Investigative series on China’s massive Uighur internment camps takes top honor — Robert D.G. Lewis Watchdog Award — in annual contest recognizing best print, broadcast work of local journalism
The Washington, D.C., Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists on June 9 announced the recipients of its 2020 Dateline Awards for journalism excellence. This year, SPJ DC honors finalists and winners in 66 categories.
The chapter also awarded its highest honor, the Robert D. G. Lewis Watchdog Award, for work that best exemplifies journalism aimed at protecting the public from abuses by those who would betray the public trust.
The Watchdog Award went to Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, with the Reporting and Data Teams of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists for “China Cables: Exposed – China’s Operating Manuals for Mass Internment and Arrest by Algorithm.”
The online exposé was produced in collaboration with The Associated Press, NBC News, The New York Times, Le Monde, El Pais, Irish Times, BBC, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and CBC/Radio-Canada. The Watchdog Award, named for Robert D. G. Lewis, a veteran Washington journalist, past national president of the Society of Professional Journalist, a member of the DC Pro Chapter until his death, and staunch advocate for freedom of information issues, comes with a $1,000 prize.
The judges called “China Cables” one of the most impressive pieces of journalism in 2019, recognizing the team effort of many reporters and media partners across multiple countries and languages. This comprehensive investigative journalism effort detailed a first-of-its-kind glimpse into the massive internment camps holding hundreds of thousands of Muslim Uighurs and other civilians. One judge called it “an impressive use of records, source trust-building and shoe-leather reporting on a delicate and dangerous situation, with global implications.” The judge added that the repercussions of the reporting were almost immediate. Outrage spanned the globe, the judge noted, “leading to both the U.S. Congress and the European Parliament seeking sanctions against top Chinese officials and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling on the Chinese government to release all citizens detained.”
Awards were presented for excellence in TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, newsletter/trade publication, and online journalism, encompassing breaking news, business writing, commentary, photography, and more.
For the annual Correspondent Award, for distinguished coverage of the Washington area published or broadcast outside the Washington, D.C. area, the judges named Mark Albert, chief investigative correspondent, Hearst Television, the winner. Maria Recio, Austin American-Statesman, and Jonathan D. Salant, NJ Advance Media, were selected finalists.
“These awards recognize some of the best journalism being done in the Washington, D.C., region by some of the best reporters around,” said SPJ DC President Randy Showstack. “SPJ DC applauds these journalists for their outstanding efforts to shine a light on issues that the public needs to be aware of.”
Due to closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, the chapter was unable to hold its annual Dateline Awards and Hall of Fame dinner as scheduled at the National Press Club on Tuesday, June 9, 2020. In a first, the awards were announced by video starting at 7 p.m. on June 9, which is about the time the dinner would have been getting underway in the Press Club ballroom had the public health crisis not been a factor.
The dinner and Hall of Fame induction were postponed until June 8, 2021.
The video of the award announcements can be viewed on the SPJ DC YouTube Channel here. It runs approximately 28 minutes.
The judging for the contest was conducted by members of the Society of Professional Journalists — Detroit Chapter, in a judging exchange with SPJ DC Pro.
DATELINE AWARDS – FINALISTS AND WINNERS
DAILY NEWSPAPERS
Breaking News
Winner: Staff: The Wall Street Journal, “The Impeachment of President Donald J. Trump”
Finalist: White House Team, The Wall Street Journal, “President Trump Eyes a New Real-Estate Purchase: Greenland”
Finalist: Sophie Kaplan, The Washington Times, “Unanimous: D.C. Council Members Recommend Expulsion of Jack Evans”
Non-Breaking News
Winner: Michael M. Phillips, The Wall Street Journal, “The Bravest Thing Col. Randy Hoffman Ever Did Was to Stop Fighting”
Finalist: Claudia Grisales, Stars and Stripes, “Family of Fallen Navy Linguist Fights Regulation that Forced Her Deployment to Syria”
Finalist: Guy Taylor, Dave Boyer, David R. Sands, Ben Wolfgang, The Washington Times, coverage of U.S. North Korea Second Summit
Finalist: Antonio Olivo, The Washington Post, “Millions of Dollars Are Missing. The Sheriff Is Dead. A Small Virginia Town Wants Answers.”
Features
Winner: Adam Bernstein, The Washington Post, “Stanley Donen, Director Who Filmed Gene Kelly Singing in the Rain, Dies at 94”
Finalist: Guy Taylor, The Washington Times, “Pompeo’s Foreign Policy Influence Shows Limits”
Finalist: Thomas Floyd, Washington Post Express, “Maboud Ebrahimzadeh was Nearly an Athlete or a Doctor. Life’s Plot Twists Led Him to Theater”
Finalist: David Montgomery, The Washington Post, “Promises and Demands: What Do Native Americans Want from a President?”
Sports
Winner: Adam Zielonka, The Washington Times, overall sports writing
Finalist: Matthew Paras, The Washington Times, overall sports writing
Business
Winner: Ben Wolfgang, The Washington Times, overall business reporting
Finalist: Nick Timiraos, The Wall Street Journal, “How the Fed Kept the Recovery on Track”
Front-Page Design
Winner: Robert Cohn, The Washington Times, World Series, Redskins Preview and NFL Hall of Fame Designs
Series
Winner: Claudia Grisales, Stars and Stripes, “Conspiracy of Silence: 3 parts”
Finalist: Stephen Dinan, Christopher Vondracek, Valerie Richardson, James Varney, Alex Swoyer, The Washington Times, “Losing Our Religion”
Finalist: Missy Ryan, The Washington Post, “Women’s Experience in National Security”
Finalist: Jeff Mordock, The Washington Times, “Collateral Damage”
Editorial/Opinion Writing
Winner: Deborah Simmons, The Washington Times, overall writing
Finalist: Thom Loverro, The Washington Times, overall writing
Finalist: Editorial Staff, The Washington Times, “Punishing Gold Star Families”
Commentary & Criticism
Winner: Thomas Floyd, The Washington Post, overall writing
Finalist: Celia Wexler, San Francisco Chronicle, overall writing
Investigative Journalism
Winner: Tara Copp, Shirsho Dasgupta, Ben Wieder, McClatchy Washington Bureau, “Stricken: Veterans Want Answers as New Data Shows Rise in Cancers over Two Decades of War”
Finalist: Staffs, USA Today, The Arizona Republic and the Center for Public Integrity, “Copy, Paste, Legislate”
Finalist: Brett Forrest, The Wall Street Journal, “The FBI Lost Our Son”
Finalist: John D. Harden. The Washington Post, “A Federal Program Was Established to Help Disadvantaged Areas. That’s Not Where Most of the Money Goes.”
Editorial Cartoon
Winner: Al Goodwyn, The Free Lance-Star of Fredericksburg, Goodwyn editorial cartoons
Finalist: Alexander Hunter, The Washington Times, Hunter editorial cartoons
Beat Reporting
Winner: Stephen Dinan, The Washington Times, Washington coverage
Finalist: Seth McLaughlin, The Washington Times, 2020 Democratic candidates’ campaign coverage
Finalist: Michele Lerner, The Washington Post, real estate coverage
Finalist: Ben Wolfgang, The Washington Times, defense reporting
WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS
Breaking News
Winner: Joey DiGuglielmo, Washington Blade, “Gun Scare in Dupont Circle Halts 2019 Pride Parade”
Non-Breaking News
Winner: Sam Collins,The Washington Informer, “Millennial Grads Make Waves as DCPS Teachers”
Finalist: Leah Potter, Street Sense Media, “Most Homeless Services Are for Individuals or Families. Small Organizations Try to Fill the Gap for Expecting Mothers.”
Features
Winner: Judy Kurtz, The Hill, “Inside the Secret World of the CIA’s Social Media Team”
Finalist: Reginald Black, Street Sense Media and Law at the Margins, “The Homeless Can Transform Homeless Services if They Are Given the Chance”
Finalist: Judy Kurtz, The Hill, “F-bombs Away: Why Lawmakers are Cursing Now More than Ever”
Finalist: Joey DiGuglielmo, Washington Blade, “Letting It All Hang Out at Pride; Did it Help Us in the Long Run?”
Sports
Winner: Kelyn Soong, Washington City Paper,overall sports coverage
Finalist: Joey DiGuglielmo, Washington Blade, “Trans Women Face Many Hurdles in Quest to Compete Fairly”
Art/Photo Illustration
Winner: MegRogers, Street Sense Media, “Rapidly Left Behind?”
Series
Winner: Stacy Brown, The Washington Informer, “Black Women’s Suffrage”
Feature Photography
Winner: Anthony Tilghman, The Washington Informer, “District Marks 50th Anniversary of First Moon Landing”
Commentary & Criticism
Winner: D. Kevin McNeir, The Washington Informer, “Kids Embrace Arthur, Kermit and Spongebob, Even if They’re Gay, Until Taught Otherwise”
Finalist: Joey DiGuglielmo, Washington Blade, “Michael W. Smith, Sandi Patty Wow with Kennedy Center Patriotic Shows”
Beat Reporting
Winner: William Ford, The Washington Informer, Prince George’s County coverage
MAGAZINES
Features
Winner: William Hennigan, Time Magazine, “Private Jones Comes Home”
Finalist: Andrew Clevenger, CQ Magazine, “More Seats in the Situation Room”
Finalist: Sharon Guynup, Steve Winter, National Geographic, “The Tigers Next Door”
Columns
Winner: Andrew Clevenger, CQ Magazine, “The Common Defense”
TELEVISION
Features
Winner: Rick Yarborough, Jodie Fleischer, Jeff Piper, WRC-TV, “Taking Down Active Shooters”
Finalist: Steven Goodman, Rebecca Loebe, Ralph Jaccodine, J.D. Mack, Cliff Matheson, UDC-TV, “Higher Education Today – The Music Business”
Finalist: Steven Goodman, Heather MacAlister, Bonita Bennett, Christie van Zyl, Colleen Knox, UDC-TV, “Higher Education Today – Connections with Ancestors”
Sports
Winner: Lonnae O’Neal, Lois Nam, ESPN, “Hockey over Hate”
Finalist: Diane Roberts, Dave Satchell, WUSA9, “Taylor Mikesell Makes Buckets”
Finalist: Diane Roberts, Tom Hunsicker, WUSA9, “Nationals’ Field of Greens Addresses DC Food Deserts”
Series
Winner: Rick Yarborough, Scott MacFarlane, Steve Jones, Jeff Piper, WRC-TV, “The Sick Hospital”
Finalist: Terri Tolliver, Parrish Smith, WTTG-TV Fox 5 News, “Hidden History”
Commentary & Criticism
Winner: Adam Longo, WUSA9-TV, overall commentary
Investigative Journalism
Winner: Scott Taylor, Jim Joslyn, WJLA TV ABC 7 News, “Secret Classroom Recording”
Finalist: Rick Yarborough, Scott MacFarlane, Steve Jones, Jeff Piper, WRC-TV, “NEWS4 I-Team: Above the Law?”
RADIO
Breaking News
Winner: Staff, WTOP-FM, “Blackface”
Non-Breaking News
Winner: Sasha-Ann Simons, Gabe Bullard, WAMU, “They Relied on Lyft Rides for Groceries. Now These Seniors Must Find Another Way.”
Finalist: Staff, WTOP-FM, “Government Shutdown”
Features
Winner: Megan Cloherty, WTOP-FM, “Rock Creek Rescue”
Finalist: Mike Murillo, WTOP-FM, “Answering the Call”
Finalist: Sasha-Ann Simons, Jeffrey Katz, Tyrone Turner, WAMU, “D.C. Jazz Lovers Find Their Groove in Offbeat Places”
Finalist: John Aaron, WTOP-FM, “Engine Company 3”
Sports
Winner: Staff, WTOP-FM, overall sports reporting
Business
Winner: Shaun Courtney, Sarah Babbage, Adam Schank, Josh Block, Nico Anzalotta, Bloomberg Government, “Autonomous Vehicles and the Law: Is Congress at the Wheel?”
Series
Winner: J.J. Green, WTOP-FM, “The Fog of Espionage”
Finalist: Jenny Glick, WTOP-FM, “Starving for Perfection”
Commentary & Criticism
Winner: Dave Johnson, WTOP-FM, Overall Commentary
Investigative Journalism
Winner: Donna Cole, WNAV News, “The Poisoning of Bald Eagles on Maryland’s Eastern Shore – the History of a Dirty Little Secret”
Beat Reporting
Winner: Mitchell Miller, WTOP-FM, Capitol Hill coverage
Finalist: Jason Fraley, WTOP-FM, entertainment coverage
NEWSLETTERS/TRADE PUBLICATIONS
Breaking News
Winner: Greg Otto, Jeff Stone, CyberScoop, “The Capital One Hack”
Non-Breaking News
Winner: Corey Mitchell, Brittany Greeson, Education Week, “Special Ed. Surge Strains Flint Schools and Families”
Finalist: Kaustuv Basu, Nancy Ognanovich, Bloomberg Industry Group, “McConnell Shows Who’s Boss after 9-Year Battle over Tax Treaties”
Features
Winner: Bill Glose, Super Lawyers Magazine, “I Wanted to Sue Everybody”
Finalist: Zach Cohen, National Journal, “Profiles of the Senate’s Odd Couples”
Finalist: Stew Magnuson, National Defense Magazine, “Quantum Technology: Defense Community Slow to Grasp Potential of Quantum-Based Devices”
Finalist: Aaron Mehta, Defense News, “How the US and China Collaborated to Get Nuclear Material Out of Nigeria and Away from Terrorist Groups”
Business
Winner: Tamara Lytle, HR Magazine, “Closing the Gender Pay Gap”
Finalist: Megan Poinski, Christopher Doering, Nami Sumida, Food Dive, “Why Chicago is the Nation’s Capital of Food and Beverage Manufacturing”
Finalist: Tamara Lytle, HR Magazine, “Marijuana and the Workplace: It’s Complicated”
Finalist: Stephenie Overman, Engineering News-Record Mid-Atlantic, “Team Takes Historic Finds in Stride at Waterfront Site”
Front Page Design
Winner: Brian Taylor, National Defense Magazine, National Defense Magazine covers
Art/Photo Illustration
Winner: Katherine Goldberg, The Cancer Letter, The American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting
Finalist: Katherine Goldberg, The Cancer Letter, illustrating oncology
Columns
Winner: Paul Fletcher, Virginia Lawyers Weekly, Fletcher columns
Infographic
Winner: Jacqueline Ong, The Cancer Letter, Oncologic infographics
Series
Winner: Cole Rosengren, Katie Pyzyk, Susie Neilson, Igor Geyn, Gloria Gonzalez, Waste Dive, “High Risk, Hidden Workforce in the Recycling Industry”
Finalist: Dana Wilkie, SHRM Online, “The Employer vs. New Grad Disconnect”
Finalist: Catherine Morehouse, Gloria Gonzalez, Larry Pearl, Adeline Kon, Utility Dive “Road to 100: How Four Cities Are Leading the Renewables Revolution”
Finalist: Cara Salpini, Kaarin Vembar, Nami Sumida, Retail Dive, “Gamechangers: Have Women Shaped the Sportswear Market?”
Editorial/Opinion Writing
Winner: Jill Aitoro, Defense News, “Wait, Where Are All the Women?”
Investigative Journalism
Winner: Corbin Hiar, Mike Soraghan, E&E News, “EPA: Open for Business”
Finalist: Matthew Ong, Paul Goldberg, The Cancer Letter, “Thirty Days to Death by Cancer”
Finalist: Mark Pomerleau, Fifth Domain, “Two Years In, How Has a New Strategy Changed Cyber Operations?”
Finalist: Adam Bender, Karl Herchenroeder, Jonathan Make, Monty Tayloe, Communications Daily, “Communications Daily Investigates FCC”
Editorial Cartoons
Winner: Katherine Goldberg, The Cancer Letter. Goldberg cartoons
Beat Reporting
Winner: Shaun Courtney, Bloomberg Government, transportation and infrastructure reporting
Finalist: Benjamin Freed, StateScoop, “Ransomware Attacks on State and Local Governments”
Finalist: Jessie Bur, Federal Times, “Dissecting the Contemporary Fed Experience”
ONLINE
Non-Breaking News
Winner: Dave Jamieson, HuffPost, “How Employers Make It Impossible for Working Women to Breast-feed”
Finalist: Julia Airey, Arlington Now, “Inside the Fight over Access to Criminal Case Documents in Arlington”
Finalist: Pat Rizzuto, Bloomberg Industry Group, “‘Forever Chemicals’ Coming to Your Table, if Not Already There”
Finalist: Eric Kulisch, FairWarning, “Star Safety Ratings, Long Helpful to Car Buyers, Now Languish in the Breakdown Lane”
Features
Winner: Rebecca Koenig, EdSurge, “In DC, Teachers Run the Jail. It’s Turning Inmates into Students.”
Finalist: Ema O’Connor, Vera Bergengruen, BuzzFeed News, “Military Doctors Told Them It Was Just ‘Female Problems.’ Weeks Later, They Were in the Hospital.”
Finalist: Gabe Hiatt, Eater DC, “The Chef at One of D.C.’s Best Taquerias Learned to Cook by Fending for Himself”
Finalist: Laura Francis, Jasmine Ye Han, Christina Brady, Bloomberg Industry Group, “H1-B Visas and the Trump Administration”
Sports
Winner: Lonnae O’Neal, The Undefeated, “I don’t Want to be Boogie – DeMarcus Cousins Tries on Something New for Size”
Finalist: Soraya McDonald, The Undefeated, “The One and Only Naomi Osaka”
Finalist: Jerry Bembry, The Undefeated, “Coco Gauff: The Girl Who Would Be GOAT”
Business
Winner: Julia Airey, Vernon Miles, Kalina Newman, Alex Koma, Arlington Now, Hyperlocal coverage of Amazon
Finalist: Will Fitzgibbon, with Reporting and Data Teams, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, and 16 media partners, “Mauritius Leaks”
Finalist: Staff, The Center for Public Integrity, “Trumps Tax Cuts: The Rich Get Richer”
Columns
Winner: Mary C. Curtis, CQ Roll Call
Infographic
Winner: Benjamin Freed, Colin Wood, Komi Akoumany, Mike Hilario, Danny McGarvey, StateScoop, “Ransomware Attacks Map”
Series
Winner: Staff, The Undefeated, “The Year of the Black Quarterback”
Finalist: Sasha Chavkin with Reporting and Data Teams, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, LaPosta, McClatchy/Miami Herald and 16 other media partners, “Bribery Division”
Finalist: Richard Martin, Darren Sweeney, Michael Copley, Garrett Hering, S&P Global Market Intelligence, “Overpowered”
Finalist: David Martosko, DailyMail.com, “Land of a Million Orphans”
Feature Photography
Winner: David Dildine, WTOP.com, “Rock Creek Rescue”
Editorial/Opinion Writing
Winner: Jonetta Rose Barras, DCLine.org, editorials on suicide death of 12-year old charter school student
Finalist: Jesse Washington, The Undefeated, overall writing
Finalist: Rob Woodfork, WTOP.com, “Farewell, Redskins”
Photojournalism
Winner: David Dildine, WTOP.com, “Flash Floods”
Commentary & Criticism
Winner: Brendan Smith, Hyperallergic and Washington Diplomat, “From Vietnam to Manifestos to Duchamp”
Finalist: Jonetta Rose Barras, DCLine.org, “A Birth, a Family and the Burden Some DC Children Are Made to Carry”
Finalist: Soraya McDonald, The Undefeated, overall commentary
Photography Story
Winner: Alejandro Alvarez, WTOP.com, “Student Walkout”
Investigative Journalism
Winner: Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, with Reporting and Data Teams, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, The Associated Press, NBC News, The New York Times, Le Monde, El Pais, Irish Times, BBC, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and CBC/Radio-Canada, “China Cables. Exposed: China’s Operating Manuals for Mass Internment and Arrest by Algorithm”
Finalist: Megan Cloherty, Jack Moore, Julia Ziegler, WTOP.com, “22 Hours: an American Nightmare”
Finalist: Reporters, The Center for Public Integrity, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, High Country News, Ohio Valley ReSource, StateImpact Oklahoma, “One Disaster Away”
Finalist: Steve Sternberg, US News & World Report, “A Crack in the Armor: Military Health System Isn’t Ready for Battlefield Injuries”
Beat Reporting
Winner: Dave Levinthal, The Center for Public Integrity, “Tracking Trump Cash: From White House to Campaign Trail”
Finalist: Jonathan Swan, Axios, White House coverage
Finalist: Arthur Delaney, HuffPost, Coverage of cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Finalist: Julia Airey, The DCist and The DC Line, D.C. emergency response coverage
ALL DIVISIONS/BLOG
Winner: Susan Ferriss, The Center for Public Integrity, “Immigration Decoded”
