‘What journalism should be’: GMG excels in Nevada Press Association contest

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016 | 7:41 p.m.

MESQUITE — Greenspun Media Group received 90 awards and honors in the Nevada Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest, the most of any organization in the competition.

GMG’s top honors included the General Excellence award for The Sunday, the company’s weekly news magazine, and Story of the Year for a project led by Las Vegas Sun reporter Jackie Valley examining Nevada’s mental health services for children. In addition, Las Vegas Sun technology reporter Daniel Rothberg and Las Vegas Weekly staff writer Leslie Ventura each received Journalist of Merit honors, awarded to reporters who have been in the profession less than five years. A preliminary count of the results indicated that GMG won at least 20 more awards than any other media organization in the annual contest, which this year was judged by news media professionals in Arizona. GMG submitted entries for the Sun, The Sunday, Las Vegas Weekly, VEGAS INC, Las Vegas Magazine and the publications’ websites.

“With everything we do — whether it’s stories, photos, design work, ads and promotions, digital content or video projects — we strive to produce it at the highest level of quality,” said Ric Anderson, managing editor of the GMG newsroom. “It’s invigorating that our staff’s work and talents have been recognized by our peers.”

The Sunday garnered 13 first-place awards in the Urban Weekly category, the most of any in the class, including community service, best investigative story, best editorial page, best special section, best overall design, best print ad, best ad series and best graphic designer, LeeAnn Elias. During the contest period, the publication’s leadership team was: Delen Goldberg, editor; Dave Mondt, managing editor; Liz Brown, associate creative director; and Anderson. Erin Ryan has been the publication’s editor since May.

“Important stories are given depth of reporting and room to breathe on the page; broken into components for readers to easily take in,” read a judge’s comment. “Plus the addition of graphics, pull-outs, number boxes and info-boxes makes each issue visually dynamic.

“Easily the best designed publication we’ve seen in any category — this is what journalism should be.”

Valley’s award-winning six-part series, “Children in Crisis,” revealed a number of cracks in the state’s child mental health support and treatment network, concluding with a community forum in which health professionals, counselors and others discussed solutions. A judge said the series “sheds light on a troubling issue: the number of children struggling with mental health problems and the difficulties families face trying to get their children help.”

Among other highlights for GMG, Las Vegas Weekly took home 25 awards, including Ventura receiving first-, second- and third-place honors for feature writing, and first place in digital storytelling by staff photographer Mikayla Whitmore and former staff writer Kristen Peterson.

Las Vegas Magazine won eight awards, and VEGAS INC received six.

The Sun received 27 overall awards in the Urban Daily class. The Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Reno Gazette-Journal received 35 apiece to tie for most awards in the category.

The awards presentation ceremony was held Saturday at the CasaBlanca Resort.

Other awards and honors for GMG, as shown in a list distributed by the NPA last week, were as follows:

The Sunday

Community service — First place, Megan Messerly; third place, Ian Whitaker

Best business story — First place, Gautham Thomas and Kyle Roerink; second place, Daniel Rothberg

Best explanatory journalism — Third place, Megan Messerly

Best investigative story — First place, Ian Whitaker; second place, Conor Shine; third place, J.D. Morris and Megan Messerly

Best local column — First place, John Katsilometes

Best sports story — Second place, Case Keefer; third place, Ray Brewer

Best editorial writing — First place, Tom Gorman

Best editorial page — First place, Tom Gorman, Mike Smith, editorial page staff

Best overall design — First place, design staff

Best page one design — First place, Liz Brown

Best graphic designer — First place, LeeAnn Elias; second place, Liz Brown

Best multiple photo essay — Second place, Mikayla Whitmore

Best editorial cartoon — Second place, Mike Smith

Best special section — First place, staff

Best print ad — First place, Dany Haniff; third place, Sean Rademacher

Best ad series — First place, Sean Rademacher

Las Vegas Sun

Community service — Second place, Jackie Valley

Best breaking news reporting — Third place, staff

Best non-staff story — Second place, Ed Koch; third place, Brock Radke

Best business story — Second place, Daniel Rothberg

Best explanatory journalism — First place, Jackie Valley

Best investigative story — Third place, Jackie Valley

Best local column — Third place, John Katsilometes

Best sports story — Third place, Taylor Bern

Best sports column — Third place, Ray Brewer

Best critical writing — Second place, John Katsilometes

Best editorial writing — Second place, Tom Gorman

Best editorial page — Third place, staff

Best overall design — Second place, staff

Best page one design — Second place, LeeAnn Elias

Best graphic designer — Second place, LeeAnn Elias

Best feature photo — Third place, L.E. Baskow

Best multiple photo essay — First place, L.E. Baskow

Best portrait — First place, Mikayla Whitmore; third place, L.E. Baskow

Best sports photo — Second place, L.E. Baskow

Best editorial cartoon — Third place, Mike Smith

Best website — Second place, staff

Best platform writing — Second place, John Katsilometes

Las Vegas Weekly

Best feature writing — First, second and third place, Leslie Ventura

Best local column — Third place, Brock Radke

Best entertainment writing — Second place, Mark Adams; third place, Mike Prevatt

Best critical writing — First place, Kristen Peterson

Best overall design — Second place, staff

Best graphic designer — Third place, Corlene Byrd

Best news photo coverage — First place, L.E. Baskow; second place, Mikayla Whitmore and Steve Marcus

Best feature photo — Second place, L.E. Baskow; third place, Christopher DeVargas

Best multiple photo essay — Third place, Mikayla Whitmore

Best illustrated photo — First and third place, Jon Estrada

Best print ad — Third place, Sean Rademacher

Best in-house promotion — First place, Sean Rademacher

Best niche magazine — Third place, Brock Radke, Mark De Pooter, staff

Advertising general excellence — Third place, staff

Best website — Second place, staff

Best digital storytelling — First and second place, Kristen Peterson and Mikayla Whitmore

Best platform writing — Second place, John Katsilometes

Las Vegas Magazine

Best entertainment writing — First place, Nina King

Best graphic designer — Second place, Wesley Gatbonton

Best feature photo — First place, Christopher DeVargas

Best portrait — First place, Christopher DeVargas

Best illustrated photo — First place, Christopher DeVargas and Wesley Gatbonton; second place, Christopher DeVargas

Advertising general excellence — Third place, staff

Best website — Third place, staff

VEGAS INC

Best breaking news reporting — First place, Eli Segall

Best explanatory journalism — First place, Daniel Rothberg

Best portrait — Second place, L.E. Baskow

Best special section — Second place, Craig Peterson, staff

Best niche magazine — First and second place, Craig Peterson, staff