Society of Professional JournalistsKNOXVILLE - The Chattanooga Times Free Press took home 10 first-place Golden Press Card awards for journalism excellence Friday from the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists.
Additionally, the staff garnered six second-place honors, two third-place laurels and two honorable mentions - to total 20 journalism awards for work in 2011.
In deadline and breaking news reporting for daily newspapers with a circulation of more than 25,000, the Award of Excellence, or first place, went to the news staff for "Catastrophic," the coverage of the April 27, 2011 tornadoes. Judges called the reporting "a real service" that provided "exhaustive coverage of a devastating event, told with necessary detail and sensitivity."
In feature writing/reporting, Pam Sohn won a first place for "Saving Mary," the story of a homeless and mentally challenged woman and the Good Samaritan who helped her. Judges said her "well-written and moving piece was both heartbreaking and uplifting."
Photographer Angela Lewis won two first-place photography awards - one for deadline photography of tornado cleanup and another for online use of photos for her work on the "Saving Mary" story. Lewis also received an honorable mention for a photo illustration titled "Hidden Appeal."
Page designer Sara Jackson took two first-place awards: one for art illustration and another for inside page design.
Graphic Artist Laura McNutt won a first-place for her informational graphic "Tracking a Day of Havoc," detailing tornado deaths and damage.
Clay Bennett took a first-place award for his editorial cartoon, "Free to Go" and Harry Austin, editor of the Times editorial page, won a first-place award for editorial writing.
Design editor Lin Parker took first-place in Page One design and also won a second place for inside page design.
The photography staff took an Award of Merit, or second place, for their regular "Moment" feature, which they write and photograph and run every Monday on the Metro front.
Lifestyle Editor Mark Kennedy won a second place for his column, "Life Stories."
Assistant Lifestyle Editor Lisa Denton won an Award of Merit for headline writing.
Second place photography awards went to Jake Daniels for his deadline photo titled "Digging Out," and to Dan Henry for his feature photo "Fog is a Good Sign."
Photographer John Rawlston won a third place for his feature photo "Hambone"; staff writer Joan Garrett received a third place in feature writing for "Burden So Great" and staff writer Perla Trevizo received a honorable mention for her multi-part series about immigrants, "Between Two Worlds."