Ohio's Best Journalism Contest 2018 announces winners

Ohio's Best Journalism Contest Announces 2018 Winners
Ohio's Best Journalism Contest
Announces 2018 Winners
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2018

Contact:
Sarah Mills Bacha
614.563.1066
smbacha@earthlink.net
COLUMBUS – Ohio’s Best Journalism Contest, sponsored by the Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) chapters statewide, announced its 2018 awards today. 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. Mark your calendars and watch your inbox for celebration registration details in the coming days.

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.

Attention journalists/editors/entry submitters: Please review the list of winners carefully and confirm that the individual and/or individuals listed in the column “Name on Award” are the names that should appear on the awards. If changes are needed, please email Sarah Mills Bacha at smbacha@earthlink.net as soon as possible.

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 ideastreamwith 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