Chicago Headline Club Honors City's Best Journalism in Peter Lisagor Awards

Chicago Headline Club Honors City's Best Journalism in Peter Lisagor Awards

CHICAGO, April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chicago Headline Club chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has named winners of the annual Peter Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism.

The Chicago Tribune received 18 honors, including awards to its Sunday magazine, Web site and video production unit. The Tribune was given a public service award for its October 2004 series on crime scene investigation. WBEZ- FM was presented six awards; the Chicago Sun-Times and Daily Herald four each. Also receiving multiple honors were Crain's Chicago Business, Chicago magazine, Modern Healthcare magazine, WBBM-AM and WGN-TV.

These are the Chicago Headline Club's 28th annual awards to Chicago area journalists. The competition's categories range from in-depth reporting and public service to business, commentary and feature reporting.

Time magazine White House correspondent Matthew Cooper, who faces jail time for refusing to divulge his sources, was the featured speaker in the April 29 awards banquet at the Westin Chicago River North hotel.

The awards are named for Peter Lisagor, late Washington bureau chief of the Chicago Daily News. Reporters and editors from SPJ chapters in five cities reviewed nearly 900 entries published or broadcast in 2004. Plaques were presented for 61 reports, chosen for such attributes as enterprise, accuracy, scope, style and impact.

Judges' comments on all finalists in the contest will be posted at headlineclub.org/lisagor. Here are the Lisagor Award winners:

Public service

-- Chicago Tribune, "Forensics Under the Microscope," Flynn McRoberts, Steve Mills, Maurice Possley

In-depth reporting -- Chicago magazine, "The Lost World of Kup," Carol Felsenthal

-- Chicago Reporter and Residents' Journal, "Deadly Moves," Brian J. Rogol, Beauty Turner, Mary C. Johns, Alden K. Loury -- Chicago Sun-Times, "Clout on Wheels," Tim Novak, Steve Warmbir -- Chicago Tribune, "Fade to Blue," Paul Salopek -- Chicago Tribune, "Homicide in Chicago: Scourge of a City," Rex W. Huppke, David Heinzmann, Staff

-- Chicago Tribune, "No Child Left Behind," Stephanie Banchero -- chicagotribune.com, "Willingham Execution," Steve Mills, Maurice Possley, Chris Booker -- Chicago Tribune Electronic News (for CLTV), "The City's Pastime," John Owens, Bradley Piper -- Crain's Chicago Business, "Medical Malpractice," Sarah A. Klein, Bob Tita, Steven R. Strahler -- Modern Healthcare, "The Best Health Care Money Can Buy," Cinda Becker -- The Star, "Credit Card Abuse," Juliana Keeping

-- WBBM-TV, "Ice Cream Convicts," Dave Savini, Michele Youngerman -- WBEZ, "Chicago Matters: Our Next Generation," Julia McEvoy, Amy Dorn, Staff -- WBEZ, "Out Here on My Own," Linda Paul, Cate Cahan

Deadline reporting -- Chicago Tribune, "15 Chicagoans Killed in Arkansas Crash," Karen Mellen, Virginia Groark, Staff -- chicagotribune.com, "La Salle Bank Fire," Staff -- Post-Tribune, "Student Slasher: Seven Treated After Machete Attack," Jim Stinson, Jon Seidel, Staff -- WBBM-AM, "LaSalle Bank Fire," Steve Grzanich, Steve Miller, News Staff

-- Windy City Times, "Losing a Son," Cathy Seabaugh -- WLS-TV, "LaSalle Bank Fire," Paul Meincke, Rob Johnson, Staff

Design -- Chicago Tribune, "A Tour of Chicago's Millennium Park," Haeyoun Park, Phil Geib, Chris Soprych, Dino Munoz -- Chicago Tribune, "Go!" Olympics preview, Jason McKean, Steve Ravenscraft -- Crain's Chicago Business, "100 Most Influential Women," Karen Kellams -- Chicago Tribune, "Child Obesity: What Can We Do?", David Syrek, Joseph Darrow -- Daily Herald, "The Path from Polska," Mark Lesselyoung

Photography -- chicagotribune.com, "Unauthorized Loop," Alex Garcia -- Chicago Tribune Magazine, "An American Odyssey," Chris Walker -- Daily Herald, "The Path from Polska," Brian Hill -- The Times, "Fatal Fire," John J. Watkins -- WGN-TV, "Alaska: Where Winters Are Winters," Kevin Myers

Features -- Associated Press, "Babies for Rent," Sharon Cohen -- Chicago Tribune, "Utica, Illinois: Wicked Winds," Julia Keller -- Chicago Tribune Magazine, "And Now for Something Completely Different. Sort of," Chris Jones -- CLTV, "Metromix: The TV Show," Stephanie Kurtz -- Daily Herald, television criticism, Ted Cox -- Reflejos Bilingual Journal: Una nueva vox in los hospitales, Veronica Gonzalez -- Time magazine, "Between the Sexes," Wendy Cole -- WBEZ, "Bliss," Sylvia Ewing -- WBEZ, "Indiana War Memorial," Jenny Lawton -- WFLD, "Asian Plastic Surgery," Mark Saxenmeyer

Sports -- Chicago Tribune, Rick Morrissey -- Chicago Tribune Magazine, "Fighting for the Spotlight," Michael Hirsley -- Naperville Sun, "Under Pressure - The Landscape of High School Sports," Paul LaTour -- WBEZ, "Sox Tour," Beth Finke, Matt Cunningham

Business -- Business Week Online, "A Gray Streak for Hair Care Goods," Ann Therese Palmer

-- Chicago magazine, "Closing Arguments: The Dissolution of Altheimer & Gray," Shane Tritsch -- Chicago Sun-Times, "Does Your Hospital Have Enough Nurses?", Lori Rackl -- Chicago Tribune, "Outsourcing: Pain and Profit," Michael Oneal -- Crain's Chicago Business, "$2 Billion in Pensions at Boeing," Julie Johnsson -- Hyde Park Herald, "47th Street Co-op Closes," Jeremy Adragna -- Modern Healthcare, "Outsourcing Everything," Michael Romano -- -TV-AM, "Bank One-JP Morgan Chase Merger," Kris Kridel, Sherman Kaplan, News Staff -- WGN-TV, "Identity Theft and Taxes," Ilyce R. Glink

Commentary -- Bloomberg News, columns on retirement and college funds, John Wasik -- Chicago Sun-Times, campaign columns, Lynn Sweet -- Chicago Sun-Times, public corruption editorials, Staff -- Daily Herald, editorial cartoons, T. Brian Kelly -- Hospitals & Health Networks, "Dropping Dead," Alden Solovy -- Neighbors, "Etched in Stone," Tina Valentino -- WBEZ, "Pulling the Trigger," George Houde

The Chicago Headline Club is dedicated to promoting the highest ideals of journalism. As the largest chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Club's purpose is to provide an effective means for Chicago-area journalists to participate in programs to improve journalism standards, recognize excellence, encourage young journalists, advance the cause of freedom of information and enhance the prestige of the profession.

The club also sponsors the Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists (1-800 DILEMMA), the Les Brownlee Journalism Series and the Chicago Headline Club/INBA Job File.

Source: Chicago Headline Club

CONTACT: Stephen Rynkiewicz of the Chicago Headline Club, +1-312-222-3778, or cell, +1-773-852-1252, or pager, +1-312-657-3084, srynkiewicz@tribune.com

Web site: http://www.headlineclub.org/

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