Between a narrow New York Giants loss, a Detroit Lions debacle and the Americans losing the Ryder Cup, Sept. 30 was a terrible sports day for me. But for a Sunday, it was a great workday.
Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief Michael Miller and I drove to Cincinnati for the 17th annual Ohio Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Awards, where we heard TFP’s name called a record six times. The lunch and ceremony took place at the club suite of the Cincinnati Reds’ Great American Ballpark, a beautiful facility even if it was built with a mediocre view of the Ohio River instead of what could have been a spectacular view of the city’s impressive skyline.
Hosted this year by SPJ Secretary-Treasurer Tom Moore of Clear Channel Media and SPJ Cincinnati Chapter President Alex Coolidge, the awards honor Ohio’s best journalism in print, broadcast and online media. This year, TFP was honored with the following awards:
“Best Weekly Newspaper” for the fourth year in a row (circulation over 100,000).
Because of our 100,000 circulation in 2011, TFP competed in writing categories against the state’s daily newspapers.
Miller won first place in Ohio for Best Defense of First Amendment for “Was it something I said?” in his “Lighting the Fuse” column.
Miller also received first place in Ohio for Best Media Criticism for the column “Monkey Business.” Miller deconstructed a Jan. 8, 2011, Blade story, “WSPD host compares TPS students, monkeys; Wilson denies racism.” SPJ awarded TFP second place for Children’s Issues Reporting to Patrick Timmis for stories on Feed Lucas County Children, a nonprofit that has prepared more than a million meals for hungry children.
Vicki L. Kroll, also the director of internal communications for the University of Toledo, received second place for Best Rock and Roll Feature Writing.
Jeff McGinnis, TFP Star’s pop culture editor, received second place for Best Arts Reporting (circulation under 100,000).
The Blade received eight awards, including a first place for explanatory journalism to David Yonke, who is now editor of ToledoFAVS.com and a Toledo Free Press contributor.
The awards judging this year was conducted by journalists in Chicago, Detroit, Hawaii, Florida, Milwaukee and Washington, D.C.
We are proud of the unchallenged standards SPJ represents and the high values the industry places on its honors. Congratulations to SPJ for another fine program and to all the winners of its honors.
Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.
