2008 NAAJ Writing Contest Winners (presented April 20, 2009 at National Press Club)


Glenn Cunningham Ag Journalist of the Year:

Steve Buist, Hamilton (Ontario) Spectator, "A Pig's Tale: A story about a pig, a man an d their route to the table"

NEWS
Judge: Joseph Garcia
Garcia has been an award-winning top editor, political writer, reporter and columnist at such respected media outlets as The Arizona Republic, Latino Perspectives, Tucson Citizen, USA Today and The Associated Press. His numerous television appearances include "The O'Reilly Factor with Bill O'Reilly," "Sunday Square Off" and "Horizonte." He also has been a media instructor at Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. Garcia, a Knight Digital Media fellow, is an independent journalist, editor and communications specialist in new media. He is a returning judge for the North American Agricultural Journalist writing contest.

1. Jonathan Knutson, The Forum (Fargo, N.D.), "Dairy decline: Region's industry loses ground''
Judge: "The packaging, presentation and layering of this fine piece of agricultural news about disappearing daily farms in Minnesota and North Dakota are surpassed only by its consistency to "show" and not just "tell" the story. The commitment to excellence can be found throughout, whether it be graphically, online or simple, old-fashioned word-crafting delivery to capture a moment in time through a very human lens with long-lasting and far-reaching impact.''

2. Tom Polansek, Dow Jones Newswire, "Iran buys wheat from U.S. after 27-year hiatus''
Judge: "This piece does an excellent job at illustrating how agriculture can play a key role in foreign policy, making the farmer one of our greatest ambassadors of peace. The world's empty stomach cannot be blamed on the United States, but it can be helped satisfied. This story explains why "the U.S. is essentially the only game in town" in terms of obtaining a large quantity of high-quality wheat and how that might lead to a thawing of Iran's antagonistic relationship with the United States. A fine example of our global economy.''

3. Jim Downing, Sacramento Bee, "Demand for wells sweeps across Valley''
Judge: "Water. Land without it is worthless. And as the drought continues, and tougher water restrictions loom instead of storm clouds, agricultural well-drilling operations in California are striking it rich. It's all about water, or lack thereof, that again focuses attention to the most basic necessity for agriculture. Truly, one man's pain is another man's gain. And oil isn't the only liquid gold to be found beneath the soil.''

Honorable Mention - Mateusz Perkowski, Capital Press, "Criminals sell cheap, hazardous chemicals to growers"
Judge: "An inside look at how the black market affects the legitimate agricultural market, especially on a global basis, and the subsequent dangers. In addition to public safety concerns, farmers using countefeit pesticides may be unwittingly damaging or destroying their crops.''

Honorable Mention - Mica Rosenberg, Reuters, "Mexico City poor plant vegetables to lower food costs"
Judge: "A nice snapshot on how Mexico's return to neighborhood gardens ala the Aztec empire could prove to feed the poor, who are struggling with higher food costs at the marketplace. Sometimes a simple solution turns out to be a masterful one.''

Honorable Mention - Todd Neeley, DTN/Progressive Farmer, "Biofuels developer charged with fraud"
Judge: "A good insight into how the promise of biofuels -- often said to be "too good to be true" -- sometimes are in fact just that: untrue. By following the money, and the promises, this report reminds us all how scams seem to be everywhere, fueled by greed and deceit.''

Honorable Mention - Alan Bjerga and Tony Dreibus, Bloomberg News, "Spam, still mystery meat, escapes food-label rules"
Judge: "What's on a label. At a time when public concern for safe food is at an all-time high, this report examines the cost and consequences related to labeling goods, and the public's demand to find labeling as a way to avoid certain products, especially from China. So far, Spam has been exempted from such labels, but more regulations may be on the way.''

SPOT NEWS
Judge: Louise Seals
In retirement, Louise Crumrine Seals has taught journalism at Virginia Commonwealth University, volunteered with Leadership Metro Richmond, traveled abroad and become a Tree Steward.

While she was managing editor, the Richmond Times-Dispatch won the Virginia Press Association's public service award four times. She was president of Virginia Press Women and Virginia SPJ, served on the board of Associated Press Managing Editors for 12 years, and is on advisory boards for two journalism schools. She has been inducted into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame and the academic honor societies of Phi Kappa Phi and Kappa Tau Alpha. She was 1997 Communicator of Achievement of the National Federation of Press Women.

Judging an agricultural journalism competition is a return to her roots: She grew up on a dairy farm in West Virginia, was active in 4-H, including showing family Jerseys, and majored in agricultural journalism at West Virginia University.

Judge's Comment on the Category:
Spot news was a tough category because all the reporters seem to know their subjects thoroughly, no matter how complex, or else they have darned good sources to explain issues and rules. Either way, hats off to them! Most of these entries would make excellent textbook examples of explaining difficult subjects in everyday language.

Tossing in the time pressure of breaking news didn't make the judging any easier because so many of the entries were so cleanly written and so thorough. My bias was toward entries covering events that could not be anticipated days in advance.

1. Chris Clayton, DTN/Progressive Farmer, "Soy groups caught in battle of charges"
Judge: "Allegations of malfeasance, reports of government waste, a possible cover-up, refusal to change with the times -- these folks really don't like each other! Good digging on a juicy story. I kept looking for more detail about the allegations against the CEO higher up, but with the lack of hard information, that segment is in the right place.''
2. Chuck Abbott and Christopher Doering, Reuters, "U.S. to issue corrected crop report Tuesday''
Judge: "A quintessential breaking news story: Although the reporters had a short warning that the correction was coming, they lacked specifics; however, they were able to point to criticism of the original report in their initial story. Excellent progression of reporting through the evolution of the story, and quick action on the day the correction was released to make the final package thorough and authoritative.''

3. Greg Horstmeier, DTN/Progressive Farmer, "Fertilizer warning issued"
Judge: "After too much lead in paint on toys, now we could face cadmium contamination of food and, worse yet, of our irrreplaceable soil. This reporter understood the possible consequences of heavy-metal contamination. Besides detailed reporting, the writer provides thorough explanations that can be understood by an average reader.''

Honorable Mention - Chris Clayton, DTN/Progressive Farmer, "Time not on farmers' side''
Judge: "This well-crafted story used the lawmakers' tour to explain complex crop insurance rules, set-asides and other regulations giving headaches to farmers trying to salvage something from their flooded fields. The "nut" graf is wonderful, and close to the lede; it starts, 'The problems right now are time, water and rules.' Makes you wonder why anyone wants to farm these days.''
Honorable Mention - Mikkel Pates/Agweek, "Ed Schafer's confirmation"
Judge: "Covering for dailies and a tabloid magazine, plus blogging, this reporter churned out consistently detailed, highly readable copy day after day as s/he chronicled the push to get Ed Schafer approved and installed as U.S. agriculture secretary. Scene-setting and good use of quotes that sounded like real people, not press releases, kept me moving quickly through the stories. Maybe a little booster-ish for the "local guy who made good," but I think it's appropriate for the audience on this occasion."

FEATURES
Judge: George Edmonson
George Edmonson retired in 2005 after nearly 35 years of newspaper work. He started as a reporter at his hometown P.M., the Richmond (Va.) News Leader. Subsequent jobs included metro editor at the Baltimore News American, assistant managing editor/news at USA Today, assistant managing editor at the Rocky Mountain News, managing editor at the Omaha World-Herald and a variety of editing and writing roles at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After stints as assistant managing editor and as the AJC's first public editor, Edmonson worked from 2000 to 2005 in the Washington bureau. For the first couple of years, he concentrated on the Georgia delegation and issues related to the state. After covering the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon, he covered military affairs for the Cox bureau until his retirement.

Edmonson retired to Tarpon Springs, Fla., a Greek-influenced small town about 45 minutes north of St. Petersburg with a tradition of sponge diving. In addition to judging the occasional journalism contest, Edmonson writes periodically for a couple of cigar Web sites.

Judge's Comment on the Category: "Overall, the entries were fine examples of high-quality journalism. Reading so many good stories was heartening and reassuring. To tell the truth, there was very little separating many of these stories, and I went back and forth in my mind quite a bit over the rankings. While it may be true that the fate of print is uncertain, there's no question that if strong, devoted reporters and editors like these continue to create such compelling work, they will always find an audience."

1. Alan Bjerga, Bloomberg News, "Dead children linked to aid policy in Africa favoring Americans"
Judge: "What could be more ordinary than a bag of green peas? But in the hands of a talented journalist, that bag initiates a journey that takes readers from the fields of North Dakota, though a bureaucratic maze and, belatedly, to the starving children of Ethiopia. Rather than simply reporting on the failings of the USAID program, the writer uses thorough reporting to weave the life-and-death struggle of one man's grandchildren into a fascinating look at a program with a noble aim that frequently falls short because of ignoble acts. The lengthy story moves quickly with strong color and scenes ("Dirt turned to dust in his hands as he recalled the days when his three wives prepared meals from his own crops: corn, sorghum and teff, a grain used to make injera, Ethiopia's basic bread."), as well as clear, concise explanations of concepts such as local purchase, the importance of humanitarian aid in maritime jobs and Congressional wrangling over the program. As a reader, one can only wish more important subjects would receive this level of thoughtful, fair and insightful coverage.''

2. Susanne Stahl, DTN/Progressive Farmer, "And here there is no hurt: Hantavirus touches South Dakota farm family''
Judge: "From the very beginning, this reads like a short story. The tone and focus merge perfectly, giving readers rare insight into a human side of farming beyond the day-to-day activities like planting and harvesting. The writer avoids becoming saccharine or sentimental, never allowing the story of one man's life and death to become something of a cheap country song. Through good writing and careful selection of detail, such as the description of his body being carried to the cemetery, the writer keeps the reader engaged. In all, a fine, well-told human story of which there are never enough.''

3. - Lori Potter, Kearney (Neb.) Hub, "The Dobishes farmed for a living; now they're living for gardening for their Mom and Pop operation"
Judge: "I once worked for an editor who was fond of saying, "In-depth does not mean at-length." I think he would have enjoyed this tight, wonderful portrait of a farm couple that dealt with adversity by taking what they knew and continuing to create. The story is sprinkled with nice touches and captivating writing. Just listen to the alliteration in this sentence, the images it creates and how much it reveals about the operation: "Produce is picked, washed with well water and air dried." The decision to list other farmers markets in a sidebar was a wise one, giving readers useful information without bogging down the story of the Dobishes.''

Honorable Mention - Alan Bjerga, Bloomberg News, "Iowa farmer sees 'years' of damage to corn crops from flooding''
Judge: "With few exceptions, natural disasters are usually quickly forgotten by those not directly affected. This finely reported story makes it clear that the damage isn't erased nearly so soon.''

Honorable Mention - Dan Looker, Successful Farming, "Working into ownership: Family and neighbors help a young Nebraskan get a start in farming"
Judge: "With the lens on one farmer, this story captures how one young man is making a go of farming and why it matters.''

Honorable Mention - Philip Brasher, Des Moines Register, "Climate change threatens to raise the stakes for Iowa farms"
Judge: "This was a serious, detailed look at how an international problem will have a local impact. The writer told the story with good details, wide-ranging interviews and clear language.''

Honorable Mention - Jonathan Knutson, The Forum (Fargo, N.D.), "More than food for fuel: While cellulosic ethanol holds great potential as a fuel source, technology is in early stages"
Judge: "This is a fine example of making a difficult topic -- cellulosic ethanol doesn't roll quickly off many tongues -- understandable through clear writing, good reporting and context.''

Honorable Mention - Barbara Duckworth, Western Producer (Canada), "From field to plate: Livestock traceability makes great strides"
Judge: "This thorough examination of the system for tracing livestock in Canada, divided into several components, was interesting and informative.''

COLUMN & ANALYSIS
Judge: Mike Toner
Toner, who recently retired, is a former science writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Miami Herald. In 1993, he received the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting for "When Bugs Fight Back," his Atlanta Journal-Constitution series about organisms and their resistance to antibiotics and pesticides. He grew up in the small Iowa farming community of Humboldt, where he was one of the "city" kids who walked across the street to go to school.

1. Christine Stebbins, Reuters, "Subprime fears, 'bubble' unsettle U.S. farm lenders"
Judge: "An incisive -- and, given subsequent developments -- almost prescient look into the future of the cloud around the silver lining of soaring crop prices. This columnist recognized the cyclical boom in the ag industry for what it really was "a prelude to the next bust."

2. D'Arce McMillan, Western Producer, "Biofuel not sole food crisis culprit''
Judge: "Amid the fog of public opinion over the food for fuel controversy, this writer shed some badly needed light on the realities -- without choosing sides on the politically sensitive and widely misunderstood issue. Nice balance.''

3. Jasmin Melvin, Reuters, "New oversight of U.S. produce industry slow in coming"
Judge: "An excellent follow-up, rich in insight, to the clamor for action triggered by a nationwide outbreak of salmonella poisoning. An analysis judiciously tempered by the recognition that public policy, like politics, is inevitably the art of the possible.''

Honorable mention - Christine Stebbins, Reuters, "CBOT wheat fight shows dark side of screen trade''
Judge: "A fascinating glimpse of the technology of electronic trading -- and the implications it has for a future fraught with the kind of volatility we can expect in the age of electronic decision making.''

Honorable mention - John Vogel, American Agriculturalist, "Ready to face food shortage fears?"
Judge: "A thoughtful treatment, with a minimum of jargon and doubletalk, about the future prospects for expanded bio-fuels production and its implications for farmers and the food supply.''

SERIES
Judge: Courtney Lowery
Lowery is the co-founder and editor in chief of New West.Net, the online magazine devoted to covering the culture and politics of the Rocky Mountain West. A former Lee Newspapers and Associated Press writer and editor, she has spent much of her writing career covering politics, agriculture, the Western landscape and all issues in which those intersect.

She also teaches the Rural News Network class at the University of Montana, a project she founded in 2006 that aims to connect UM students with rural Montana and help small towns revive their newspapers online. The first town site in the Rural News Network was born in Courtney's hometown: The Dutton Country Courier.

1. Steve Buist, Hamilton (Ontario) Spectator, "A Pig's Tale: A story about a pig, a man an d their route to the table"

Judge: "This was head and hock above the rest. Storytelling was vivid, subject matter was adventurous and enterprising. The entire series was riveting, entertaining and oh, so informative. One of the best pieces of agriculture journalism I've read in years. What a wonderful way to connect people to their food.''

2. Lauren Etter, Julie Jargon, Scott Kilman and Roger Thurow of the Wall Street Journal, "The Food Crisis --- A Bumpy Crop: Farming's Sudden Feasts and Famines"

Judge: "While many of the entries focused on the tumultuous year in farming and commodities, this series stood out because of its ability to tell the stories that not only explained the ups and downs, but gave them vibrance, emotion and better understanding. I appreciated the the writer delving into the effects of the ups and downs not only on farmers, but on food. The reporting was strong, writing equally well-done and to follow the roller coaster from field to factory to supermarket shelf to plate was exactly the trail readers need to fully understand agriculture's currency.''

3. Lori Potter, Kearney (Neb.) Hub, "Panhandle Platte: History, System of Rights, Drought Complicate Job in Western Nebraska"

Judge: "A timely in-depth series on an important, yet under covered topic. Reporting was solid and the series, in subject matter and voices, was well crafted. A great piece of journalism for tying history in with the present and future and for tackling a complex story.''

Honorable Mention - Jerry Perkins, Des Moines Register, "The Race to Make a Super Seed"

Judge: "Good reporting and a story well told. There was a tremendous amount of information and the writer adeptly navigated the complexities and nicely grounded the science involved for readers. I would have, however, liked to hear from the other side of this issue. There was very little time or space given to dissent on patents, seed company consolidation or gmo and that, I think, would have easily made this piece a candidate for one of the top selections.''

Honorable Mention - Tom Rivers, Daily News of Batavia (N.Y.),"The hardest to harvest? Cabbage, without a doubt", "It's a dirty job, but ... somebody has to harvest cukes", and "Picking plump pumpkins no treat"

"Judge: "Entertaining and informative throughout. Great storytelling and a really effective way of covering the labor issue. Well done.''

Honorable mention - Marcia Zarley Taylor and Elizabeth Williams, DTN/Progressive Farmer, "Farm rents hit tipping point"

Judge: "A really solid series on an interesting subject.''

Honorable mention - Susanne Stahl, Elizabeth Williams and Elaine Shein of DTN/Progressive Farmer, "Money blowing in the wind"

Judge: "A nice primer on the issue. Solid writing and reporting.''

SPECIAL PROJECTS
Judge: Lee Egerstrom
Egerstrom was a long time member of the NAAJ, was president in 1992 and is a past recipient of the Glenn Cunningham Award and the J.S. Russell Award. He retired from the St. Paul Pioneer Press in December 2006 and currently works part-time as an economic development fellow for the Minnesota 2020 think-tank in St. Paul.

Judge's overview comments:
This is the fifth or sixth time I've served as a judge in various NAAJ journalism competitions. This year's Special Projects entries represent the best body of journalistic work I've been privileged to judge.

There are three observations that I wish to share with NAAJ members after reading and re-reading the entries. First, it is obvious that great journalists from different media venue see the economic and sociological consequences of news events. Despite financial hardships for print journalism in the past year, great work and news budgets were committed to offering readers serious and scholarly analysis. Second, the age of "convergence" journalism is here, but great journalism -- not blog blather -- is still anchored on great reporting. Third, the importance of ag mags must be saluted. In an age when most people are drowning in information that is not built on journalism standards, the ag mag entries show these publications brilliantly report, sort out and analyze contemporary events for their targeted readers.

A further comment on the first observation above:

Three themes dominated this past year's Special Projects entries and suggest that news budget decisions and reporting were mostly done well in advance of the collapsing financial markets that dominated news in the final quarter of 2008. One theme involves hunger and food prices that were global concerns in the first half of last year. Another is the interrelated global warming, carbon and environment issue that are closely tied with agriculture and food access. The third reoccurring theme involves ethanol production, development and economics that, not coincidentally, are part of the other two themes.

It is a shame for public understanding in our own countries and for the health and welfare of the global community that these three themes have been pushed off front pages while world attention shifts to economic problems. Like mothers' work, journalists' work is never done! These three themes will stay with us for years to come.

A final note about the winning entries: The NAAJ rules specifically stress that the competition is for reporting and writing, not layout and design. That was how this category was judged even though both submissions employ aspects of new technology, or "convergence" journalism. The global warming entry uses great graphics but they are built from the great reporting from the writer or writers. The food aid reports use video filmed while the reporter or reporters were in the field; a nice and helpful touch for readers who may access the reports online, but these video sidebars were not used in evaluating the body of work.

New and converging journalism tools are here to stay, and these two entries show why that is a positive. But consistent with the NAAJ category, the competition was based on reporting and writing.

1. (tie)
- Bloomberg News (Alan Bjerga, Alan Katz, Carlos Caminada, Alison Fitzgerald, Helen Murphy, Christopher Swann, Jason Gale, Luzi Ann Javier, Ian Katz, Ari Levy, Pius Lukong and Peter Robison), "Recipe for famine"

- Des Moines Register staff, "Global climate change: What it means to Iowa."

Judge: "So which was better? As I told the guru of the NAAJ journalism competition, let's let the Pulitzer committee sort it out. Both are entries that all Americans should read no matter how worried they are about their jobs, their home mortgages or stock portfolios.

Both entries are too profound and detailed to be described here. But both do an extraordinary job of describing the food chain and bringing complex issues home to our doorsteps.

One follows a shipment of dry edible beans from North Dakota that arrives too late for some children in Africa, exposing "enlightened self-interest" run amuck along the way. This is not a new problem; rather, it will get worse with global finance, energy use and global warming problems on the rise. Remedial actions will not be taken if these problems remain out of sight and out of mind.

The other winning submission brings global climate change home to the cornfields of Iowa. It is thorough, scientifically sound, extremely well researched and reported, and like the other winning submission, it is wonderfully written."

2. Not awarded.

3. Todd Neeley, Chris Clayton and Russ Quinn of DTN/Progressive Farmer "Ethanol Industry in Distress."

Judge: "This package is the foundation for understanding the problems of the ethanol industry. It covers the full year and chronicles everything from the record corn prices early in the year to the collapse in corn, oil and ethanol prices by year's end. It also used expert warnings in June that forecast the bankruptcies that would follow during the year.

Flat out solid journalism. Great reporting. Straight forward, clear writing. It led the field of solid entries looking at ethanol's problems and consequences."

Honorable Mention - Jim Patrico, DTN/Progressive Farmer, "The Faces of Demand."

Judge: "Outstanding assessment of changing markets, changing agriculture, and the people changing both."

Honorable Mention - Barry Wilson, Western Producer, "Food crisis requires balance."

Judge: "This is a perfect companion with the "Dead Children. . ." offering, well written and reported from the FAO in Rome and from around the world."

Honorable Mention - Lori Potter, Kearney (Neb.) Hub, "River rivals: Kansas very frustrated that Nebraska is sorely out of compliance on Rep. River Compact." Links to additional stories in this series maybe be found at the bottom of each article.
Judge: "This is a well researched and written "border battle" with environmental and agricultural consequences -- with nothing to do with sports."

Honorable Mention - Dan Looker and Jeff Caldwell, Successful Farming, "Cracking cellulose."

Judge: "This is another comprehensive and well written look at ethanol, and shows why cellulosic ethanol will soon find its way to our gas tanks."

Honorable Mention - Chris Clayton, Gregg Hillyer, Jim Patrico and Urban Lehner of DTN/Progressive Farmer, "Crumbling away"

Judge: "This entry is a break from the mold and carves out territory that will be closely watched in 2009 given federal stimulus programs keyed to building and restoring infrastructure. Well written, well researched, this series of articles looks at all infrastructure needs vital to agriculture and rural America, including broadband access. Outstanding work."

WARD SINCLAIR STUDENT WRITING AWARD Judge:Judged by Pat Waters
Waters is business editor at the Omaha World-Herald. A native of Nebraska City, Neb., she is a University of Nebraska-Lincoln journalism graduate. Before joining The World-Herald, she was editor of the Fremont (Neb.) Tribune.

First place: Adam Templeton, University of Nebraska-Lincoln journalism student, for an article in DTN/Progressive Farmer, "Axing Food vs. Fuel Problem"

Judge: "The writer found news in this continuing, vexing world issue by shining the spotlight on crops that I, and I am sure many other readers, didn't know existed. The writer also found a real person with which to lead the story. (The account would have been stronger had the reporter not dropped Robert Byrnes after the lead. I wanted to know how he discovered these alternate crops, what he told the congressional panel, and so on.) The story was clear, not overly bureaucratic and well-edited. The writer varied sentence lengths, provided necessary statistics without bogging down the story, and made good use of quotes. "The other entries were solidly reported and written and didn't suffer from any grave errors. But the writers had the disadvantage of writing about essentially the same topic, so it was difficult for either to stand out."