The Times Free Press was honored Wednesday with national journalism awards for its coverage of poverty and crime in Chattanooga.
The newspaper received two first-place awards in Editor & Publisher's EPPY awards, which honor digital journalism.
"The Few Who Shoot," a story by reporter Shelly Bradbury and photographer Doug Strickland, was honored in the category of Best News Event or Feature.
The story examined how shootings in Chattanooga are concentrated among a small group of people and most of the shooters are connected either to each other or to criminal behavior.
The story tied for first place with a story by The Intercept about a Chinese company's involvement in U.S. politics. The Intercept is an online publication co-founded by Glenn Greenwald, a journalist known for breaking the National Security Agency's global surveillance programs, based on documents provided by Edward Snowden.
"The Poverty Puzzle," published in March by the Times Free Press, received a first-place award in the category of Best Community Service. The eight-part series, by reporters Joan Garrett McClane and Joy Lukachick Smith and photographer Strickland, examined how difficult it is to climb out of poverty in Chattanooga. The Poverty Puzzle tied with the Globe and Mail, a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, which was recognized for its project on the rising use of the opioid fentanyl.
Another project by the Times Free Press, "Death on the Highway," about the fatal Interstate 75 truck crash that killed six people in 2015, was a finalist in the category of Best Investigative/Enterprise Feature.
The 2016 EPPY Award finalists and winners were selected by a panel of judges from more than 300 entries competing in 31 categories.
The Times Free Press won three EPPY awards in 2015.
Judging criteria
Content Well-written, thought-provoking and thoroughly researched content is the core of an outstanding media website. In addition to text, content includes photos, charts, graphics, audio, video, related links, and a wide variety of other resources that enhance the user's engagement with and understanding of the subject or purpose of the website. Design/Creativity Even the most stellar content cannot be fully appreciated by the user unless the design supports it. This category encompasses use of layout, graphics, space, topography, color, consistency, and reinforcement of the media brand. Exceptional design is not overly elaborate and does not distract the reader from the content. Friendliness/Interactivity Ease of use is vital to an EPPY™ Award-nominated website. Navigating throughout the site should be intuitive and easy to comprehend for all Web users. All aspects of the design should assist the user in finding sought-after information. There should be ease of use while moving to and from the home page, all while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing layout. Innovation Innovative thinking epitomizes success in today's media world. Is the entry unique in concept, design technique or performance? Is there a "wow" factor, demonstrating something you might not have experienced before? How different is the entry? Does it stand out? Does it demonstrate a significant benefit to the users or does it make a lasting impact? Overall Impression Does the website entice the user to come back consistently to see what's new and find new content? This category allows the EPPY™ Award judges to express their general impression of a site. Would they visit it again? Would they recommend that others visit this site?