow, Paul Ryan, Deborah Kim and Fred Rothenberg, Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly
Watch online

Investigative Reporting (Large-Market Station, 1-50 market)


Faking the Grade
Chris Papst, Carolyn Sachse and Dwayne Myers, WBFF-TV
Watch online

Investigative Reporting (Small-Market Station, 51+)


State of Unrest
Lee Zurik, Jon Turnipseed, Tom Wright, Mike Schaefer and Greg Phillips, WVUE-TV
Watch online

Investigative Reporting (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)


60 Minutes: You're Fired
Bill Whitaker, Ira Rosen, Sam Hornblower and Craig Crawford, CBS
Watch online

Public Service in Television Journalism (Large-Market Station, 1-50 market)


Show Us Your Bills 2017
Chris Vanderveen, Anna Hewson, Katie Wilcox and Nicole Vap, KUSA
Watch online

Public Service in Television Journalism (Small-Market Station, 51+ market)


Cracking the Code
Lee Zurik, Jeanne Pinder, Jed Lipinski, Jon Turnipseed and Tom Wright, WVUE-TV
Watch online

Public Service in Television Journalism (Network/Syndication Service/Program Service)


60 Minutes and The Washington Post: The Whistleblower
Bill Whitaker, Ira Rosen, Sam Hornblower and Robert Zimet, CBS
Watch online

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Newsletters

Public Service in Newsletter Journalism

Communications Daily Investigates FCC
Staff, Warren Communications News/Communications Daily
Download [PDF]

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Research

Research about Journalism

The American Journalist in the Digital Age: A Half-Century Perspective
David H. Weaver, Lars Willnat and G. Cleveland Wilhoit, The Media School at Indiana University and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University
More information

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Online Reporting

Deadline Reporting (Affiliated)

Las Vegas Shooting
Staff, Los Angeles Times
Read online: Link 1 | 2

Deadline Reporting (Independent)

Las Vegas Shooting
Staff, Associated Press
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Investigative Reporting (Affiliated)

Schoolhouse Sex Assault
Staff, The Associated Press
Read online: Link 1 | 2

Investigative Reporting (Independent)

All Work. No Pay.
Amy Julia Harris and Shoshana Walter, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Non-Deadline Reporting (Affiliated)

Paradise Papers: Secrets of the Global Elite
Paradise Papers Reporting Team, ICIJ and Partners
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Non-Deadline Reporting (Independent)

Sold Out
Morgan Smith, Edgar Walters, Neena Satija and Ryan Murphy, The Texas Tribune
Read online

Online Column Writing (Affiliated)

Timothy L. O'Brien
Bloomberg View
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Online Column Writing (Independent)

The Global Politico
Susan Glasser, Politico
Read online: Link 1 | 2

Digital Audio

Three Rivers, Two Mysteries
Michael A. Fuoco and Ashley Murray, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Visit website

Subscribe to podcast: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play

Audio Slide Show


For Art’s Sake: The Newspaper My Father Gave Me
Michael Cavna and Tom Racine, The Washington Post
Watch and listen online

Digital Video

‘They're taking everybody’
Debbie Nathan, Maisie Crow and Lauren Feeney, The Intercept
Watch online

EBooks

Drawing Fire: The Political Cartoons of Rebel Pepper
Liming Wang, Minh-Ha Le, Christen Billing and Vince Meadows, Radio Free Asia
Download ebook: iTunes | Google Play | PDF

Public Service in Online Journalism (Affiliated)

Separate and Unequal
Staff, Newsday
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Public Service in Online Journalism (Independent)

Lost Mothers
ProPublica and NPR
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Specialized Journalism Site

United States of Climate Change
United States of Climate Change Reporting Team, The Weather Channel Digital & Partners
Visit website

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