Congratulations – again – to a terrific newsroom

A few times each year, I am reminded of just how talented our newsroom is. I always know it, but the feeling is reinforced after the results arrive from journalism contests, when our best work is judged by fellow journalists from other states and regions.
These peer compliments sometimes can get lost in the crush of producing a daily newspaper, feeding the Web, working on weekend stories and conducting long-term investigations.
Journalism is among the lowest-paying, highest-stress professions; most of its practitioners are required to have college degrees, to be computer savvy and to do more work than their predecessors, as staff sizes continue to slink.
This column is an ode to this newsroom, which produced 20 winners in the Mountain Empire Journalism Contest, sponsored by the Greater Tri-Cities Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
The Bristol Herald Courier won 46 awards, including 19 first-place honors and was led by news reporter Daniel Gilbert with eight prizes. Four awards were earned by each of these staffers: former sports writer Brian T. Smith, now the Portland Trailblazers beat writer with the Vancouver Columbian in Washington state, Chief Photographer David Crigger and reporter Michael L. Owens, whose awards were all first places.
Here are our winners:
n Gilbert, first place in daily series/package, feature writing, business; second places in criminal justice/safety, government, education and feature writing; and third place in series/package.
n Crigger, first and third places for photo illustrations; second and third places for sports photography.
n Owens, first place in criminal justice/safety, government reporting, health care & science and technology, and education.
n Smith, first and second places in deadline sports; second place in sports series; third place vvin sports column.
n J. Todd Foster, first place in personal column and editorial; third place in art review.
n Deb King, who swept first, second and third in informational graphics.
n Jim Cnockaert, first and third places for sports feature writing.
n Jennifer Estep, first and second places for feature front layout and design.
n Earl Neikirk, first place in sports photography and third place in spot news photography.
n Joe Tennis, first place in arts, heritage and entertainment; second place in art review.
n Spencer Campbell, second place in sports feature writing.
n Andrea Hopkins, second place in editorial.
n Debra McCown, second place in health care & science and technology.
n David McGee, second place in business.
n Andre Teague, second place in spot news photography.
n Keith O’Dell, second place in best page 1 layout and design.
n Jan Patrick, third place in best feature front layout and design.
n Brian Reese, first place in best page 1 layout and design.
n Ryan Roorda, first place in sports front layout and design.
n Kathy Still, first place with Owens in education.
The sports staff won a first for sports series and an honorable mention for multimedia sports coverage.
The entire staff won second place for series/package – the special section “The Travel Trade,” which documented tourism’s impact on our region.

J. Todd Foster is managing editor of the Bristol Herald Courier and can be reached at and (276) 645-2513.