DENVER – Colorado press organizations recognized The Durango Herald newsroom with 48 awards on May 13 and 14 in Denver.
During the annual Colorado Press Association conference, media outlets of all sizes from across the state were honored for their work during the previous year.
Recognition of the Herald’s work included stories, photography, design and online presentation. The organizations that sponsor the contests are the Colorado Press Association and Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters.
“Our awards this year are significant affirmation about the quality work the Herald newsroom delivers to its readers,” said Senior Editor Amy Maestas. “We have a dedicated and talented staff that, combined, has decades of experience as journalists. That experience shows in our work.”
Both contests judge the work based on circulation size. The contests include work in both print and online editions.
The Herald was recognized multiple times for its coverage of the Gold King Mine spill, which took place in August 2015. Most notable was the photograph Photo Editor Jerry McBride the day after the massive blowout from the mine in Silverton. The 3 million gallons of mine wastewater turned the Animas River an unforgettably deep golden color. As everyone waited for the contamination to flow downhill from Silverton, McBride staked a watchout for it at Bakers Bridge. There, he found three local kayakers who said they were unaware that a mine spill had happened the night before. The photograph was published by dozens of media outlets across the world.
The Herald’s ongoing coverage earned not only several awards, but many kudos from judges. One CPA judge wrote: “The Durango Herald doesn’t back down in this thorough, shocking and compelling series about the Gold King Mine wastewater spill. From the slow EPA response to impact on local residents, businesses and tourists, the series defines strong writing and reporting. The reporters made good use of FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) and open records requests to demand government transparency of this environmental disaster. The photos that accompanied the series were phenomenal. Temporarily restricting the paywall on the website in the name of public safety was a great call. Look for this newspaper to take a tenacious lead in the many important stories to follow.”
Maestas said the feedback from judges, who are fellow journalists, underscores the importance of a community newspaper.
“This is the exact job we should be doing,” she said. “I can’t praise the newsroom staff enough for their tenacity. For nearly a month, we all worked head down and dug in deep to bring our community the news they needed to go about their daily lives during an unusual event. This is why we are journalists. I have no shortage of praise for our staff.”
The awards include:
Best Environmental Story: First place, Chase Olivarius-McAllister, “Superfund: What will it take?”
Best News Story: First place, Mary Shinn, “Sky high hopes.” Second place, Chase Olivarius-McAllister, “Will she be deported?” which told the story of resident Sonia Belouniss’ effort to keep from being sent back to France.
Best Agriculture Story: First place, Mary Shinn, “Beefed-up market.”
Best Education Story: Second place, Chase Olivarius-McAllister, “Reading between the bars,” a look at popular books at the La Plata County jail.
Best Story/Picture combination: First place, Herald staff, “Catastrophe,” the coverage of the Gold King Mine spill.
Best Deadline News Reporting: First place, John Peel and Shaun Stanley, “When bears attack.”
Best Series: First place, Herald staff for continuing coverage of the Gold King Mine spill. Second place, Ann Butler, Mary Shinn and Chase Olivarius-McAllister, “No place to call home,” a series about homelessness.
Best Humorous Column Writing: First place, Mike Smedley, Action Line, “Moose on the loose.”
Best Investigative Story Package: First place, Ann Butler, “Police force sees flight.” Second place, Ann Butler, “When grading judges isn’t blind.”
Best News Photograph: First place, Shaun Stanley, “Fire patrol.” Second place, Shaun Stanley, “No home.”
Best News Page Design: First place, David Holub, “Race: Time to start the conversation.”
Best Feature Page Design: First place, David Holub, “He’s got it covered.”
Best Breaking News Video: First place, Herald staff for coverage of cattle semitrailer rollover.
Best Photo Slideshow or Gallery: Second place, Jerry McBride for photos of the Gold King Mine blowout.
Beat Reporting: First place, Mary Shinn, Chuck Slothower, Peter Marcus for ongoing oil and gas coverage.
Business Story: First Place, Chase Olivarius-McAllister, “Bot Wonder,” about Easton LaChapelle’s pioneering robotics work.
Editorial Writing: First place, Bill Roberts. Second place, Megan Graham.
Environmental Story: Second place, Chase Olivarius-McAllister, “Superfund: What will it take?”
Feature Photo: First place, Shaun Stanley, “Mary Poppins.” Third place, Steve Lewis, “Bayfield.”
Feature Story: Second place, Ann Butler, “Shock and Awfulness: The Fall of Saigon 40 years later.” Third place, Ann Butler, “Race: Time to start the conversation.”
General Excellence: First place, Herald staff for overall journalistic quality.
Informational Graphics: First place, David Holub for illustrating stories about the airport and crime.
Investigative Reporting: First place, Ann Butler and Shane Benjamin, “When grading judges isn’t enough.”
Online Breaking News: Third place, Herald staff for ongoing quality of breaking news coverage.
Online Special Package: First place, Herald staff, “Our river is ailing,” ongoing coverage of the health of the Animas River.
Photo Coverage of a Continuing Story: First place, Jerry McBride, Shaun Stanley, Steve Lewis for coverage of the Gold King Mine spill.
Photo Illustration: First place, Steve Lewis, “Cocktails.” Second Place, Shaun Stanley, “Animas River.” Third place, “Jerry McBride, “Fashion 10.”
Picture Story/ Photo Essay: Second place, Jerry McBride, “Eggs, eggs, eggs.”
Photo Portfolio: Second place, Steve Lewis.
Photo Portrait/Personality: Second place, Jerry McBride, “Egg lady.” Third place, Jerry McBride, “Weather artists.”
News Series: First place, Herald staff for coverage of the Gold King Mine spill. Third place, Ann Butler, Mary Shinn and Chase Olivarius-McAllister, “No place to call home,” series about homelessness.
Sports Story: First place, Kyle Grabowski, “Sweet state of mind,” about wrestlers from La Plata County heading to state tournament.
Spot News Photo: First place, Jerry McBride, “Catastrophe.” Third place, Shaun Stanley, “Brush fire follow-up.”
Spot News Story: Third place, Brandon Mathis, “Durango digs out from deluge.”
