The Enquirer was recently named Ohio’s best newspaper in the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists’ “Ohio’s Best Journalism Contest.”
The Enquirer’s piece “embodies what it means to offer a package of news,” the judges said. “Offering something for everyone takes a lot of work and care, and that shows in this issue.”
The Enquirer took second place as best newspaper in the Press Club of Cleveland’s All Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards and second place in the Ohio Associated Press’ Media Editors contest, behind its sister papers the Akron Beacon Journal and Columbus Dispatch.
Education reporter Madeline Mitchell won APME’s Rising Star Award, which recognizes the achievement and ability of an individual with five years or less of journalism experience. The Enquirer’s series of articles on the future of downtown won the award for best digital project and the Enquirer’s sports section took first place in its category. City Hall reporter Sharon Coolidge was named best news writer and investigative reporter Dan Horn was named best feature writer in the competition’s largest print section.
Quinlan Bentley and Cameron Knight’s reporting on the father who shot and killed his sons in Clermont County won in the news brief category. Bengals reporter Kelsey Conway’s piece on DJ Reader was named best sports company. Graphic journalist Michael Nyerges won best infographic for his video examining life expectancy in the city.
Other employees honored in the APME:
- Second place: Full-page design; best investigative reporting: The Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch, Akron Beacon Journal and Canton Repository, chaos in Ohio’s youth prisons; sportswriter Scott Springer; business writer Alexander Coolidge; public service: Madeline Mitchell and Terry DeMio.
- Third place: digital presence; sports photo, The Cincinnati Enquirer, introduction; columnist, Kevin Aldridge; photo story, contributor; photographer, Cara Owsley; sports reporter, Charlie Goldsmith.
In the Ohio SPJ contest, former photographer Kareem Elgazzar was named Ohio’s best photographer. Madeline Mitchell and Terry DeMio’s stories on the mental health of teenage girls won the award for best coverage of children’s/educational issues. Real estate reporter Randy Tucker won the award for best business/consumer reporting for a story about Greyhound’s move to the city’s suburbs. A collection of stories by Horn won the award for best coverage of religion.
Haley BeMiller of the USA TODAY Network’s Ohio bureau won best government and politics coverage for her work explaining State Topic 1, and the bureau’s “Ohio Politics Explained” podcast was named best podcast. The joint project with the Columbus Dispatch, Akron Beacon Journal and Canton Repository, which examines Ohio’s youth detention centers, won best special feature.
Several employees took second place:
- Laura A. Bischoff and Jessie Balmert, criminal justice reporting.
- Keith Pandolfi, feature reporting.
- Scott Wartman, government/politics reporting.
- Juvenile justice project, investigative reporting.
- Jolene Almendarez, reporting on minority issues.
- Terry DeMio, science/medical/health reporting.
- Charlie Goldsmith, sports reporting.
- Michael Nyerges, graphic designer.
Four Enquirer staffers and a team of reporters won first place awards at the All Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards in June:
- Cameron Knight, Crime and Justice History: “How a gun led police to those responsible for at least five murders and dozens of shootings”
- Kelsey Conway, sports article: “How Bengals star DJ Reader lost his father but found himself”
- Gordon Wittenmyer, Sports News, “How Cincinnati Red Elly De La Cruz accomplished another impossible feat”
- Enquirer Staff, Breaking News: “Damar Hamlin collapses at Paycor Stadium”
Others recognized:
- Second place: Keith Pandolfi, food/restaurant; Jolene Almendarez, lifestyle feature; Kevin Aldridge, column or blog.
- Third place: Madeline Mitchell, education; Kareem Elgazzar, portrait/people photo; Dan Horn and Terry DeMio, data journalism; “Chaos in Ohio’s youth prisons”; Haley BeMiller, best news reporter; Anna Staver, profile.
