The Auburn Reporter received several awards in the Washington Better Newspaper Contest presented by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association (WNPA) Oct. 4.
Editor Mark Klaas earned first place in the Best Personality Profile – Short category for his “Haven to Heal” feature on Auburn’s Sarah Blum, who shared her pain and suffering as an Army nurse in the operating room of an evac hospital during the Vietnam War. Today, Blum works to bind up the psychological wouds of veterans and others.
Photographer Rachel Ciampi took first place in Color Sports Photo – Feature for her image of a levitating skateboarder at Brannan Park.
Ciampi also took a third place in the same category for her shot of Auburn High School basketball player Harold Lee’s airborne dribble-drive to the rim.
Sportswriter Shawn Skager was a finalist for Sportswriter of the Year. According to the judges, Skager’s work “showed a range of sports knowledge. The writer’s style keeps the reader focused and he does not wander from his subject.”
Among Skager’s work was a feature on Danny Shelton, the University of Washington’s defensive lineman from Auburn.
Staff reporter Robert Whale earned second place in Best Government Reporting for his story, “City, port officials fret over crumbling freight routes.” Judges said: “This topic had the potential to be boring, but the writer did a great job of answering the “why should I care” question early in the story, and keeping up the momentum throughout. The sense of alarm builds throughout the piece, leaving the reader at the end with the realization that something must be done – and quickly. A great call to action.”
Winners and finalists were announced at an awards dinner Oct. 4 during the WNPA’s 126th annual convention in Olympia. Members of the Tennessee Press Association judged the contest.
The Auburn Reporter competed against other newspapers in Group IV, a circulation of 12,751 and up.
