The Hawaii Tribune-Herald was honored last month for excellence in journalism.
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald was honored last month for excellence in journalism.
The newspaper garnered eight awards in statewide journalism competition sponsored by the Hawaii Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The awards were announced June 29 at a banquet in Honolulu.
The competition was open to news organizations throughout Hawaii, including newspapers, magazines, websites and TV and radio stations. Submissions were judged by the Greater Oregon Chapter of the SPJ.
“First” and “finalist” awards were given to what the judges deemed was the best work of 2011. The Tribune-Herald won the following awards:
General News/Enterprise Reporting (First): “Shattered paradise” by John Burnett. The judges said Burnett’s retrospective about the murder of Dana Ireland 20 years ago made “good use of various sources” and was an “interesting story told in many voices.”
General News/Enterprise Reporting (Finalist): “The price of dropping out” by Colin Stewart. This story examined the problems associated with dropping out of high school. The judges said it was an “important story told well from many viewpoints.”
Feature Writing/Short Form (Finalist): “Haunted by past” by John Burnett. This news feature explored how Puna resident Ida Smith’s life changed forever the day she found the body of Ireland on the side of the road.
Spot News Reporting (Finalist): “Zip line accident proves fatal” by Colin Stewart, who “explored many avenues trying to get to the bottom of this story,” the judges said.
Special Section (Finalist): “Celebrate Hula: A Guide to the 48th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival” by Meg Scarbrough, Peter Sur, William Ing and David Bock. The judges said the Tribune-Herald’s annual preview of the hula festival was “incredibly well organized.”
Editorial Cartoon/Illustration (Finalist): “A sobering statistic” by Gary Hoff. The judges said Hoff’s cautionary cartoon about the danger of exposing unborn babies to drugs and alcohol was “a nice approach to a serious subject.”
News Photography (Finalist): “Papaya fields destroyed” by John Burnett. Burnett’s striking photo of a family standing in the midst of their vandalized papaya crop impressed the judges.
News Page Design (Finalist): “A changed America” by Meg Scarbrough. The judges said this front-page layout commemorating the anniversary of 9-11 made “good use of space” and utilized “excellent pullquote placement and design.”
Bock, editor of the Tribune-Herald, said he was pleased that the newspaper’s work was honored.
“Our talented journalists work hard to produce quality news for the community,” Bock said. “These awards are a credit to our terrific news team — and to the readers and advertisers who support us.”
Earlier this year, the newspaper also won five awards in another journalism competition held by the Hawaii Publishers Association.