The Journalism Center on Children & Families announces winners of 16th annual contest
7/9/2010
The Dallas Morning News’ glimpse into the plight of two new parents facing an unimaginable decision, KING 5 Television’s unraveling of a family’s two-year fight against a state’s error and WBEZ-FM/Chicago Public Radio’s comprehensive look at the dropout crisis are among the winners of the 2010 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism. The medals are presented by the Journalism Center on Children & Families and funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Other news organizations taking top honors in the 16th annual contest include St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Chicago Tribune, The Indianapolis Star, Mother Jones, Houston Press, This American Life and BET News. The Dallas Morning News wins its third consecutive Casey Medal.
All winners receive a Casey Medal and $1,000 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. More than 500 journalists from across the nation entered this year’s contest. Judges sought masterfully reported, compelling stories on socially significant topics that demonstrated enterprise and thorough research and showed evidence of impact. Winners are automatically considered for two additional $5,000 awards presented by America’s Promise Alliance.
The Journalism Center on Children & Families is a nonprofit affiliate of the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Since 1993, JCCF has helped more than 14,000 journalists cover critical social issues by providing training, resources, story ideas and inspiration.
America’s Promise Alliance second annual journalism awards to be announced in October
In 2009, America’s Promise Alliance partnered with the Journalism Center on Children & Families to launch its first annual journalism awards for excellence in coverage of youth issues. The America’s Promise Journalism Awards honor those members of the media whose work helped to raise national awareness about the needs of young people and inspire communities nationwide to put the needs of children and youth first.
The Alliance’s distinguished panel of judges selects one award recipient from the Casey Medal winners for each of two categories: Awareness and Action. Awareness entries are judged based on whether the submission provided a fresh take on an existing issue, or highlighted a topic little-known to readers. The Action Award is given to a piece that inspired action on behalf of young people that led directly to community-wide change. Each recipient receives a $5,000 honorarium from the Alliance in addition to receiving the Casey medal. Winners are announced at the awards dinner in October. Learn about last year's winners.