Vivian Castleberry Awards honor excellence in
reporting
2006 Winners NEWS REPORTING, OVER 100,000 CIRCULATION: Lennox Samuels and Alfredo Corchado, The Dallas Morning News,
"The Mystery of Lupita Garcia''
The judge said compelling writing puts the reader in Nuevo Laredo and
makes us care about Lupita from the start. The story was balanced between
those who revered her as a journalist and those who suspected her as a
pawn of the cartel, leaving the reader to wonder if the truth will ever
be known.
NEWS REPORTING, UNDER 100,000 CIRCULATION: Betty Brink, Fort Worth Weekly,
"Hospital of Horrors''
The judge said Brink, despite obstacles, presented an in-depth and vivid
look at conditions at a federal prison hospital for women. Because of
her previous stories on the subject, Brink was banned from the prison,
so she had to do interviews through letters and phone calls or through
meetings with inmates' relatives.
NEWS REPORTING, Spanish-language papers
Gustavo Rangel, Renato Castillo and Galia Garcia-Palafox, Rumbo, series
on human trafficking The judge said this is committed journalism. The reporters unveiled
the reality of human trafficking, digging deeply into the life of a group
of women who are prisoners of poverty and in the midst of exploitation,
are trying to recover their dignity.
NEWSPAPER FEATURE, OVER 100,000 CIRCULATION Pamela Martineau and Steve Wiegand, The Sacramento Bee, "Women
at War''
The judge said that in a category loaded with outstanding entries, these
two journalists distinguished themselves with unrivaled excellence in
reporting. The series was groundbreaking and reflected remarkable tenacity
and depth on a subject of critical importance to women and national security.
NEWSPAPER FEATURE, UNDER 100,000 CIRCULATION Jeff Prince, Fort Worth Weekly, "Still Wranglin''
The judge said Prince wove an engaging tale about a colorful, controversial
character. He brought the story's subject to life with bright writing,
such as, "This ain't her first rodeo. She's been bucked and trampled
before.''
FEATURE, Spanish-language papers
Olivia Blanco Mullins, Rumbo, "Permiso para Abortar"
The judge said the reporting is complete and balanced, as it sheds light
on the pros and cons of a new law requiring parental consent for teenagers
to have an abortion.
COMMENTARY, OVER 100,000 CIRCULATION
Linda Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The judge said Campbell obviously could see the writing on the wall when
it came to changes on the Supreme Court, and she did a good job of revealing
it. She deals fairly with the issues of gender and race, but goes beyond
that to point out the long-term consequences of a weak judicial appointment.
COMMENTARY, UNDER 100,000 CIRCULATION
Kim Pleticha, Parent:Wise Austin
The judge said Pleticha's columns have the tone of a conversation between
neighbors over coffee but carry the punch of a hard news story. She uses
the lens of common, every day experiences to focus issues in a new way.
She provides just enough facts and figures to be convincing, without getting
in the way of her strong emotional appeal.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Donna McWilliam, The Associated Press
The judge said McWilliam's photo of Hurricane Katrina evacuees praying
at a Texas church service, just a week after the disaster, makes you feel
as if you are there. The photo not only depicts the raw emotions felt
by many evacuees, but also captures the church members' compassion.
TELEVISION NEWS
Dr. Mona Khanna, KTVT-TV, "After the Tsunami"
The judge said her thorough work led to compelling stories from Sri Lanka
that not only showed the devastation of the tsunami, but also nicely illustrated
the work of two Texas organizations that went to help.
TELEVISION FEATURE
Sujata Dand, KERA-TV, "Life in the Balance: the Health-care Crisis
in Texas"
The judge said the in-depth piece, with moving stories, does a great job
of examining the effects of lawmakers' cuts to children's health insurance,
and shows how county hospitals face financial problems while being overcrowded
from seeing more patients than ever.
RADIO FEATURE
Barbara Schwarz, Texas State Network, ``Rosa''
The judges said the inspiring story depicted the courage of a Romanian
immigrant who lived through the horrors of Auschwitz, lost her family
in the Holocaust and later survived breast cancer.
ONLINE INTERACTIVITY, SITES OVER 1 MILLION VISITORS
KKaren Davis and April Kinser, DallasNews.com, "Touched by Terror''
The judge said their comprehensive follow-up on the Oklahoma City bombing,
10 years later, made good use of online components, including a series
of moving videos of surviving children. The multimedia piece adds some
historical context with original news footage from the scene and has extensive
details such as a list of victims by floor.
WOMAN JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Katharine Houreld, freelancer
The judges said Houreld, based in England, has gone to great lengths to
report on important issues in dangerous parts of the world. She risked
imprisonment while reporting on election issues in Zimbabwe. While in
Liberia to report on child prostitution, health-care problems and poverty,
she rode a motorcycle to visit leper colonies banished to the jungle,
and later was hit by stones and gassed by demonstrators and police. Her
stories about rape victims' punishment in Sudan were published on five
continents.
