Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 5, 1995 TAG: 9502060067
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Roanoke paper won the annual W.S. Copeland award for journalistic integrity and community service for Virginia newspapers with circulation over 20,000. The award recognized the newspaper for ``One Out Of Every 10,'' its series and editorials on teen-age pregnancy in Roanoke, and ``Peril and Promise,'' its continuing series and editorials on economic issues affecting the Roanoke region.
The judge said the series on teen pregnancy - produced by staff writer Beth Macy and staff photographer Victor W. Vaughan - had such impact that ``it could easily stand alone. The writing is vivid, the photos powerful, the editorials balanced and thoughtful.''
``While the series focused on Roanoke, the complex social issues that it treats defy geography. Beth Macy and Victor Vaughan have made the participants in this drama come to life. ... The letters to the editor leave no doubt that this series has produced results.''
The judge said the ``Peril and Promise'' project ``sets a lofty standard for newspapers that want to help their home cities survive and prosper. The resources devoted to it obviously are immense, and the responses quite tangible.''
The ``Peril and Promise'' entry included stories by staff writers Jeff DeBell, Dwayne Yancey, Sandra Brown Kelly and Greg Edwards and former staff writer Lon Wagner. Photographers who participated in the series were Stephanie Klein-Davis, Wayne Deel, Keith Graham, Keith Greene, Don Petersen and Victor W. Vaughan.
The Virginia Gazette of Williamsburg won the Copeland award for newspapers with circulation under 20,000.
The Copeland award is named for the late Walter Scott Copeland, a four-term president of the Virginia Press Association and a Richmond and Newport News daily newspaper editor. It stresses editorial leadership as well as community service above and beyond a newspaper's circulation area.
In the VPA's annual writing, graphics and makeup competition, Roanoke Times & World-News staffers won 16 awards, including three first-place writing awards and one first place for photography.
Sportswriter Jack Bogaczyk won first place for sports feature writing for a story about Crystal Wilson, a Roanoke College athlete. Bogaczyk also won a third-place award for sports news writing.
Staff writer Cody Lowe won first place for column writing for ``The Back Pew,'' his weekly column on religion and ethics.
Staff writer Mark Morrison won first place for critical writing for his reviews of concerts and performances in the Roanoke region.
Staff photographer Cindy Pinkston won first place for pictorial photo for a photograph of the Statler Brothers' July 4 concert in Staunton.
Staff photographer Don Petersen won four second-place awards: for spot news for his photo of friends of a drowning victim, for photo-illustration for a Brazilian food illustration, for sports photo for a basketball shot, and for picture story for a series of photos on the first day of school.
A staff entry for the newspaper's coverage of the Tour DuPont won second place for sports event writing. Reporters involved were Scott Blanchard, Jack Bogaczyk, Stephen Foster, Randy King, Andrea Kuhn, Diane Struzzi, Jan Vertefeuille and Dwayne Yancey.
Scott Blanchard also won second place for sports feature writing for a story about Virginia Tech quarterback Maurice DeShazo.
Design-desk editors Marty Horne and Tim Van Riper won a second-place makeup award for lifestyle or entertainment pages.
Copy editors Peggy Bier, Gerry Davies and Jim Ellison won second place in makeup for business and financial pages.
Photographer Eric Brady won second place in pictorial photo for a weather shot.
Staff writer Mary Bishop won third place in in-depth or investigative reporting for her story on Virginia's eugenics movement.
The newspaper staff won third place in makeup for its Tour DuPont special section.
Staff writer Laurence Hammack and staff photographer Stephanie Klein-Davis shared first-place honors for special projects. They participated in the Virginia Associated Press Newspapers parole project team.
Seven newspapers won sweepstakes awards recognizing their domination of awards in each of the VPA's seven circulation divisions: The Northern Virginia Daily of Strasburg, less than 20,000 circulation; The Free Lance-Star of Fredericksburg, 20,000 to 50,000 circulation; The Virginian-Pilot, 50,000 or more; The Rappahannock News of Washington, weekly newspapers with less that 4,000; The Post of Big Stone Gap, weekly newspapers 4,000 to 6,000; The Coalfield Progress of Norton, weeklies of 6,000 to 12,000; and The Fauquier Times-Democrat of Warrenton, weekly papers of 12,000 or more subscribers.
by CNB