COLUMBUS – Ohio’s Best Journalism Contest, sponsored by the Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) chapters statewide, announced its 2018 awards. There were 308 awards announced out of 645 entries submitted.
The categories include large circulation print (75,000 or greater), small circulation print (fewer than 75,000), radio, television, digital media, trade organizations, freelance and college. Click here for a full list of categories.
Best of Show distinctions are awarded in all categories except college. Entries were for work done in 2017. Journalists from The Top of the Rockies awards contest (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming) served as judges.
Save the date for a luncheon celebration to honor the winners, which will be held Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018, at noon in Cincinnati with a riverboat cruise luncheon on the Ohio River. Registration is available on Eventbrite.
Journalists, who work for newspaper, magazines, radio, television, trade, online and college media in Ohio and adjacent states that have significant reach into Ohio were eligible to submit entries, as well as freelance journalists, who are Ohio residents, regardless of where their work is published, broadcast or webcast. Entrants did not need to be members of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Ohio’s Best Journalism is the only Ohio competition that honors journalists who fulfill the SPJ mission: defense of the First Amendment, support of literacy, resistance to censorship, advocacy for openness of public records and meetings, media self-criticism and community service.
Top print winners were The Columbus Dispatch with 33 awards; The Cincinnati Enquirer with 20 awards; The Akron Beacon Journal with 17 awards; The Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com with 10 awards; Crain’s Cleveland Business with 10 awards; and Columbus Alive with 10 awards. Top broadcast winners were WKSU Radio with 13 awards; WVXU 91.7 Radio with 12 awards; WCPN Radio with eight awards; WBNS-TV with eight awards; WOSU with seven awards; and WVIZ/PBS ideastream with seven awards.
In the Large Circulation Print (75,000 or greater), Best of Show category, top winners included:
- Best Page One Design, First Place, Alan Miller, The Columbus Dispatch
- Best Columnist in Ohio, First Place, Theodore Decker, The Columbus Dispatch
- Best Reporter in Ohio, First Place, Amanda Garrett, The Akron Beacon Journal
- Best Photographer in Ohio, First Place, Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch
- Best Daily Newspaper, First Place, The Columbus Dispatch
In the Small Circulation Print (Fewer than 75,000), Best of Show category, top winners included:
- Best Photographer, First Place, Tim Johnson, Columbus Monthly
- Best Weekly Newspaper, First Place, Cincinnati Business Courier
- Best Reporter in Ohio, First Place, Sheehan Hannan, Cleveland Magazine
- Best Columnist, First Place, Regina Brett, Cleveland Jewish News
- Best Monthly, First Place, Cleveland Magazine
- Best Special Publication, First Place, 614 Magazine
In the Trade Publications, Best of Show category, winners included:
- Best Trade Publication, First Place, The College Store
- Best Trade Columnist, First Place, Susan Crowell, Farm and Dairy
In the Television, Best of Show category, winners included:
- Best Anchor, Rick Jackson, WVIZ/PBS ideastream
- Best Reporter, First Place, Duane Pohlman, WKRC-TV
- Best Newscast, First Place, WCMH NBC4
In the Radio, Best of Show category, winners included:
- Best Reporter, First Place, M.L. Schultze, WKSU
- Best Anchor, First Place, Amanda Rabinowitz, WKSU
In the Digital Media, Best of Show category, winners included:
- Best General News Site, First Place, ideastream
- Best Online Still Photographer in Ohio, First Place, Matt Ellis, ColumbusUnderground.com
In the Freelance, Best of Show, categories, winners included:
- Large Circulation Print (+75,000), Best Freelance Writer, Ginny McCabe
- Digital Media, Best Freelance Writer, Jeff Regensburger, ColumbusUnderground.com
In the College category, winners included:
- Best College Non-Daily Newspaper, The Lantern, The Ohio State University
- Best College Opinion Writing, Lucas Misera, The Kent Stater
Click here to view the full list of award winners.
SPJ is teaming up with Google to stage “Covering and Protecting Your Elections,” a free workshop that will provide journalists in key swing states with “tools to detect misinformation, protect yourself and your data online, and connect with voters.”
