The Durango Herald’s journalism won 56 awards in two newspaper contests, including 22 first-place awards and a General Excellence Award for its work done in 2020.
The awards were presented by Top of the Rockies, a regional contest that covers Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. In the Colorado Press Association contest, the Herald competed with at least 11 publications of similar size across the state.
In both contests, the Herald won more awards in its class, determined by newsroom size, than any other newspaper.
Among the honors were first-place awards for an investigative story package into the death of a gas field worker who died in an explosion in January 2019 south of Durango; a story by Sports Editor John Livingston about Durango cycling star Howard Grotts taking a step back from full-time professional racing to pursue a career in education; and the newspaper’s Women in Business advertising section.
Herald reporter Shannon Mullane won a first-place award in science and technology writing for her feature about a Durango woman who described herself as being trapped inside her own home because of the electromagnetic fields emitted by high voltage power lines, cellphones and cell towers in the Animas Valley.
Herald cartoonist Gary Markstein won a first-place award for a collection of his drawings. A judge wrote: “An editorial cartoon with a pointed message told simply so readers easily get the meaning.”
And longtime Herald Photo Editor Jerry McBride won seven awards in the two contests, including for best slideshow, best portfolio, best sports photo and best social justice photography.
The Herald will showcase more of its stories, photography and advertising that won awards next week at www.durangoherald.com and in May 29 print editions.
