Arkansas Democrat-Gazette finishes first in 11 categories at 2022 Diamond Journalism Awards

FILE - The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette building at 121 E. Capitol Avenue in Little Rock is shown in this 2012 file photo. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal)
FILE - The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette building at 121 E. Capitol Avenue in Little Rock is shown in this 2012 file photo. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal)

The staff of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette took first place in 11 categories of the 2022 Diamond Journalism Awards, and Pine Bluff Commercial editor Byron Tate received the Garrick Feldman Community Journalism Award for his reporting and editorials on and about Pine Bluff and Jefferson County.

The ceremony was held Thursday evening in Little Rock.

In addition to offering the Community Journalism Award, the contest also presents four other special awards.The Mississippi Free Press took three of them: Kayode Crown was named Diamond Journalist of the Year; Nick Judin won the Charlotte Tillar Schexnayder Public Service Award; and Christian Middleton and Grace Marion won the Robert S. McCord FOI Award. Outstanding New Journalist recognition went to Chad Mira of Fayetteville’s KNWA-TV.

The regional competition is sponsored annually by the Arkansas Pro chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and recognizes journalism excellence in Arkansas and six neighboring states — Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

The awards honored work published or broadcast in 2021, and they drew 379 entries in more than 80 categories. Members of the Society of Professional Journalists chapters in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming served as judges.

The first-place winners from the Democrat-Gazette staff were:

BREAKING NEWS, PRINT/ONLINE & TV/VIDEO

“Tornado coverage,” Tess Vrbin, Staci Vandagriff

FEATURES, NEWSPAPERS

“Tom Slaughter series,” Celia Storey (including part one, part two and part three

BUSINESS, PRINT/ONLINE & TV/VIDEO

“Business coverage,” Noel Oman, John Magsam, Nathan Owen, Staci Vandagriff

EDUCATION, PRINT/ONLINE

“Education coverage,” Jaime Adame

HEALTH, PRINT/ONLINE

“Child abuse investigation,” former reporter Ginny Monk

PODCASTS, PRINT/ONLINE & STUDENT MEDIA

“Capitol & Scott,” Nick Popowitch, Lara Farrar 

PHOTOGRAPHY, BREAKING NEWS

“Stuttgart flooding,” Thomas Metthe

PHOTO PORTFOLIO

Staci Vandagriff

DATA VISUALIZATION

“Arkansas congressional district boundaries,” former staffer Jen Para

GRAPHICS/ILLUSTRATIONS

Carrie Hill 

WEB/MOBILE DESIGN

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Arkansasonline.com, Democrat-Gazette staff

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