WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Education Writers Association (EWA), the professional association of education reporters and writers, today announced the winners of the prestigious 2004 National Awards for Education Reporting. The annual contest honors the best education reporting in print and broadcast media and is the only independent contest of its kind in the United States. Contest entries were limited to stories published or broadcast for the first time during the 2004 calendar year.

A total of 503 entries were judged in this year’s contest. First place winners receive a cash prize of $150 and a plaque. Winners of second prizes and special citations each receive a certificate. The Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting, which includes an award of $1,000 and a trophy, will be presented to the best of the first place winners. All prizes, including the announcement of the Grand Prize, are given at the awards banquet May 7 at 6:30 p.m. during the Education Writers Association’s 58th National Seminar, May 5-7, at the Hilton in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Contest judging was conducted independently, under the direction of Chief Judge Chris Harvey of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland. This year’s panel included the following distinguished judges: Mike Brodie, freelance writer; Chris Callahan, associate dean, Philip Merrill College of; Ira Chinoy, visiting professor at the University of Maryland and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner; Steve Drummond, senior editor, All Things Considered; Viola G. Gienger, Bloomberg News; Rob Hotakainen, Star Tribune Washington bureau correspondent; Haynes Johnson, professor and Knight chair, Philip Merrill College of Journalism; Ledyard King, reporter for Gannett News Service; Deborah Potter, executive director, Newslab; Frank Quine, assistant dean for external affairs, Philip Merrill College of Journalism; and, Fredreka Schouten, formerly with Gannett News Service, now with Education Trust.

Recent winners of the Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting include Christine Willmsen and Maureen O’Hagan, Seattle Times; Eric Eyre and Scott Finn, Charleston Gazette; Patrick Healy, Boston Globe; Ken Weiss, Los Angeles Times; and Tim Simmons, Raleigh News & Observer.
 

I. Newspapers under 100,000 Circulation

A. Breaking or Hard News

• First Prize: Jack Stripling – Opelika-Auburn News – “Turmoil at Auburn University”

• Second Prize: Betsy Cohen – Missoulian – “UM Athletics”

• Special Citation: Diane D’Amico – The Press of Atlantic City – “School Bus Crisis”

• Special Citation: Greg Rickabaugh – The Augusta Chronicle - “Transportation Troubles”

B. Feature, News Feature or Issue Package

• First Prize: David Hunn – The Bakersfield Californian - “Special Cases”

• Second Prize: Doug Erickson – Wisconsin State Journal - “Bumpy Road of Darryl Fuller”

• Special Citation: Victoria Blake – Beaverton Valley Times - “Young and Gay”

C. Series or Group of Articles

• First Prize: Jenel Few – Savannah Morning News – “Left Behind”

• Second Prize: Brenda W. Schmidt – Argus Leader – “BIA Education at a Crossroad”

• Special Citation: Callie Clark – Southeast Missourian - “Taking on the Challenge”

D. Investigative Reporting

• First Prize: Eric Eyre – Charleston Gazette – “Web of Deceit: The Fall of West Virginia Education Chairman Jerry Mezzatesta”

E. Opinion

• First Prize: Susan Reid – The Burlington Free Press – “Safe, Secure Schools”

• Second Prize: Jane Nicholes – Mobile Register – “Editorial Series”

II. Newspapers over 100,000 Circulation

A. Breaking or Hard News

• First Prize: Karla Schuster, Eden Laikin – Newsday – “Roslyn Embezzlement Scandal”

• Second Prize: Diane Rado, Ray Long, Stephanie Banchero, Christi Parsons – Chicago Tribune – “Education Takeover”

B. Feature, News Feature or Issue Package

• First Prize: Michael Booth – The Denver Post – “Boy Wonder”

• Second Prize: Aina Hunter – Philadelphia Weekly – “Speak No Evil: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

• Special Citation: Dorren Robinson – The Tennessean – “Rich School, Poor School”

• Special Citation: Elizabeth Bernstein – The Wall Street Journal – “The Price of Admission”

C. Series or Group of Articles

• First Prize: Stephanie Banchero – Chicago Tribune – “No Child Left Behind”

• Second Prize: Mary Shanklin, Denise-Marie Balona – Orlando Sentinel – “Lost Days in the Classroom”

• Special Citation: Bill Graves, Betsy Hammond, Chris Broderick, Melissa Jones – The Oregonian – “Fixing High Schools”

D. Investigative Reporting

• First Prize: Joshua Benton, Holly Hacker, Herb Booth – Dallas Morning News – “Children Left Behind: Corruption and Cheating in Texas”

• Second Prize: Chris Davis, Matthew Doig – Sarasota Herald-Tribune – “Teachers Who Fail”

• Special Citation: Alec MacGillis – Baltimore Sun – “Poor Schools, Rich Targets”

• Special Citation: Yamil Berard – Star-Telegram – “Shorting Out School: A Big Day for Texas”

E. Opinion

• First Prize: Samuel Freedman – New York Times – “On Education”

• Second Prize: Derrick Z. Jackson – The Boston Globe – “Columns”

• Special Citation: Louis Freedberg – San Francisco Chronicle - “Crisis in Higher Education”

III. Beat Reporting

A. Small Media or Market

• First Prize: Robin Wilson – The Chronicle of Higher Education

• Second Prize: Doug Erickson – Wisconsin State Journal

• Special Citation: Matt Bach – Flint Journal

• Special Citation: Amy McFall Prince – The Columbian

B. Large Media or Market

• First Prize: Joshua Benton – Dallas Morning News

• Second Prize: Mary Shanklin – Orlando Sentinel

• Special Citation: Yamil Berard – Fort Worth Star-Telegram

IV. Magazines

A. National Circulation

• First Prize: Julian Barnes, Anna Mulrine, Lynn Rosellini, Samantha Stainburn, Justin Ewers, Linda Kulman, Jay Tolson, Ulrich Boser, Christopher Shea – US News & World Report - “Unequal Education”

• Second Prize: Hara Estroff Marano – Psychology Today - “A Nation of Wimps”

B. Regional or Local Circulation

• First Prize: Tyler Currie – Washington Post Magazine - “The Sound of Success”

• Second Prize: David Roswell, Ylan Q. Mui, Eric L. Wee, Sydney Trent – Washington Post Magazine – “How Far Have We Really Come”

• Special Citation: Ted Gup – Boston Globe Magazine – “Southern Discomfort”

V. Special Interest, Institutional and Trade Publications

• First Prize: Alan Richard, Karla Scoon Reid, Catherine Gewertz – Education Week – “Brown at 50: The Promise Unfulfilled”

• Second Prize: Scott Smallwood, Thomas Bartlett – The Chronicle of Higher Education – “Degrees of Suspicion”

• Special Citation: Kathleen Kennedy Manzo – Education Week - “The Reading Agenda”

VI. Television

A. Hard News and Investigative

• First Prize: John Merrow, John D. Tulenko, Tira Grey – Learning Matters – “Continuing Coverage of the No Child Left Behind Act”

• Second Prize: Liz Collin, Dennis Decker, Nickie Flynn – KWCH-TV – “St. John’s Military School”

• Special Citation: Jeff Hirsh, Jeff Barnhill – WKRC-TV – “Public Money, Private Schools”

B. Documentary and Feature

• First Prize: Noel Cisneros - KRON-TV – “Separate-Unequal”

• Second Prize: Marc Shaffer – California Connected – “DUI Deliberations”

• Special Citation: Tamara Pratt, Kia Malone, KWTV andAshli Sims, Terry Hood, KOTV - “Raising the Grade”

VII. Radio

• First Prize: Amy Tardif – WGCU Public Media – “Florida’s Universal Pre-K”

• Second Prize: Beth Fertig – WNYC Radio – “Pregnancy Schools”

• Special Citation: Jean Snedegar, Richard Paul, – SOUNDPRINT Media Center, Inc. - Teaching NOW! “Educating Emily” and “Who Needs Libraries?”