2000 winners
First Place, $500:
"'Never the same' / Family still
struggles with brutal murder of beloved son."
Penny Falcon, The Beacon-News, Aurora.
Judges' comments: This story's visual impact is simply unforgettable.
Incredible story telling, from beginning to end: A senseless murder of a
youth who wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time; a family's search
for answers; frustration with the criminal justice system; politicians trying
to use their case as a platform; questions as to why God would allow this
to happen; and the impact on a family and a community. The writer weaves
together all of these themes with powerful turns of phrases, rhythmic sentence
and paragraph lengths and vivid scene setting. As if the story itself weren't
compelling enough, it also has community impact through the broader issue
it so effectively illustrates. It kicked off a series about serious crime
in Aurora.
Second Place, $250:
"Those left in racists's wake cope, fight back / For some, the wounds
are still raw one year after Benjamin Smith's deadly spree." Martha
Irvine, The Associated Press, Chicago.
Judges' comments: A riveting look at the mark a murderous rampage
made on the lives of those left behind. This takes a broad look at racism
in the context of a major news event, through the eyes of many different
people a year later. Each person's story has a beginning, middle and end,
and each lends a fresh perspective, but all are woven together seamlessly.
This story helps readers examine their own lives and attitudes.
Third Place, $100:
"Kathleen Colton is not on trial
here / Outspoken attorney rankles some; is revered by others." Benjie Hughes, The Beacon-News, Aurora.
Judges' comments: An example of a writer taking what could have been
a humdrum, personality profile story and turning it into something special.
The story is constructed as a trial of sorts, with readers serving as the
jury to decide what they think of this defense attorney. The story is so
compelling and so loaded with sensory details that you don't really notice
until you're finished that it contains no direct quotes. The writer never
has to call Kathleen Colton to the stand, because he's already stated both
sides of her case so eloquently. Purely from a writing perspective, this
story was the most memorable of the competition.
1st Honorable Mention, $50:
"Failing tires carry fatal consequences," Mark Skertic, Chicago
Sun-Times.
Judges' comments: Without a doubt, the best pure news story of
the bunch. One of the earliest warnings about tread separation that helped
make this a national issue. While it's difficult for a straight-news story
to compete in a writing contest with the creative potential of a feature
story, this report never veers from the central, chilling theme for readers:
"That could be me." There's powerful emotion here, especially
in the opening, but not so much that it gets in the way of the facts. The
writer also does a great job of breaking the story into manageable components.
Sidebars and glance boxes keep the reader on the page much more effectively
than would one extremely long piece.
2nd Honorable Mention, $50:
"Memoirs from the Mac: A test of wits, endurance / Race to Mackinac
not just smooth sailing up the lake." Charles Sheehan, The Associated
Press, Chicago.
Judges' comments: An enjoyable read that puts you on board of
a 36-foot yacht … and into a world completely different than most readers
know. Each paragraph builds tension and anticipation, but also imparts a
sense of fun. Some stories should be written from the first-person perspective.
This is one of them.
3rd Honorable Mention, $50:
"Recovering Angelica: Their baby died before birth; now, parents fight
for remains." Catherine-Ann Velasco, The Herald-News, Joliet.
Judges' comments: A powerful story that illuminates the emotional
roller-coaster a mother faces when she loses a baby through miscarriage
and then faces huge and complicated issues when she wants to bury her child.
The mother's story is told in a way that readers can understand her agony
and parents can relate to her dilemma.