Society of Professional Journalists awards

The News-Review picked up seven awards in the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2008 Pacific Northwest Excellence in Journalism competition.

The newsroom staff shared a second-place award in the multiple-day comprehensive coverage category for its six-day series titled “Without A Net,” which concerned the federal timber safety net’s effect on Douglas County’s budget.

My story in the series focused on the possible closure of the Douglas County Health Department’s Prenatal Clinic. I spoke with a young woman who relied on the clinic for health care. She said without the prenatal clinic, she likely would not have received any health care during her pregnancy nor been able to kick her drug habit. A local physician group, the local hospital and the health department have since worked out a partnership to keep the clinic’s doors open.

As for individual SPJ awards, I was given an honorable mention award in the personalities category for a story I wrote about a local man who grew up on a California homestead. Here is the story of Frank Lane.

The News-Review competed against other newspapers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska with circulations of less than 25,000 subscribers.

The award winners were announced in late May.