Dept. of Shameless Self-Promotion: WW Wins 13 SPJ Awards

We're proud to announce WW won 13 first-place awards at the Society of Professional Journalists banquet May 17, including for general excellence. 

WW scored two first-place awards among alternative newspapers in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska for stories published in 2013. (Results in half of the categories of this contest are not yet in.) Investigative reporting, Rachel Graham Cody, “Expel Check” (Sept. 25, 2013), on rising discipline rates levied by Portland Public Schools against African-American students. Sports reporting: Aaron Mesh, Casey Jarman, Aaron Brown, Jonanna Widner and John Locanthi, “Rip City vs. No Pity” (Oct. 9, 2013), the competition for fans’ love between the Portland Timbers and Portland Trail Blazers. 

WW also won the General Excellence prize and 10 first-place awards among Oregon and southwest Washington weekly newspapers, circulation 8,000-plus. Social issues reporting: Nigel Jaquiss, “No Good Deed” (July 17, 2013), the adoption of a troubled child. Profiles: Andrea Damewood, “Whack-a-Mole” (Oct. 23, 2013), an activist accused of being an FBI informant. Government reporting: Damewood, “The Woman Behind the Bridge” (Feb. 27, 2013), the role of Patricia McCaig, adviser to Gov. John Kitzhaber, in lobbying for the Columbia River Crossing. Investigative reporting: Cody, “Expel Check.” Education reporting: Jaquiss, “Flunk Factories” (Nov. 13, 2013); the truth behind Portland high schools’ graduation rates. Science and health reporting: Erin Fenner, “Who Wants To Save a Junkie?” (March 6, 2013), Oregon’s failure to expand use of a drug to resuscitate overdosed heroin users. Sports feature: staff, “Spoke Addicts” (April 10, 2013), our 2013 bike issue. Photography: Evan Johnson, “City of Bridges" (Oct. 2, 2013), a photo essay of Portland’s bridges. Long feature: Matthew Singer, “The Last of the Sad Bastards” (Oct. 16, 2013), a profile of Elliott Smith 10 years after his death. Arts reporting: Singer, “The Last of the Sad Bastards”; and consumer and lifestyle: staff, “Hook it to My Veins” (Dec. 4, 2013), our 2013 coffee issue. 


WWeek 2015

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