2003 Castleberry Winners
Vivian Castleberry Awards honor excellence in
reporting
2003 Winners
NEWS REPORTING, PAPERS OVER 100,000 CIRCULATION
Fort Worth Star-Telegram team: Mike Lee,
Domingo Ramirez Jr., Ellen Schroeder, Ben Tinsley
``Haltom City Jail Problems''
Judges said they were impressed with the effort the team gave to collect
and report on the sexual abuse of women inmates in the Haltom City Jail,
a Fort Worth suburb. The judges praised the reporters for pursuing the
story with vigor, questioning whether there was a code of silence among
law officers protecting the abusers -- and pinpointing lax policies that
may have allowed abuse to occur.
NEWS REPORTING, PAPERS UNDER 100,000 CIRCULATION
Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe, Dallas Examiner
``Blacks' eating disorders misdiagnosed''
Judges said the piece brings to public attention the results of an important
medical study showing that black women are as likely as white women to
suffer from eating disorders. Judges said Heinkel-Wolfe did an excellent
job of describing anorexia and bulimia, their effects on sufferers and
treatments.
NEWSPAPER FEATURE, OVER 100,000 CIRCULATION
Glenna Whitley, Dallas Observer
``Knocked Out''
Judges praised the pacing on this piece about a woman's drug-rape ordeal.
Judges said Whitley displays a great ability to juxtapose complicated
scientific information and forensic esoterica with the overarching thread
of the victim's intensely personal story.
NEWSPAPER FEATURE, UNDER 100,000 CIRCULATION
Carole Carlson, Post-Tribune, Gary, Ind.
``Title IV: 30 years of leveling the playing field''
Judges said it was a terrific effort with some tantalizing detail, good
pacing and suspense throughout. Judges said it was delightful reading
about an important subject, and also praised the newspaper's commitment
to the project.
COMMENTARY
Marjie Lundstrom, The Sacramento Bee
She wrote about how California's safe haven law hasn't helped save the
lives of unwanted babies because the state is too cheap to pay for advertising
that would explain the law to expectant mothers. The judges said Lundstrom
wrote smart, heart-felt columns through provocative writing and thorough
reporting.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Kim Ritzenthaler, The Dallas Morning News
``The Gay Divide''
Judges said Ritzenthaler beautifully captured the essence of the personal
struggle over this difficult issue. They said her piece thoughtfully showed
how everyday
people, both gay and straight, have stories to tell on how religion has
shaped their views on homosexuality.
TELEVISION NEWS
Deborah Ferguson, KXAS-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth
``Cause for Alarm''
Judges said her report about how sleeping children respond to smoke alarms
was informative, thorough and well-presented.
TELEVISION FEATURE
Patricia Gras, KUHT, Houston PBS
``World of Possibilities''
Judges praised her piece as thorough, interesting and touching.
RADIO FEATURE
Barbara Schwarz, Texas State Network
``Cowgirls''
The judges said her series on cowgirls was well-told and memorable, with
the right mix of bed-level music and voice track.
GRAPHICS AND VISUAL DESIGN
Maria Baca, Star Tribune, Minneapolis
``Heroes of Public Safety: Paramedics''
Judges praised her piece for its excellent design.
WOMAN JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Kristen Hays, The Associated Press, Houston
Judges said Hays has done a commendable job covering one of the most important
stories of 2002, the collapse of Houston-based Enron and its effect on
stockholders.
Judges said they found clear explanations of complex financial and legal
issues, as well as rich detail about the affluent lifestyles of the enron
managers.
Judges also praised Hays for the flexibility of her tone and writing style
-- straight-forward and serious for the Arthur Andersen trial, lighter-hearted
for the auction of Enron office equipment and some former employees posing
for ``Playboy'' and ``Playgirl'' magazines.
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