COLUMBUS — The WHIO-TV team’s in-depth coverage memorializing the Oregon District mass shooting: one year later, and examining 2020′s social justice reform movement, took top ‘best newscast’ honors and culminated News Center 7′s award winning year of 2020 coverage, as the Society of Professional Journalists honored the WHIO team with 12 Ohio Best Journalism Contest Awards.
In total, the statewide Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus SPJ chapters awarded WHIO-TV more 2021 ‘Ohio Best Journalism Contest’ awards than any other television station in the state.
NewsCenter 7 at 5:30: A Demand For Change and News Center 7 Special Edition: The Oregon District Mass Shooting - One Year Later received first and second place wins, respectively, for best newscasts. Veteran WHIO anchor Cheryl McHenry’s story, as seen in the Demand For Change special, focusing on veteran Black officers sharing their recruiting challenge perspectives, was singled out for a first place ‘best minority issues coverage’ win.
Two News Center 7 I-team Investigations, including McHenry’s in-depth examination of temporary protection orders’ effectiveness, and Sean Cudahy’s investigation revealing far more nursing home COVID-19 cases than state health leaders reported, took first place in best crime reporting, and second place in best investigative reporting, respectively.
Cudahy was also honored, along with News Center 7′s John Bedell, for first place best business reporting on how the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting jobs and retirement accounts. WHIO’s COIVID-19 pandemic coverage of returning to in person learning also earned News Center 7′s Kayla Courvell a best education issues first place win.
Veteran WHIO political and investigative reporter Jim Otte’s Green County prosecutor race coverage and News Center 7 anchor Molly Koweek’s Dayton Gets Real story examining Black community voting numbers earned second place for best political reporting.
2020 also marked the retirement of legendary, former WHIO Sports Director Mike Hartsock. Cheryl McHreny’s ‘Stay Right There,’ which profiled Hartsock’s storied four decade career, received a first place best sports reporting award.
“The Mike Hartsock story was incredible,” a SPJ judge commented. “I loved the use of clips and video from the past weaved together with his sound. It was great to hear from former coaches and colleagues as well. The part with his grandson made me tear up.”
Koweek also contributed to the first-place best sports reporting award with her profile of University of Dayton head women’s basketball coach Shauna Green.
“I loved how the reporter focused on family both on the court and at home,” a judge wrote of Koweek;s work. “Showing the coach as human and showing that emotional side.”
SPJ judges also honored WHIO’s enterprise reporting with several awards.
WHIO’s Gabrielle Enright’s coverage of a little known, cheap medical scan that can help detect a heart attack warning sign earned her a second-place best health care feature reporting award.
And speaking of feature reporting, WHIO anchor James Brown’s stories profiling former News Center 7 anchor Kate Bartley and her husband Andy’s love story, and their family’s courageous cancer battle, along with a profile of Dayton Police Detective Jorge Del Rio, who was killed in the line of duty, went onto earn WHIO a second place best feature reporting award. News Center 7′s James Rider and Photojournalist Eric Higgenbotham’s story on an 88-year-old Piqua, Ohio man named McDonald’s employee of the year, rounded out the best feature reporting compilation win.
Finally, WHIO’s special presentation, Meeting The Challenge: Dayton Stays Strong, earned the News Center 7 Special Projects team of Executive Producer Matthew Simon and Photojournalist Mike Burianek a first place best documentary win. The documentary used various community members perspectives to tell how the history of Dayton’s resilience played into stories of remaining strong following a year that brought a tornado outbreak, mass shooting, pandemic, and demand for social justice reform.
Simon and Burianek oversaw the production of all of WHIO’s 12 award winning projects. WHIO Managing Editor Quincy Wallace, Executive Producers Emily Gay and Alex King, and Producer Serenity Mackenzie played vital roles, respectively, in executing the best newscasts’ production, which was directed by WHIO’s Matt Wolfe. The first-place best newscast award would not have been possible without the support of parent company Cox Media Group’s Washington DC newsroom Reporter Blair Miller and Producer Katie Suiters.
The contest included work from journalists working for Ohio newspapers, magazines, radio, television, trade, online and college media. SPJ leaders say Ohio’s Best Journalism is the only Ohio competition honoring journalists who fulfill the SPJ mission: defense of the First Amendment, support of literacy, resistance to censorship, advocacy for openness of public records and meetings, media self-criticism and community service. Journalists from the Indiana SPJ Contest served as judges.
With a strong history of award-winning content, WHIO-TV is the Miami Valley’s #1 news source and America’s #1 CBS affiliate. The 12 SPJ wins follow WHIO-TV’s two regional EMMY wins, (https://www.whio.com/news/local/mccall-vrydaghs-whio-tv-win-two-regional-emmy-awards/EVDDVZEG3RDAPDM5H6WQIMJVDY/) and three additional nominations earlier this month, including Chief Meteorologist McCall Vrydaghs being named Best Weather Anchor.
Full list of WHIO SPJ Winners:
First Place
Best Newscast: NewsCenter 7 at 5:30: A Demand For Change: James Brown, Mike Burianek, Mike Campbell, Ronnell Hunt, Cheryl McHenry, Serenity McKenzie, Blair Miller, Jim Otte, Matthew Simon, Katie Suiters, Matt Wolfe
Best Business Reporting: WHIO Business Reporting Compellation: John Bedell, Mike Burianek, Sean Cudahy, Matthew Simon
Best Criminal Justice Reporting: I-Team Investigates: Temporary Protection Orders: Mike Burianek, Cheryl McHenry, Matthew Simon
Best Documentary: Meeting The Challenge: Dayton Stays Strong: Michael Burianek, Matthew Simon
Best Education Issues Reporting: Following COVID-19 Restrictions, Back To In Person Learning: Mike Burianek, Kayla Courvell, Matthew Simon
Best Minority Issues Coverage: Veteran Black Officers Share Recruiting Challenge Perspectives: Mike Burianek, Cheryl McHenry, Matthew Simon
Best Sports Reporting: Mike Burianek, Molly Koweek, Cheryl McHenry, Matthew Simon
Second Place:
Best Newscast: News Center 7 Special Edition: The Oregon District Mass Shooting - One Year Later: John Bedell, James Brown, DeAngelo Byrd, Mike Campbell, Monica Castro, Sean Cudahy, Bob Garlock , Emily Gay, Chuck Hamlin, Todd Jackson, Alex King, Molly Koweek, Cheryl McHenry, Serenity McKenzie, Jim Otte, Dan Pasciak, Matthew Simon, Jarod Thrush, Quincy Wallace, Matt Wolfe
Best Investigative Reporting: I-Team Investigation reveals far more nursing home COVID-19 cases than state reported: Mike Burianek, Sean Cudahy, Matthew Simon
Best Feature Reporting: WHIO Compellation: James Brown, Mike Burianek, Eric Higgenbotham, Matthew Simon, James Rider
Best Health Care Feature Reporting: WHIO Compilation: Katy Andersen, Mike Burianek, Gabrielle Enright, Matthew Simon
Best Political Reporting: WHIO Compilation: Mike Burianek, Molly Koweek, Jim Otte, Matthew Simon