Press Club Awards Program 2021

6 3 R D A N N UA L

Excellence In Journalism AWA R D S G A L A

Order of Ceremony Welcome President’s Remarks David T. Baker, The Louisiana Weekly M asters of Ceremony Doug Mouton & Fletcher Mackel Special Presentation Lifetime Achievement Recipient Nancy Parker, Fox 8 Lifetime Achievement Recipient Walt Handelsman, The Times-Picayune Presentation of Scholarships Silver Scribe Announcement Special Awards Presentation

Thank You to Our Sponsors! Bayou Rum, Copa Airlines, NOPSI Hotel, Porchjam, Renaissance Publishing and Stoli Vodka

A Word From Our President

Welcome to the 63rd Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards Gala!

This year, between an ongoing pandemic and

hurricane interruptions, we’ve gone virtual once again. Though plans have had to change at the speed of the news cycle over the past two years, the Board of Directors has been glad to adapt if it means being able to continue bringing you the fun-filled evening you all deserve, celebrating your hard work and dedication to journalism and the communities that rely on the news we produce everyday.

Though we aren’t gathering in person for this year’s awards, we are still all together in spirit. And despite not being able to gather in person with you all during my first year as president, it’s my great honor and pleasure to be able to serve in this role.

Returning for a second year of virtual emceeing, Doug Mouton and Fletcher Mackel have an exciting and engaging program laid out. From guest appearances and color commentary, to celebrations of our fellow journalists and media professionals, to news and updates about what we’ve been up to, tonight’s program is one not to miss. We’ll be announcing the finalists for our first ever photo exhibition, “Life Through the Lens,” which will showcase the fantastic photo works of local and non-local photographers celebrating the life, spirit, history and culture of Southeast Louisiana. We will also hear news of success and triumph from Lede, a New Orleans-based nonprofit that teaches local youths the art of journalism, founded by one of our longtime journalists and members.

Though we won’t be able to enjoy heartwarming words of wisdom and camaraderie from this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winners, we will still hear of their great successes and the dedication, dignity and excitement they’ve brought to the industry. Next year, however, we will be celebrating them properly, speeches and all.

On behalf of the Board of Directors for the Press Club of New Orleans, thank you for joining us tonight.

We hope you enjoy the show!

David T. Baker President Press Club of New Orleans

David T. Baker is an awardwinning journalist and an editor at The Louisiana Weekly newspaper, the oldest existing African-American newspaper in the Southeast Louisiana region. He is also the content writer for 504ward, a weekly digital digest centered around life in the Greater New Orleans area, and an arts & culture writer for Culturalyst. Baker is a 2017 Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Journalists in Aging Fellow, a 2018 Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators Fellow, and a 2021 Prospect 5 Satellite artist, curating the Press Club of New Orleans’ P.5 photojournalism exhibit, “Life Through the Lens.”

About Us

In 1957, nearly 100 journalists and public relations professionals gathered in modest quarters in the 200 block of Camp Street to organize the Press Club of New Orleans. ¶ The goal of the group was to promote and improve the field of journalism and its related professions through professional development. ¶ Today, Press Club activities include the professional, the educational and the social. The club’s 300-plus members represent every level of their fields.

BOARD OF DIREC TORS OFFICERS

MEDIA

PUBLIC RELATIONS

David T. Baker / President The Louisiana Weekly

Fletcher Mackel WDSU-TV

Makala Blake Blake Consulting

Doug Mouton / 1st Vice President WWL-TV

Mark Schleifstein The Times-Picayune | Nola.com

Greg Buisson Buisson Creative

Larry Lovell / 2nd Vice President Peter A. Mayer

Mary Staes Very Local New Orleans

Carrie Devries-Pavlick DEVENEY

Melanie Warner Spencer Past President Renaissance Publishing

Robert Witkowsi Where Y’at Magazine

JOURNALISM EDUCATION

Laura Jayne Loyola University

PA ST PRESIDENTS 2018-2020 Melanie Warner Spencer 2016-2018 Doug Mouton 2013-2016 Kevin Mumphrey 2010-2013 Christian Moises 2008-2010 Greg Shepperd 2006-2008 Rob Nelson 2003-2006 Dominic Massa 2001-2003 Belinda Hernandez 1999-2001 Matt Scallan 1998-1999 Rich Collins 1997-1998 Mark Schleifstein 1997 Sam Moore 1995-1997 Jeffrey Meitrodt 1994-1995 S. Lee Alexander 1992-1994 Kathy Finn

1990-1992 1989-1990 1988-1989 1986-1988 1985-1986 1984-1985 1983-1984 1982-1983 1980-1982 1979-1980 1977-1979 1976-1977 1975-1976 1973-1975 1972-1973

Mark Schleifstein Kit Gorman Bob Pavlovich Warren Bell Randy Callendar Larry Lorenz Joe Puglia Clancy DuBos Tom Bell Hal Ledet Ed Anderson Guy King Arnold Porsch Clarence Doucet Fritz Harsdorff

1970-1972 1968-1970 1967-1968 1966-1967 1965-1966 1964-1965 1963-1964 1962-1963 1961-1962 1960-1961 1959-1960 1958-1959 1957-1958

Jack Dempsey Mike Lala Bill Madden Del Hall Fritz Harsdorff Emile Comar Jerry Romig Howard Jacobs Bob Roesler Alex Waller Bill Madden Emile Comar Gabriel Gelb

Masters of Ceremony

Doug Mouton

Fletcher Mackel

W WL-T V

WDSU-T V

Doug Mouton is the Sports Director at

WWL-TV in New Orleans. He’s a 30-year television veteran who began as an intern at WDSU-TV. From there, he got his first job at KEVN-TV in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Following that were jobs at KVHP-TV in Lake Charles, WGNO-TV, WEAR-TV in Pensacola, then finally, to Channel 4.

Twice, the National Association of Sportswriters and Sportscasters voted Doug as Louisiana’s Sportscaster of the Year. He’s also won an Emmy, an Edward R. Murrow Award and more than a dozen first-place awards from the Press Club of New Orleans.

Doug is a New Orleans native, a longtime veteran of Record Bar in the Lake Forest Plaza, and an alumni of both Brother Martin High School and the University of New Orleans.

Since arriving at WDSU-TV as a sports

anchor and reporter in the fall of 2002, Fletcher has covered some the biggest events in Louisiana sports history: the Saints Super Bowl Championship, LSU’s two BCS National Championships in football and the Tigers’ College World Series Championship.

Fletcher has covered three NCAA Final Four Championships (two in New Orleans and one featuring the LSU Tigers in Indianapolis).

Fletcher says he is most proud of the Saints on 6 shows produced by WDSU. Featuring former Saints Head Coach Jim Mora as a co-host, the shows have won various local, regional and national awards.

As part of the WDSU’s Hurricane Katrina coverage in 2005, Fletcher rode out the storm at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in Harvey and provided live, in-depth reports in the days and weeks following the storm.

An active sports blogger, Fletcher encourages everyone to check out his opinions on Saints, LSU, Hornets and Tulane at: Offsides With Fletcher Mackel.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Nancy Parker FOX 8

Fox 8 anchor and reporter Nancy Parker,

53, died on August 16, 2019 in a plane crash doing what she loved: producing a story.

Her final workday showed just how dedicated a journalist Nancy was in her 30-plus year career. Despite working a nearly 12-hour day on a Friday, and having already anchored 4 hours that morning, she was determined to finish shooting a story on stunt pilot Franklin Augustus.

“I really do love telling stories. That’s my thing. I love sort of making the mundane thing magical,” she said in her acceptance speech for the Suncoast Emmys Silver Circle Award. “I love making people who are just ordinary folks, who have extraordinary stories, I love making them come to life.”

Nancy’s career began at a radio station in her home state of Alabama while still in high school. After graduating from the University of Alabama, she landed television jobs in Columbus, Georgia, then Montgomery, Alabama. In 1990, she was hired as the 5 p.m. anchor for WAFB in Baton Rouge.

Parker spent 6 years anchoring the toprated 5 p.m. news while covering stories in and around the state capital. In 1996, Parker joined WVUE-TV, FOX 8 in New Orleans.

It was here she joined up with colleague John Snell to anchor all evening newscasts for more than a decade before the team migrated to the FOX 8 Morning Edition in the summer of 2016.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Walt Handelsman THE TIMES PIC AYUNE

Walt Handelsman moved to New Orleans in “There’s so many political shenanigans, and 1989 as an editorial cartoonist for The Times- then there is the fun-loving social climate Picayune. His shrewd wit and salient sense of and the weather challenges. When you live humor enhanced a legacy of biting satire at in a place like Louisiana, well, I never run The Times-Picayune and earned him his first out of ideas.

Pulitzer Prize in 1997. He is widely revered “The challenge is to just pick one a day. as one of the best editorial cartoonists in the That’s why I called one of my books ‘I’m business. drawing as fast as I can.’”

Handelsman’s work is nationally syndicated Handelsman’s work has been seen in

by Tribune Content Agency in Chicago to Newsweek, Time, The New York Times, over 200 newspapers around the country and USA Today, The Washington Post and The internationally. In 2001, he moved to Newsday Chicago Tribune. He has been a featured guest in New York, where he learned what it means on CNN, FOX, The NewsHour and Nightline. to miss New Orleans. In 2013, Handelsman In 2006, Walt taught himself Flash returned to the city to work at The Advocate, animation, and in 2007, he became the first Mardi Gras beads around his neck and a go- person to win the Pulitzer Prize for animation. cup in his hand. He publishes four cartoons a Walt is the author of nine collections of week, continues with his hilarious animations editorial cartoons, as well as a children’s book. and has been a frequent guest on WWL-TV. He and his wife, Jodie, have two adult children.

“Simply put, Louisiana is the best place in He is from Baltimore and graduated from the the world to be an editorial cartoonist,” he said. University of Cincinnati.

Award Categories

To order a duplicate copy of your first place award, please email the name of the category and honoree’s name to pressclubneworleans@gmail.com.

Reprints cost $47.80. No names may be added or replaced on awards. No exceptions.

Writing / Print General News Reporting Best Critical Review Best Cover Governmental / Political Reporting Best Layout/Design Television Videography General News Videography Sports Videography Digital Media Sports Blog Best Use of Twitter News Blog Television Broadcast Breaking News Reporting Medical / Health Reporting Best Sports Show Public Relations Special Events Overall Campaign Still Photography Best News Photo Best Multi-Photo Feature Television Broadcast Governmental / Political Reporting Best Talk Show Best Sports Special Lifestyle Reporting General News Reporting Writing / Print Best Sports Feature Business Reporting Community News Lifestyle Reporting

Digital Media Lifestyle Blog Best Social Video Special Section Best News Website Television Broadcast Continuing Coverage Best Sports Feature Best Station Promotion Best Planned Event Best Documentary Public Relations Public Affairs Social Media / Digital Influencers Community Relations Television Videography Best Video Editing Best Visual Storytelling Writing / Print Breaking News Reporting Best Headline Education Reporting Best Sports Column Best Magazine Television Videography Breaking News Videography Feature Videography Photo Essay Writing / Print Best Column Environmental / Science Reporting Best Editorial Illustration Investigative Reporting Radio Best Radio Show

Television Broadcast Best Public Affairs Investigative Reporting Education Reporting Best Weathercast Feature Reporting Still Photography Best Portrait Best Feature Photo Digital Media Best Use of Instagram Best Social Media Campaign Best Use of FaceBook Best Podcast Writing / Print Medical / Health Reporting Continuing Coverage Best Editorial Feature Reporting Television Broadcast Environmental / Science Reporting Business Reporting Best On-Air Talent Best Sportscast Best Newscast

Judges

The judges for this year’s competition are a diverse group. They are peers. They are professionals who gave a lot of their time because they know how important this contest is to the individuals who, likewise, took the time to enter it.

Atlanta Press Club Florida Press Club Houston Press Club Idaho Press Club Los Angeles Press Club Milwaukee Press Club

Pittsburgh-The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania

San Francisco-Peninsula Press Club

Press Club of Cleveland

Syracuse Press Club

Press Club of Southeast Texas

Society of Professional Journalists-Utah Headliners

Press Club of Toledo San Diego Press Club

Tulsa Press Club

Following tonight’s presentation, go online for a complete list of winners and comments from the judges. Visit the Press Club of New Orleans’ website at PressClubNewOrleans.org.

Press Club Award Finalists PRINT

General News Reporting

Katy Reckdahl / nola.com / “How Housing Patterns May Partly Explain Coronavirus’s Outsized Impact on Black Louisianans” Mark Schliefstein / nola.com / “‘We’re Screwed’: The Only Question is How Quickly Louisiana Wetlands Will Vanish, Study Says” Ramon Antonio Vargas, David Hammer / The Times-Picayune / “Man Says 2 New Orleans Priests Abused Him; Church Gave Him Unlimited Therapy but No Abuse Listing” PRINT

Best Critical Review

Rien Fertel / 64 Parishes / “Godforsaken, Imbecilic and Insane” Dominic Massa / WWL-TV / “‘Diamond Jim’ Moran Reigned over Restaurants as a Sparkling King of Bling, New Book Recalls” Andru Okun / 64 Parishes / “Digging up the Roots of the Family Tree” PRINT

Best Cover

TV VIDEOGRAPHY General News Videography

Tammie Mills, Kia Callia / WVUE-TV / “Coast in Crisis: Saving Paradise” Jim Pennison / WVUE-TV / “Special Mother & Son Reunion” John Snell / WVUE-TV / “Queen Bess Baby Boom” TV VIDEOGRAPHY

Sports Videography

Russell Drewry / WWL-TV / “Martial Arts Classes Teach Kids for Life” Whitney Hill / WDSU-TV / “Cheering on the Falcons” Adam Ney / WWL-TV / “Saints Sweep Falcons” DIGITAL

Sports Blog

Les East / Les East’s Sports Blog / “Crescent City Sports” Sean Fazende / WVUE-TV / “After Further Review” Mark Spencer / MyNewOrleans.com / “Full Sport Press”

Tiffani Reding Amedeo / New Orleans Magazine / “Best Breakfast”

DIGITAL

Josh Danzig, Kathy Bradshaw, Farrah Ross / Where Y’at / “Spring Restaurant Guide”

Clint Durrett, Mary Staes / Very Local New Orleans / “Threads: Covid, Where the River is Low, Louis Armstrong Week”

Josh Danzig, Kathy Bradshaw / Where Y’at / “Where Y’at Mardi Gras Manual” PRINT

Governmental / Political Reporting

Nicholas Chrastil / The Lens / “Louisiana Supreme Court Won’t Review Life Sentence for Man Convicted of Attempting to Steal Hedge Clippers” Marta Jewson / The Lens / “President Trump’s Visa Ban Could Keep 72 Teachers from Louisiana Schools” Emily Lane, Greg LaRose / WDSU-TV / “300,000 Seniors Left off State List to Expand Mail in Voting in Louisiana” PRINT

Best Layout / Design

Tiffani Reding Amedeo / New Orleans Magazine / “Food Lovers Guide” Tiffani Reding Amedeo / New Orleans Magazine / “Rise and Shine” Ali Sullivan / St. Charles Avenue / “Doubling Down on Decadence”

Best Use of Twitter

Matthew Hinton, Mary Staes / Very Local New Orleans / “Second Line Memorial for 5th Ward Weebie” WWOZ Staff / WWOZ-FM / “Jazz Festing in Place” DIGITAL

Best News Blog

Errol Laborde / MyNewOrleans.com / “The Editor’s Room” Pamela Marquis / Biz New Orleans Magazine / “Labors of Love” TELEVISION

Breaking News Reporting

Aubry Killion / WDSU-TV / “Cocodrie Storm Coverage” Thanh Truong / WWL-TV / “Central City Fire” Thanh Truong / WWL-TV / “Madisonville Flood Rescues” TELEVISION

Medical / Health Reporting

Jade Cunningham / WWL-TV / “Don’t Touch Your Face”

Christina Watkins / WDSU-TV / “Nola Man Shares Lasting Impact of Covid-19” Lee Zurik, Cody Lillich / WVUE-TV / “Anti-Aging Doctor Treats Covid” TELEVISION

Best Sports Show

Tom Gregory, Carolina Loreto, Eric Carle / YurView/ Cox Sports TV / LAE Productions / “Driven: Nola Drift 101” Tom Gregory, Carolina Loreto, Eric Carle / YurView/ Cox Sports TV / LAE Productions / “Driven: Nola Racing Hits the Road” Doug Mouton, Adam Ney / WWL-TV / “4th Down on 4” PUBLIC RELATIONS

Special Events

Laura Aviles, Dominique Ellis Falcon, Nadia Bordelon / The Ehrhardt Group / “Following in Ruby Bridges’ Footsteps: 60th Anniversary of the Desegregation of New Orleans Public Schools” Makala Blake / Makala Blake Public Relations / “Junebug Productions Establishes John O’Neal Cultural Arts Fellowship” The Buisson Creative Team / Buisson Creative / “Family Gras 2020” PUBLIC RELATIONS

Overall Campaign

Buisson Creative Team / Buisson Creative / “Louisiana State Parks Where Else?”

Tiffany Hawken, Laura Aviles, Nadia Bordelon / The Ehrhardt Group / “East Jefferson General Hospital ‘Vote Yes for a Healthy Future’ Campaign” Larry Lovell, Kacey Hill / Peter A. Mayer Public Relations / “Zatarain’s Sausage Goes National” STILL PHOTOGRAPHY

General News Photo

TELEVISION

Governmental/Political Reporting

Aubry Killion / WDSU-TV / “Judge Accused of Inappropriate Behavior with Juveniles” Chris Slaughter, Travers Mackel / WDSU-TV / “Illegal Election in New Orleans” Lee Zurik, Cody Lillich / WVUE-TV / “Inspecting the Inspectors” TELEVISION

Best Talk Show

Errol Laborde, Marcia Kavanaugh / WYES-TV / “Informed Sources” Fletcher Mackel / WDSU-TV / “WDSU Hot Seat: Ben Watson Talks Race Relations” Steve Schulkens, William Hill / WLAE-TV / “Coping During the Covid Crisis” TELEVISION

Best Sports Special

Fletcher Mackel, Sharief Ishaq, Christina Watkins / WDSU-TV / “Champions of Change” Doug Mouton / WWL-TV / “Eye on the Black & Gold: Eagles Special” WVUE Sports Staff / WVUE-TV / “Draft Game Plan” TELEVISION / Lifestyle Reporting

Dave McNamara / WVUE-TV / “Heart of Louisiana: The Isolation Blues” Nicondra Norwood / WVUE-TV / “Mardi Gras Indians’ New Home” Eric Paulsen / WWL-TV / “New Orleans’ Cuba Connection” TELEVISION

General News Reporting

Meg Gatto, Arthur Hardy / WVUE-TV / “Exploring the Life & Legacy of ‘Mr. Mardi Gras’ Blaine Kern”

Max Becherer / nola.com / “Drive-thru Funeral”

Rob Masson / WVUE-TV / “Riding Blind”

Sophia Germer / The Times-Picayune / The New Orleans Advocate / “Tear Gas Relief”

Mike Perlstein / WWL-TV / “Addiction Matters”

Matthew Hinton / Very Local New Orleans / “Five for 5th Ward Weebie at His Funeral”

PRINT

STILL PHOTOGRAPHY

Multi-Feature Photo

Max Becherer / nola.com / “Jefferson Parish Protest” David Grunfeld / nola.com / “Covid-19 Medical Heroes at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital” Kevin Rabalais / 64 Parish / “River Harvest”

Best Sports Feature

Les East / Crescent City Sports / “Familiar Faces at State Volleyball Tournament Bring Some Sense of Normalcy” Les East / Crescent City Sports / “Sports Amid Covid-19 Intersects with Hurricane Katrina Anniversary” Amie Just / The Times-Picayune / “Demario Davis’ Daughter Lost Her Eye to Cancer. This is How it Changed the Saints Linebacker and His Family”

PRINT

Business Reporting

Tristan Baurick / The Times-Picayune / “How a Louisiana Engineer’s Invention Protects the Gulf from a ‘Volcano’ Spewing Oil” Ashley McLellan / Biz New Orleans Magazine / “New Orleans’ Answer to Amazon” Kim Singletary / Biz New Orleans Magazine / “Black in Business” PRINT

Community News

Rich Collins / Biz New Orleans Magazine / “If Oak Street is a Microcosm of N.O. Economy, the Outlook is Encouraging” Susan Langenhennig / Preservation in Print / “Optimism and Anxiety on Magazine Street” Susan Langenhennig / Preservation in Print / “Segregation on the Lake” PRINT

Lifestyle Reporting

“Louisiana Covid-19 Interactive Map” WWOZ Staff / WWOZ-FM / “WWOZ OnlineWire” DIGITAL

Best News Website

Ashanti Bailey / WVUE-TV / “NOLAweekend. com” Kelly Massicot, Rich Collins / Biz New Orleans Magazine / “BizNewOrleans.com” WWL-TV Staff / WWL-TV / “WWLTV.com” TELEVISION

Continuing Coverage

Shelley Brown / WVUE-TV / “Fox8 Defenders: Modeling Scam” David Hammer / WWL-TV / “Taken for a Ride” Katie Moore, Mike Perlstein / WWL-TV / “Standard of Care” TELEVISION

Best Sports Feature Reporting

Josh Danzig, Kathy Bradshaw / Where Y’at Magazine / “Unplugged: Covid-19 (and Facebook) Pull the Plug on the Local Music Scene”

Andrew Doak / WWL-TV / “Ski Dawgs”

Rien Fertel / 64 Parishes / “White-Bread Evangelist”

Tom Gregory / YurView/ WLAE TV / “Nola Drift”

Katy Reckdahl / vox.com / “Stripped of its Cultural Rites, New Orleans is at a Loss for how to Mourn Covid-19 Deaths”

TELEVISION / Best Station Promotion

DIGITAL

Lifestyle Blog

Eve Crawford Peyton / MyNewOrleans.com / “Joie d’Eve” Mary Staes, Clint Durrett / Very Local New Orleans / “7th Ward Santa, Who Was 5th Ward Weebie, Sucre” Melanie Warner Spencer / New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles / “Bon Vivant” DIGITAL

Best Social Video

David Williams, Kevin Mumphrey / Channel 13, St. Tammany Parish Public Schools / “Social Distancing at Schools for Children” WWOZ Staff / WWOZ-FM / “WWOZ Groove Gala” WWOZ Staff / WWOZ-FM / “WWOZ Piano Night” DIGITAL

Digital Special Section

Nicholas Chrastil / The Lens / “The Section G Project” Kevin Dupuy, Chris McCrory / WWL-TV /

Garland Gillen / WVUE-TV / “Defining a Blessing”

Erin Finnigan / WDSU-TV / “WDSU Stronger Together” Tom Gregory, Ron Yager, Jim Dotson / WLAE-TV / “Glory Days III Trailer” Jamicah McNeil / WWL-TV / “The Talk” TELEVISION

Best Planned Event

Dominic Massa / WWL-TV / “Bacchus 2020 Parade Coverage” Romni Williams / WDSU-TV / “WDSU Election Coverage, November 3rd, 2020” WVUE Staff / WVUE-TV / “Salute in the Sky” TELEVISION

Best Documentary

Charisse Gibson, Adam Copus / WWL-TV / “The Story Behind the Standoff” Marcia Kavanaugh, Paula Pendarvis / WYES-TV / “The Vote: Louisiana Women Lead” Peggy Scott Laborde, Jim Moriarty / WYES-TV / “Birth of the Brews: A History of Dixie Beer” PUBLIC RELATIONS

Public Affairs

Hayley Crowell, Nadia Bordelon, Traci Howerton / The Ehrhardt Group / “Grow Louisiana Coalition

2020 Legislative Campaign in Support of Oil & Gas Industry” Social Media / Digital

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Influencers

Kim Bergeron / Kim Bergeron Productions / RightBrainDiaries.com / “Hold My Beer” Community Relations

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Kim Bergeron / Kim Bergeron Productions / “Be Like Jane” Makala Blake / Makala Blake Public Relations / “New Orleans Arts Collaborative Launches Relief Fund for Area Artists and Creatives” Katie Mitchell, Hayley Crowell, Traci Howerton / The Ehrhardt Group / “Grow Louisiana Coalition ‘Powering Ahead’ Campaign” TV VIDEOGRAPHY

Best Video Editing

Tim Guidry / WVUE-TV / “Slice of Carnival” Carolina Loreto / WLAE-TV / “Glory Days: the Catholic League of New Orleans Part III” Jon Turnipseed / WVUE-TV / “Inspecting the Inspectors” TV VIDEOGRAPHY

Best Visual Storytelling

Rhett Sharpe / Channel 13 St. Tammany Parish Public Schools / “The ABC’s of Black History” Derek Waldrip / WWL-TV / “‘I Didn’t Think He Was Going to Live’” Steve Wolfram / WWL-TV / “New Orleans’ Cuban Connection” PRINT

Breaking News Reporting

Larry Brook / Southern Jewish Life / “Arrest Made in 2018 Northshore Synagogue Graffiti Case” Alan Smason / Crescent City Jewish News / “Joseph Street Hit with Anti-Semitic Graffiti” Ramon Antonio Vargas, Sara Pagones, David Hammer / The Times-Picayune / “Attorney for Dominatrices Says Group Sex with Priest was Legal; Pearl River Church’s Altar is Burned” PRINT

Best Headline

Case Scenarios: Life in the Bug Easy (Bugs & Rodents in NOLA, part 2)” +2 PRINT

Education Reporting

Della Hasselle, Faimon Roberts / nola.com / “New Orleans Schools Struggle to Keep Kids in Class as the Pandemic Drags on, Challenging Families” Katy Reckdahl / Hechinger Report / HuffPost / “Katrina-to-Covid Class” Katy Reckdahl / Hechinger Report / Christian Science Monitor / “No Longer Ruled Out: An Educator Develops Strategies to Keep Court Involved Students in School” PRINT

Best Sports Column

Les East / Saturday Down South / Crescent City Sports / “It’s Past Time for LSU to Fire Men’s Basketball Coach Will Wade” +2 Others Fletcher Mackel / WDSU-TV / “Alvin Gentry is a Convert, David Griffin Needs a True Believer” +2 Others Rod Walker / The Times-Picayune / “The Marriage of Sports and Social Injustice Isn’t Going Away Soon” +2 Others PRINT

Best Magazine

Sarah George, Melanie Spencer / Louisiana Life Susan Langenhennig, Liz Jurey, Nathan Lott / Preservation in Print Erin Greenwald, Chris Turner-Neal / 64 Parishes TV VIDEOGRAPHY

Videography

Breaking News

Fletcher Mackel, Jeff Battle / WDSU-TV / “Protest on New Orleans Crescent City Connection Bridge” Steve Wolfram / WWL-TV / “Central City Fire” WVUE Staff / WVUE-TV / “Hurricane Zeta” TV VIDEOGRAPHY

Feature Videography

Brian Lukas / WWL-TV / “Gone But Not Forgotten” Dave McNamara / WVUE-TV / “Heart of Louisiana: Bayou Eagles”

Kathy Bradshaw / Where Y’at Magazine / “The Doctor is In(sane): Dr. Bob Makes Art that is as Crazy and Fun as He Is” +2

WWOZ Staff / WWOZ-FM / “Telephone Grooves”

Josh Danzig, Kathy Bradshaw / Where Y’at Magazine / “Mint Condition” +2

Tim Guidry / WVUE-TV / “Crescent City Silence”

Where Y’at Staff / Where Y’at Magazine / “Pest

TV VIDEOGRAPHY

Best Photo Essay

Brian Lukas / WWL-TV / “Steve Gleason’s Journey”

Derek Waldrip / WWL-TV / “The Difference Between Surviving & Thriving” PRINT

Best Column

Richard Campanella / 64 Parishes / “Geographer’s Space” John Case / Slidell Magazine / “The Storyteller” Eve Crawford Peyton / New Orleans Magazine / “Growing Pains” PRINT

Environmental / Science Reporting

Kathy Bradshaw / Where Y’at Magazine / “Pest Case Scenarios: Life in Bug Easy (Bugs & Rodents in New Orleans, Part 1)” Kathy Bradshaw / Where Y’at Magazine / “Pest Case Scenarios: Life in Bug Easy (Bugs & Rodents in New Orleans, Part 2)” Mark Schleifstein / nola.com / “15 Years after Katrina, New Orleans Levees are in the Best Shape Ever. Experts Say it’s not Enough.”

PRINT

Best Editorial Illustration

John Holcroft / Biz New Orleans Magazine / “Office of the Future” David Johnson, Arthur Hardy / Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide / “2021 Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Magazine Cover” Nik Richard / 64 Parishes / “Funeral of Officer Oneal Moore” PRINT

Investigative Reporting

Marta Jewson / The Lens / “A Report on Special Education at Bricolage Academy Showed Serious Shortcomings, but it was Never Presented to the School’s Board” Michael Isaac Stein / The Lens / “A Metairie Wedding Venue Has Stayed Open Despite Complaints about Flouting Coronavirus Restrictions. Its Paid Consultant Jefferson Parish Councilwoman Jennifer Van Vrancken Spoke to State Officials on its Behalf” Ramon Antonio Vargas, David Hammer / The Times-Picayune / “The Monster in Our Midst: How Pedophile New Orleans Clergyman Stayed near Prey” RADIO

Best Radio Show

WWOZ Staff / WWOZ-FM / “Jazz Festing in Place” TELEVISION

Best Public Affairs

Charisse Gibson, Derek Waldrip / WWL-TV / “The Talk”

Tom Gregory, Jim Dotson, Ron Yager / WLAE-TV / “Go Coast Louisiana: St. Bernard Parish” Gina Swanson / WDSU-TV / “A Salute to the Class of 2020” TELEVISION

Investigative Reporting

David Hammer / WWL-TV / “Hard Rock Building Inspector Investigation” David Hammer, Ramon Antonio Vargas / WWLTV / “Losing Faith” Lee Zurik, Cody Lillich / WVUE-TV / “Cell Blocked” TELEVISION

Education Reporting

Meg Farris / WWL-TV / “Toni Hoover Profile” Paul Murphy / WWL-TV / “Salvaged School Desks Turned into Art” Christina Watkins / WDSU-TV / “Student Who Desegregated NOLA School Now Owns it, Turns It into Civil Rights Center” TELEVISION

Best Weathercast

David Bernard / WVUE-TV Kweilyn Murphy / WDSU-TV Margaret Orr / WDSU-TV TELEVISION

Feature Reporting

Erika Ferrando / WWL-TV / “Mardi Gras Indians Pay Tribute” Kim Holden, Kia Callia / WVUE-TV / “Journey to Restore Lincoln Beach” Karen Swensen / WWL-TV / “Rescue and Recovery” STILL PHOTOGRAPHY

Portrait

Josh Danzig, Kathy Bradshaw, Romney Caruso / Where Y’at Magazine / “Susan Spicer: True to Herself” Michael DeMocker / Very Local New Orleans / “Eric Cook, Owner at Gris Gris, after it Closes for Covid” Matthew Hinton / Very Local New Orleans / “Big Chief Says Goodbye to his Wife” STILL PHOTOGRAPHY

Feature Photo

Sophia Germer / The Times-Picayune / The New Orleans Advocate / “Kim Boutee Second Line” David Grunfeld / nola.com / “New Orleans Life During Tropical Storm Cristobal”

Matthew Hinton / Very Local New Orleans / “Mardi Gras Wrestling” DIGITAL

Best Use of Instagram

Davis Allen / Preservation in Print / “PRC’s Architecture Quiz” Mary Staes, Matthew Hinton / Very Local New Orleans / “Mardi Gras Indian Funeral for Leonard Brooks” Staff / Louisiana Life / “Louisiana Life Instagram” DIGITAL

Best Social Media Campaign

Ashanti Bailey / WVUE-TV / “Festing in Place” WWOZ Staff / WWOZ-FM / “Jazz Festing in Place” DIGITAL

Best Use of Facebook

Erin Lowery, Margaret Orr / WDSU-TV / “Margaret Orr’s Emotional Facebook Post” Chris McCrory / WWL-TV / “Crescent City Connection Protest”

Michael Isaac Stein / The Lens / “New Orleans Public Library Tax Election” PRINT

Best Editorial

Jason Berry / Daily Beast / “Trump Copies New Orleans’ Tragic 1853 Yellow Fever Playbook” Arthur Hardy / Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide / “From the Publisher” Alan Smason / Crescent City Jewish News / “Flames of Outrage” PRINT

Feature Reporting

John Bardes / 64 Parishes / “Sailing While Black” Chelsea Brasted, Michael DeMocker / Very Local New Orleans / “Is the Pandemic Capable of Changing the Restaurant Industry for the Better?”

Christie Matherne Hall / 64 Parishes / “Passed By” TELEVISION

Environmental / Science Reporting

Charisse Gibson / WWL-TV / “Victims of Progress”

David Hammer / WWL-TV / “Mitigation Banks WWOZ Staff / WWOZ-FM / “WWOZ OnlineWire” Investigation” DIGITAL

Best Podcast

John Snell / WVUE-TV / “Coast in Crisis: Saving Paradise”

Carolyne Heldman / The Lens / “Beyond the Lens 108: We Voted”

TELEVISION / Business Reporting

Errol Laborde, Kelly Massicot / New Orleans Magazine / “Mardi Gras Beyond the Beads”

Shelley Brown / WVUE-TV / “Fox8 Defenders: Appliance Repair Issues”

WVUE Sports Staff / WVUE-TV / “Fox8 Sports Overtime Podcast”

Lee Zurik / WVUE-TV / “Patriot Penalty”

PRINT

Medical / Health Reporting

Philip Kiefer / The Lens / “Domestic Violence Victims and Advocates Report Breakdowns in Stay-away Order Processing During Covid-19 Restrictions” Katy Reckdahl / nola.com / “The Impact of Work: On the Job Coronavirus Exposure a Key Driver in Black, Latino Communities” Ramon Antonio Vargas / The Times-Picayune / “‘It Could Happen to Anybody’: Kenner Lawyer, 45, in Critical Care with Coronavirus, Wife Says” PRINT

Continuing Coverage

Tristan Baurick, Tegan Wendland / The TimesPicayune / “Water Ways: Dutch Lessons for a Changing Coast” Della Hasselle, Faimon Roberts, Charles Lussier / nola.com / “How Safe are our Schools? Tracking Coronavirus Warning Systems”

Lee Zurik, Cody Lillich / WVUE-TV / “Payroll Problems” TELEVISION / Best On-Air Talent

Tom Gregory / Cox Sports TV / YurView / WLAE-TV Travers Mackel / WDSU-TV Doug Mouton / WWL-TV TELEVISION / Best Sportscast

Ricardo LeCompte / WWL-TV Fletcher Mackel, Sharief Ishaq, Caroline Gonzalez / WDSU-TV Doug Mouton / WWL-TV TELEVISION / Best Newscast

Ian Kramar / WWL-TV / “Eyewitness News at 6” Dannah Sauer / WVUE-TV / “Fox8 News at 5pm” WDSU Staff / WDSU-TV / “WDSU News at 6pm”

Special Awards

BEST IN SHOW Billy Rainey Memorial Award Honoring the first-place winner in print breaking news reporting Hal Ledet Print Photography Award Honoring the best of first-place winners in still photography Ashton Phelps, Sr. Memorial Award Honoring the first-place winner in editorial writing

PA ST LIFETIME ACHIE VEMENT AWARDS The Press Club inaugurated its Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992. Presentation of this award is aimed at honoring individuals who not only have demonstrated the utmost in professionalism throughout their careers but have also made significant contributions to the community in the process.

2019 Frank Donze & Joe Duke

President’s Television Photography Award Honoring the best of first-place winners in television photography

2018 Clancy DuBos & Renette Dejoie-Hall

Alex Waller Memorial Award Honoring the best of first-place winners in print writing

2015 John Pope & Sally-Ann Roberts

Jim Metcalf Memorial Award Honoring the best of first-place winners in broadcast writing

2017 Bruce Nolan & Margaret Orr 2016 Bill Capo & Errol Laborde 2014 Ed Daniels & Ted Jackson 2013 Bob Breck & Bill Curl 2012 Lynne Jensen & Norman Robinson 2011 Jim Henderson & Mark Schleifstein 2010 Byron Hughey & Angus Lind 2009 Dan Milham & Walt Philbin 2008 Press Club’s 50th Anniversary

SCHOL ARSHIP RECIPIENTS Press Club of New Orleans Scholarship Isabella Brown American University Journalism & Political Science Major Press Club of New Orleans Scholarship Taylor Nettle Southeastern University Journalism Major Renaissance Foundation Scholarship Gabriella Killett Loyola University Journalism Major

2007 Ashton Phelps Jr. 2006 Special award honoring Alec Gifford’s

50 years in broadcasting 2005 Ed Anderson & Richard Angelico 2004 William M. Metcalf Jr. & Willie P. Wilson Jr. 2003 Bob and Jan Carr & Buddy Diliberto 2002 Ronnie Virgets & Jack Wardlaw 2001 Angela Hill & Larry Lorenz 2000 Peter Finney & Terry Flettrich Rohe 1999 Bill Elder & Betty Guillaud 1998 Maury Magill & Dave Snyder 1997 Charles “Pie” Dufour & Phil Johnson 1996 Walter Greaves Cowan & Alec Gifford 1995 Nash Roberts & Bob Roesler 1994 J. Michael Early 1993 Iris Kelso & Wayne Mack