Raven Radio brought home four Alaska Press Club awards for locals radio reporting in 2017. (KCAW File Photo)
The theme for this year’s Alaska Press Club was “Depth in Local Reporting.” In that spirit, Sitka’s two local news organizations received 11 awards! We thank our listeners and readers for your unwavering support throughout the year and strive to continue in our hyper-local mission.
For the second year in a row, KCAW Reporter Emily Kwong won first place in “Best Culture Reporting” with 150 years in the making, Kiks.ádi gather to commemorate loss of land and first place in “Best Local Government and Politics Reporting” for Shareholder unrest shapes Shee Atiká meeting. Judges Corey Flintoff of NPR and Erin Hennessey of KNKX noted her use of sound and interviews to portray complex issues. Emily was also a part of a team that won first place for “Best Multimedia Presentation” for the documentary Deep Signals about long-range radar sites.
News Director Robert Woolsey won 2nd place for “Best Headline Writing” in the all-media category for Gut check: X-rays provide insight into Sitka heroin trafficker. Judge Heather Henline called it “the standout in the submission, a great zinger.”
Former Morning Edition host Sarah Gibson won first place for “Best Sports Reporting” in radio for Kotzebue Volleyball digs deep to play Sitka’s Lady Braves, Wolves. Of Gibson’s piece, NPR’s Tom Goldman commented, “Sarah did a wonderful job of giving us a broader look at Alaskan life through the experience of the Kotzebue volleyball team.”
We tip our hat to our colleagues at the Sitka Sentinel for their accomplishments too!
In the small-circulation print category, reporter Abigail Bliss won first place for “Best Crime Reporting” for Sitkans Turn Tables on Holiday Market Thief and third place for “Best Health Reporting” for Sitka Marshals Grants to Fight Opioid Crisis.
Former KCAW winter fellow and Sitka Sentinel reporter Brielle Schaeffer Jamros earned third place for “Best Short Feature” for Paperwork Fight Won, Pot Shop Opens.
Sitka Sentinel photographer James Poulson received first place in the sports photo category (small-circulation media) for “Alpine Race.” He also won third place in the best news photo category (all media) with “Healthcare Hug” and in the best feature photo category (small-circulation media) with “Pulling Up the Powhatan.”
TOP OF THE HILL – Tansy Brown of Bend, Ore, runs along the ridge of Gavan Hill Saturday morning during the Alpine Adventure Run. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
RISE AGAIN – Sitkans watch from shore as the tug Powhatan is hauled up near Old Sitka. The 85-foot tug sank April 19 at the dock. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
