Welcome to the

SPJ Detroit 2016

Excellence in Journalism
Awards Banquet

Your MCs:

W. Kim Heron

Jerome Vaughn

SPJ Detroit Chairman

Walter Middlebrook

Lawrence A. Laurain Scholarships

Brian Freiberger, Olivet College
Currently a staff writer for Olivets newspaper, The Echo, Brian
has also worked for the student-run radio station, WOCR, and
plays football for the Olivet Comets.

Katelyn Winkler, Michigan State

Currently design editor at The State News, Katie was a breaking
news and sports reporter last year. Last summer she interned at her
hometown paper. This summer she will work in public relations.

Lawrence A. Laurain Scholarships

Amber Ainsworth
University of Michigan
With a niche in entertainment writing and photography,
Amber has developed a strong portfolio of news
photographs and an instinct for visually telling a story
with pictures. Her work in sports photography is especially
notable, taking photos of University of Michigan
football games and UM-Dearborn sports for the UM-D
paper.
As Arts and Entertainment editor of the UM-D paper,
she has been taking photos of concerts and interviewing
musicians for the paper and a music magazine,
communicating with publicists, conducting interviews
and writing about entertainment.

Lifetime
Achievement
Awards

Lifetime Achievement Awards

Laura Berman
The Detroit News
Berman retired as metro columnist at The Detroit
News after nearly 40 years in journalism.

She worked as a feature writer at the Free Press for

about 10 years after leaving school, then moved to the
News in the mid-80s, writing columns since, except for
a brief time freelancing for magazines.
She has covered Princess Dianas funeral in London,
interviewed massacre refugees in Bosnia, and the
whistleblower who helped convict a cancer doctor who
profited from false diagnoses and treatments.

Lifetime Achievement Awards

Tom Walsh
Detroit Free Press
Walsh joined the Detroit Free Press in 1982 and
retired last year as business columnist, after a variety
of positions including business editor, bureau chief,
and city desk reporter.
In his career he covered the highs and lows of Detroit
business, politics, and civic affairs. His innumerable
sources and friends included Metro Detroits and
Michigans business leaders, auto executives, and
politicians.

Excellence in
Journalism
Awards 2016

Radio- Feature Story

Honorable mentions
- Laura Weber-Davis, WDET-FM: CuriousiD: Black Bottom
- Michigan State University's School of Journalism Students, WKAR Radio,
April Van Buren, Geri Alumit Zeldes: Living History
Third place
- Lester Graham, Michigan Radio: One Detroit Mom's Journey from Welfare to the Workforce
Second place
- Laura Herberg, WDET-FM: CuriousiD Lahser

First place
- Laura Herberg, WDET-FM: John's Carpet House

Radio- General News

Third place
- WDET News, WDET-FM: WDET Parks
Second place
- Pat Batcheller, Quinn Klinefelter, Jerome Vaughn,
WDET-FM: Palm Sunday Tornados

First place
- WDET News, WDET-FM:
Detroit Bankruptcy One Year Later

Radio- Investigative Reporting

First place
- Kate Wells, Joe Linstroth,
Michigan Radio: Sexual Assault
Investigations at MSU:a Broken System,
and the Efforts to Fix it

Radio- News Special/Documentary

First place
- Lindsey Smith, Michigan Radio:
Not Safe to Drink

Radio- Newscast
Second place
- Jerome Vaughn, WDET-FM:
5:44 p.m. newscast 9-23-15
First place
- Jerome Vaughn, WDET-FM:
5:44 p.m. newscast 10-20-15

Radio- Spot or Breaking News

First place
- Pat Batcheller, Jerome Vaughn,
WDET-FM:
SE Michigan Tornadoes

Online- Best Localization of a

National Story
First place
- Charles Crumm, The Oakland Press:
More seek Concealed Pistol Licenses as
Process Changes and Nationwide Violence
Continues Rising Water Costs Linked to
Aging Infrastructure Needs

Online- Blogging
Honorable mention
- Paula Pasche, The Oakland Press
Third place
- Anna Clark, Freelancer: The Evolution of Michigan
Second place
- Kirk Pinho, Crains Detroit Business: Kirk Pinho Blog

Online- Blogging
First place
- Bill Shea, Crains Detroit Business: Bill Shea Blog

Online- Digital Media Presentation

Honorable mentions
- J.Carlisle Larsen, Melissa Mason, Jessica McInchak, WDET-FM: Purchasing
Detroits Vacant Land: Stories from the Side Lots
- Sandra Svoboda, Michael Ference, WDET-FM: Belle Isle Nature Restoration: A
Tour of the Park's East End

Third place
- Nancy Hanus, Norman Witte, Crain's Detroit Business: Most Connected

Second place
- Robert Snell, The Detroit News: The phantom and the fugitive

Online- Digital Media Presentation

First place
- Staff, The Detroit News:
Foreclosures Fuel Detroit Blight, Cost City $500 Million

Online- Feature Story

Honorable mention
- Sam Schlenner, Brian Hlavaty, OU News Bureau / Oakland
University: The Curious Work Ethic of a Ferndale Rock n Writer
Third place
- Paula Pasche, The Oakland Press: Detroit Lions at Silverdome: The Glory Days,
Lions at the Silverdome: Players loved the home-field advantage, Lions at the
Silverdome: Four biggest games
Second place
- Mark Stryker, Detroit Free Press: Detroit Street Art: 35 Must-See
Pieces

Online- Feature Story

First place
- Charlotte Massey, The Detroit News: A Dangerous, Desperate
Journey

Online- General News

Honorable mention
- Amber Harvey, WDET-FM: Riverside Park Unauthorized Work
Third place
- Jay Greene, Crain's Detroit Business: Henry Ford-Kaiser Permanente
Second place
- WDET Staff, WDET-FM: Detroit Bankruptcy One Year Later

Online- General News

First place
- Staff,
Detroit Free Press:
50 Detroiters: Voices
from our City

Online- Investigative Reporting

Second place:
- Crystal A. Proxmire, The
Oakland County: 115 News A
Year's Worth of Change in
Ferndale Housing Commission
First place:
- Anna Clark, Freelance:
The Threat to Detroits Rebound
Isnt Crime or the Economy, Its
the Mortgage Industry

Online - Spot or Breaking News

Second place:
- Kirk Pinho and Dustin Walsh,
Crain's Detroit Business:
Olga's Bankruptcy

First place:
- Tom Henderson, Kirk
Pinho and Jennette Smith,
Crain's Detroit Business:
Rocket Fiber

Print Automotive Reporting

Third place:
- Keith Naughton, Bloomberg News, Driverless Cars
Second place:
- Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press: Auto reporting

Print Automotive Reporting

First place:
- Alisa Priddle,
Brent Snavely,
Greg Gardner,
Detroit Free
Press: UAW
contract talks
coverage

Print- Car Review

Second place
- Mark Phelan,
Detroit Free Press

First place
- Henry Payne, The
Detroit News

Print- Criticism
Second place
- Mark Stryker, Detroit
Free Press
First place
- Adam Graham, The
Detroit News

Print Editorial Cartoon

First place
- Daniel Saad,
Crains Detroit
Business

Print- Informational Graphics

Honorable mentions
- Eric Millikin, Detroit Free Press: Spartacular
- Martha Thierry, Detroit Free Press: The Delicate Balance of Isle
Royale

Third place
- Martha Thierry, Detroit Free Press: How the locks keep Great Lakes
shipping moving
Second place
- Tim Summers, The Detroit News: The Decimation of One City Block

Print- Informational Graphics

First place
- Tim Summers,
The Detroit News:
Raid: What
Investigation Showed

Print Class A Consumer/Watchdog

Second place:
- David Jesse, Detroit Free Press:
Inconsistent justice for college sex
assault survivors

First place:
- Staff, Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Rising

Print Class A Cover Design

First place
- Lauren Jeziorski, Kelly
Buren and Jose Zamudio,
Metro Parent/BLAC
Detroit: December Metro
Parent

Print Class A Editorial Writing

Second place
- Detroit News Editorial Board,
The Detroit News:
Michigan Road Repairs

First place
- Free Press Editorial Board,
Detroit Free Press:
We Stand Together

Print Class A Explanatory Story

Third place
- Chad Livengood, The Detroit News: Big
Three Tax Credits
Second place
- L.L. Brasier, Detroit Free Press:

Justifiable seizures? Or legal

shakedowns by police?
First place
- Laura Berman, The Detroit News:
The Downfall of Dr. Farid Fata

Print Class A Feature Page Design

First place
Diana Thomas McNary,
The Detroit News

Print Class A Feature Photography

Third place
- Dale G. Young, The Detroit News: Wonder Whats for Lunch?

Print Class A Feature Photography

Second place: Brandy Baker, The Detroit News, Snoozing Cheerleaders

Print Class A Feature Photography

First place
- Dale G. Young, The Detroit
News: Steer Wrestler

Print Class A Feature Story

Honorable mention
- Bill McGraw, Bridge Magazine:
Meet a Detroit neighborhood thats not waiting for city help
- Amy Kuras, Metro Parent/BLAC Detroit: Raising Kids in Detroit

Third place
- Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News: Hockey Features
Second place
- John Carlisle, Detroit Free Press:
Couple turns dreams into reality in U.P. wild

Print Class A Feature Story

First place
- John Carlisle,
Detroit Free Press:
What about Uncle
Oscar? Family's
GoFundMe Plea
Goes Awry

Print Class A General Column

Third place:
- Rochelle Riley, Detroit Free
Press
Second place:
- Mitch Albom, Detroit Free
Press

First place:
- Nancy Kaffer, Detroit
Free Press

Print Class A General News

Third place:
- David Welch, Bloomberg News:
UAW Trades Jobs for Historic Pay Gains
Second place:
- Joel Kurth, Christine MacDonald, Louis
Aguilar, The Detroit News: Arson in Detroit

First place:
- Chad Livengood, Shawn D. Lewis,
Jennifer Chambers, The Detroit News:
Detroit Public School District Woes

Print Class A Headline Writing

Third place
- Andreas Supanich,
The Detroit News
Second place
- Keith Roberts,
The Detroit News

First place
- Daren Tomhave,
The Detroit News

Print Class A Investigative Reporting

Honorable Mentions
- Ron French, Ted Roelofs, Bridge Magazine: Sex assaults of Michigan's
juvenile offenders
- Lee DeVito, Detroit Metro Times: Dire Straits
Third place
- L.L. Braiser, Detroit Free Press: Muslim-Americans in Metro Detroit
Second place
- Chad Livengood, The Detroit News:
Courser-Gamrat Scandal in the Michigan Legislature

Print Class A Investigative Reporting

First place
Joel Kurth,
Christine
MacDonald,
The Detroit
News: Detroits
Foreclosure
Meltdown

Print Class A Localization of National Story

Honorable Mentions
- Patricia Montemurri, Detroit Free Press: Conflicted Catholics
- Patricia Montemurri, Detroit Free Press: Two Detroit Women Accuse Bill Cosby
Third place
- Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press:
Muslim-Americans in metro Detroit
Second place
- Jacquie Goetz Bluethmann, Metro Parent/BLAC Detroit:
The State of Child Care

Print Class A Localization of National Story

First place
- Nancy Derringer, Ron French,
Mike Wilkinson, Scott Sendra,
Bridge Magazine: Game
Day" -- College drinking
culture and what's working to
keep students safe

Print Class A Magazine Spread Design

Third place
Kelly Buren, Lauren Jeziorski, Jose Zamudio,
Metro Parent/BLAC Detroit:
Warming Them Up
Second place
Kelly Buren, Lauren Jeziorski, Marina
Csomor, Jose Zamudio, Metro Parent/BLAC
Detroit, Choosing Child Care

First place
Kelly Buren, Lauren Jeziorski, Marina
Csomor, Jose Zamudio, Metro Parent/BLAC
Detroit: Vaccine Facts Vs. Fiction

Print Class A News Photography

Third place
- Clarence Tabb Jr., The Detroit News: Courtroom Vitriol

Print Class A News Photography

Second place: Daniel Mears, The Detroit News: I-94 Fireball

Print Class A News Photography

First place: Stephen Perez, The Detroit News: Inconsolable Mother

Print Class A Page One Design

Third place
- Richard Epps, The Detroit News:
Star Wars
Second place
- Jean Johnson, The Detroit News:
Art of Resilence

First place
- Alicia Secord,
Detroit Free Press:
Jimmy Hoffa page

Print Class A Personality Profile

Honorable mention
- Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press: Kid Rock before the fame

Third place
- John Niyo, The Detroit News: Still Growing Strong: Ted Lindsay
Second place
- Mark Stryker, Detroit Free Press: Marcus Belgrave obituary

Print Class A Personality Profile

First place
- Lee DeVito,
Detroit Metro
Times:
American Idiot

Print Class A Sports Column

Third place
- Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press
Second place
- Bob Wojnowski, The Detroit
News:

First place
- John Niyo, The Detroit News

Print Class A Sports Page Design

Third place
- Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press:
400!

Second place
- Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press:
SACK INK

First place
James Hollar, The Detroit News

Print Class A Sports Photography

Honorable mention
- Daniel Mears, The Detroit News:
Anti-Gravity Chamber

Print Class A Sports Photography

Third place Daniel Mears, The Detroit News: Suspended in Air

Print Class A Sports Photography

Second place
- Daniel Mears, The Detroit News:
Megatron vs. Superman

Print Class A Sports Photography

First place
- Dale G. Young, The Detroit News: On to the Final Four

Print Class A Sports Reporting

Third place
- Jeff Seidel, Mick McCabe, Detroit Free
Press: Harbaugh's wonder years
Second place
- Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press: Tim
Shaw & ALS

First place
- Tony Paul, Matt Charboneau, The
Detroit News: Police, MSU
investigate softball coaches

Print Class A Spot or Breaking News

First place
- Detroit News Staff,
The Detroit News
"Equal Dignity":
Supreme Court
Legalizes Same-Sex
Marriage

Print Class B Consumer / Watchdog

First place
- Paul Kampe,
The Oakland Press:
Rochesters $12 million
parking structures will
lack surveillance
cameras

Print Class B Explanatory Story

Second place
- Monica Drake, Pat Caputo, The Oakland
Press: 3-part series: Suicide - the epidemic
nobody wants to talk about

First place
- Dustin Walsh, Pierrette Templeton,
Lisa Sawyer, Cindy Goodaker,
Crain's Detroit Business:
Millennials in the Workplace

Print Class B Feature Page Design

First place
Pierrette Templeton,
Crain's Detroit
Business:
Detroit 2.0

Print Class B Feature Photography

First place
- Tim Thompson, The
Oakland Press:
Hellzapoppin circus
sideshow in Pontiac
for two October
weekends

Print Class B Feature Story

Honorable mention
Gary Graff, The Oakland Press: Ann Arbors Ark celebrates 50 years of folkin
around
Third place
- Nicole Hayden, The Times Herald: Foster care series
Second place
- Gina Joseph, Macomb Daily: Operation Babylift adoptee 40 years
later

Print Class B Feature Story

First place
- Gary Anglebrandt,
Crain's Detroit
Business:
Second Stage

Print Class B General Column

Second place
- Kenneth Kish, Macomb Daily:
Local Columns - Macomb
County

First place
- Jeff Payne, Macomb Daily
Columns

Print Class B General News

Third place
- Dustin Walsh, Crain's Detroit
Business: MEGA mess
Second place
- Jameson Cook, Macomb Daily:
Unjust verdict?

First place
- Jay Greene, Crain's Detroit
Business: Blue Cross

Print Class B Headline Writing

Second place
- Gary Piatek, Crain's
Detroit Business
First place
- Beth Jachman, Crain's
Detroit Business

Print Class B Investigative Reporting

First place
- Julie Halpert, Ann
Arbor Observer:
Storm Over the UM

Print Class B Localization of a National Story

Third place
- Monica Drake, The Oakland Press: Caitlyn
Jenner honors West Bloomfield transgender boy
during her ESPYs speech
Second place
- Nicole Hayden, The Times Herald:
Homeless need more than homes

First place
- Chad Halcom, Crain's Detroit Business:
Disability: Rolls rise, funding dries

Print Class B News Photography

Third place
- Paul Kampe, The Oakland Press: Hazel Park
couple planning a wedding; children were key
to fight

Print Class B News Photography

Second place
- Tim Thompson, The Oakland Press: First
couple to marry at Oakland County courthouse:
Were going to tell everybody for years

Print Class B News Photography

First place
- Ray Skowronek, Macomb Daily:
Lenox Township man charged with
animal cruelty

Print Class B Personality Profile

Third place
- Paula Pasche, The Oakland Press: Detroit Lions: Its not been easy
route to NFL for Laken Tomlinson
Second place
- Pat Caputo, The Oakland Press: Straight Outta Brother Rice, exfootball star Greg Collins living Hollywood dream

First place
- Gina Joseph, Macomb Daily
Paralyzed chef turns tragedy into triumph

Print Class B Sports Column

Third place
- Paula Pasche, The Oakland Press
Second place
- George Pohly, Macomb Daily

First place
- Matthew Mowery, The
Oakland Press

Print Class B Sports Reporting

Third place
- George Pohly, Macomb Daily:
George Steele was 'mentor and father'
Second place
- Bill Shea, Crain's Detroit Business:
Sport order cooks

First place
- George Pohly, Macomb Daily:
Team rallies around each other
after teammate's death

Print Class B Spot or Breaking News

Honorable mention
- Tom Henderson, Kirk Pinho, Sherri Welch, Crain's Detroit Business: Shinola
Third place
- Mitch Hotts, Macomb Daily: Macomb County treasurer dies
Second place
- Kirk Pinho, Crain's Detroit Business: Mexican mogul

Print Class B Spot or Breaking News

First place
- Sherri Welch,
Crain's Detroit
Business:
Focus: Hope

Print Class C Consumer/Watchdog

Honorable mention
- Joshua Gordon, C&G Newspapers: Wading through uncertainty
Third place
- Sarah Wojcik, C&G Newspapers: Protests spur change at animal shelter
Second place
- Terry Oparka, C & G Newspapers: Clear cutting of trees by developers
prompts woodland ordinance

Print Class C Consumer/Watchdog

First place
- Katelyn Larese, The Voice
Newspapers: Uniting
against Crime

Print Class C Cover Design

Honorable mentions
Lauren Jeziorski, Kelly Buren, Jose Zamudio, Metro Parent/BLAC Detroit: BLAC
November Cover
Deborah Schultz, Neighborhood SEEN:Schultz, Cover Design, 'For Love of Wine
Third place
Valerie Morgan, CybelleCodish, Hour Detroit: August 2015 Hour Detroit, The Food Issue
Second place
- Valerie Morgan, Roy Ritchie, Veronica Soderlund, Hour Detroit
June 2015 Hour Detroit, "Best of Detroit"

Print Class C Cover Design

First place
- Valerie Morgan, Joe
Vaughn, Kosta
Finnllow, Hour Detroit
March 2015 Hour
Detroit

Print Class C Editorial Writing

Honorable mention
- Robert Sklar, Detroit Jewish
News: Sklar, 'Repurposed JPM
Shows Value In Working
Together'

First place
- C.J. Carnacchio, The Oxford
Leader: Vote your conscience on
NOTA

Print Class C Explanatory Story

Third place
- Aaron Foley, Metro Parent/BLAC Detroit:
Detroit, Come In! We're (Now) Open
Second place
- Monica Mercer, Hour Detroit/Health
Guide: City of Vision, Health Guide,
Spring issue

First place
- Kurt Kuban, Hour Detroit:
Reclaiming the Rouge

Print Class C Feature Page Design

Third place
- Jason Clancy, Brian Louwers,
C & G Newspapers West Bloomfield
Beacon: V-E Day

Second place
Jessica Jordan, Plastics News: Ebola photo story

First place
- Michelle Sheridan, Detroit Jewish
News: Sheridan, Feature Page
Design, 'Hail to the Victor'

Print Class C Feature Photography

Honorable mention
- Deborah Boeger-Jacques, C & G Newspapers:
So Close

Print Class C Feature Photography

Honorable mention
- CybelleCodish, Hour Detroit:
Authentic Artistry

Print Class C Feature Photography

Third place
- Roy Ritchie, Hour Detroit:
Legendary Favorites (Best of Detroit)
June

Print Class C Feature Photography

Second place
- Josh Scott, Hour Detroit:
The House of Truth

Print Class C Feature Photography

First place
- Deb Jacques, C & G
Newspapers:
National Day of
Prayer/Warren, Michigan

Print Class C Feature Story

Honorable mentions
- Jeff Waraniak, Hour Detroit: Life in the Cadaver Lab
- Scott Atkinson, Hour Detroit: Inside the House of Truth
Third place
- Emell Derra Adolphus, Metro Parent/BLAC Detroit:
The Fight for Equality
Second place
- Steve Wilke, Dorothy L. Hernandez, Jeff Waraniak,
Casey Nesterowich, Hour Detroit: A Long Day's Coney Into Night

Print Class C Feature Story

First place
- Jeff Waraniak,
Hour Detroit:
Oneita the
Magnificant

Print Class C General Column

Honorable mention
- Don Loepp, Plastics News: Plastics News viewpoint columns
Third place
- Harry Kirsbaum, Detroit Jewish News: Kirsbaum, 3 examples of Column Writing
Second place
- Ben Falik, Detroit Jewish News: Falik, Three examples of Column Writing

Print Class C General Column

First place
- Desiree Cooper,
Metro Parent/BLAC
Detroit: Detroit
Proper

Print Class C General News

Third place
- Tiffany Esshaki, C&G Newspapers: ACLU
responds to no minors alone policy
Second place
- Ashley Sword, The News-Herald:
Downriver residents speak out about rising
drug abuse, hopes of ending stigma
First place
- Jessica Strachan, The News-Herald:
Michigan's foster kids - who they are and
what they need

Print Class C Headline Writing

Third place
K. Michelle Moran,
C&G Newspapers
Second place
David Sachs,
Detroit Jewish News

First place
Dorothy L.
Hernandez,
Hour Detroit

Print Class C Inside News Page Design

First place
- Michelle Sheridan,
Detroit Jewish
News:
'The Sick Man'

Print Class C Investigative Reporting

Second place
Jackie Harrison-Martin,
The News-Herald:
John Guthrie series

First place
Emell Derra
Adolphus, Metro
Parent/BLAC
Detroit:
The Invisible Girls

Print Class C Localization of a National Story

Third place
- C.J. Carnacchio, The Oxford Leader: Oxford
shows its solidarity with Paris following attacks
Second place
- Jessica Strachan, The News-Herald: Same-sex
marriage ruling 'couldn't come at a better time'
for Allen Park couple

First place
- Steve Wilke, Dorothy L. Hernandez,
Casey Nesterowich, Hour Detroit:
Farm to Table: Delivering the Goods

Print Class C Magazine Spread Design

Honorable mentions
- Kelly Buren, Lauren Jeziorski, Marina Csomor, Jose Zamudio,
Metro Parent/BLAC Detroit: The Invisible Girls
- Veronica Soderlund, Hour Detroit: Reclaiming the Rouge
Third place
- Valerie Morgan, Marvin Shaouni, Hour Detroit
A Leauge of Extraordinary Gentlemen, March 2015 Hour

Second place
- Veronica Soderlund, Josh Scott, Hour Detroit:
Inside the House of Truth, November 2015 Hour

Print Class C Magazine Spread Design

First place
- Valerie Morgan, Joe
Vaughn, Kosta Finnllow,
Hour Detroit:
Elements of Surprise,
March 2015 Restaurant of
the Year

Print Class C News Photography

First place
- Jessica Strachan
The News-Herald:
Honoring Emma

Print Class C Page One Design

First place
- Michelle Sheridan
Detroit Jewish
News: 'Wow!'

Print Class C Personality Profile

Honorable mention
- Ronelle Grier, Detroit Jewish News: Mogul and Mensch
Third place
- K. Michelle Moran, C&G Newspapers: Longtime mayor drove improvements in Park

Second place
- Dave Herndon, The News-Herald:
Rhino celebrates 20th wrestleversary with VFW fundraiser

Print Class C Personality Profile

First place
- Ronelle Grier,
Detroit Jewish News:
Rachel Jacobs
Obituary

Print Class C Sports Photography

First place
- Amber Ainsworth
University of
Michigan-Dearborn
De'veon's Drive

Print Class C Sports Reporting

First place
- Jeff Waraniak, Hour
Detroit: It Was a Very
Good Year, Hour
Detroit, April

Print Class C Spot or Breaking News

Third place
Frank Esposito, Don Loepp, Plastics News:
Dow, DuPont strike 'merger of equals'
Second place
Nick Mordowanec, C&G Newspapers:
Clinton Township man receives probation in
manslaughter case

First place
K. Michelle Moran, C&G
Newspapers: Fire destroys two
popular Grosse Pointe Park businesses

Print Class D Cover Design

Third place
- Michelle Franzen Martin, Lee Ann
Gusmano, Bill Costello, Rebecca Wall,
University Liggett School: Perspective
Second place
- Michelle FranzenMartin, Lee Ann
Gusmano, Bill Costello, Rebecca Wall,
University Liggett School: Perspective

First place
- Margaret Geralyn Kelly, City
of Ann Arbor: Wastewatcher

Print Class D Feature Design

Second place
- Julie Pincus, Kresge
Foundation:
Inspiration: Modernism

First place
Michelle Franzen Martin, Bill
Costello, Lee Ann Gusmano,
Rebecca Wall: University
Liggett School: Discovering
Their Passions

Print Class D Feature Story

Third place
- Michelle Franzen Martin, University
Liggett School
Discovering Their Passions
Second place
- Sue Levytsky, Kresge Foundation
Transcendent Vision

First place
- Julie Halpert, Michigan Today:
Getting Schooled

Print Class D Photo

First place
Lon Horwedel, Kresge
Foundation: Arise
Detroit Neighborhood
Day Gratiot Splash

Print Class D Use of Photos, Graphics

Second place
- Julie Pincus, Kresge
Foundation: The Fabric of Her
Life: A Timeline

First place
- Michelle Franzen Martin,
David Dalton, Lee Ann
Gusmano, Rebecca Wall,
University Liggett School:
Perspective Photography

Congratulations!
Excellence in Journalism
Award Winners

Young Journalist of the Year Finalists

Michael Martinez, The Detroit News
He has advanced from an intern for the Business section
to Ford Motor Co. beat reporter.
He was first to report that Ford was cutting a shift at the
Michigan Assembly Plant, and later broke the news that
Ford would bring the Ranger pickup to that same plant.
He excelled as part of the local White House press pool on
two different occasions since January 2015 when
President Obama visited Detroit.
Martinez founded, edits and co-hosts The News first-ever
automotive podcast, Miked Up.

Young Journalist of the Year Finalists

Jessica Strachan,
Strachan has excelled since arriving at
The News-Herald in 2014, and is the papers
highest page-view-generating reporter.
She is an award-winning, multimedia media who puts her
all into everything from chasing a shooting suspect
and arriving to the scene before the police do, camping
out with homeless individuals to find out firsthand what
the plight of homelessness really is about.

Her editor says she is a smart digital reporter, a treasured

photographer, a passionate journalist and a true leader in
the newsroom.

Young Journalist of the Year 2016

Michael Martinez, The Detroit News
Past Honorees
2004 Sheri Hall, The Detroit News
2005 Andrea Nobile, The Macomb Daily
2006 Marisa Schultz, The Detroit News
2007 Keith Dunlap, The Oakland Press
2008 Jennifer Guerra, Michigan Radio
2009 Brian Kaufman, Detroit Free Press
2010 Tim Higgins, Detroit Free Press
2011 Gina Damron, Detroit Free Press
2012 Ross Jones, WXYZ-TV
2013 Ross Jones, WXYZ-TV
2014 Lindsey Smith, Michigan Radio
2015 Nathan Bomey, Detroit Free Press

Journalist of the Year Finalists

Ron Fonger, The Flint Journal
Long before Flints water crisis became a national news
story, Fonger, a reporter for the newspaper since 1995, was
the first journalist to report the shocking discovery that a
cancer-causing agent was lurking in Flints drinking water.
The story snowballed despite some city officials best
attempts to marginalize the issue. His reports provoked
angry protests, truckloads of free bottled water, and, finally,
a $2-million grant for Flints troubled system.

Other Michigan communities had similar water violations,

but none of them rose to the level of public out-rage seen in
Flint following the publishing of more than 200 of Fongers
articles during 2015.

Journalist of the Year Finalists

Nancy Kaffer, Detroit Free Press
Nearly a year before Flint became a national story, Kaffer
was writing about the trouble with contaminants in its
water, and raising important questions about why Flint left
the Detroit water system.
Once it became clear that the water switch had tragically
exposed the citys residents to unsafe levels of lead, she was
among the first to demand answers, and one of the most
relentless detailing the trail of bad decision-making & errors.

She pursues the same dogged editorial prosecution when

writing about Michigans widespread application of an
emergency manager law that displaces local governance,
and its impact on poor and largely minority communities.

Journalist of the Year Finalists

Keith Naughton, Bloomberg
In the fast-developing driverless-car story, Keith Naughton
kept Bloomberg ahead of the curve for dialogue and
coverage of this critical business, tech-nology and public
policy issue, revealing truths and raising troubling questions
about what our future would look like when cars drive
themselves.
Naughtons coverage culminated in two pieces that
reverberated from Detroit to Silicon Valley and beyond:
A Bloomberg Businessweek cover story on how General
Motors is vying with Google, and a piece showing that robot
cars, intended to improve highway safety, were getting in
crashes at three times the rate of human-driven vehicles.

Journalist of the Year Finalists

Lindsey Smith, Michigan Radio
Smith led coverage of the Flint water crisis for the news
outlet, including an hour-long documentary telling the
contamination story that was picked up for national
distribution by the Center for Investigative Reporting.
She was far ahead of other news outlets with this in-depth
look at the issue. The documentary launched much of the
national news coverage that followed its airing.
This past year she covered stories from a school district that
found a way to make money by setting up a virtual
charter school, to what its like riding your bike to work in
winter, to a community so dangerous that other towns
refused to play high school football games there.

Journalist of the Year 2016

Ron Fonger, The Flint Journal
Past honorees
2004 George Bullard, The Detroit News
2005 David Zeman, Detroit Free Press
2006 Jim Schaefer, Detroit Free Press
2007 Ron French, The Detroit News
2008 Jack Kresnak, Detroit Free Press
2009 M. L. Elrick, Jim Schaefer, Detroit Free Press
2010 Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press
2011 John Carlisle, Metro Times
2012 Christine MacDonald, The Detroit News
2013 Donna Terek, The Detroit News
2014 Robert Snell, The Detroit News
2015 Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press

Congratulations
to all Winners!
See you next year.