Spot News Writing (over 25,000 circulation)

 

Winner: London Free Press team entry – Targeted for their faith

Team: Patrick Maloney, Jonathan Juha, Jane Sims, Randy Richmond, Dale Carruthers, Jennifer Bieman, Norman De Bono and Heather Rivers 

A devastating crash that captured headlines across the country shows the value of local journalism for a grieving community trying to make sense of the senseless. Hard work and persistence from the London Free Press team informed the reporting in their stories for a city overwhelmed by grief and searching for answers. The winning entry included a full-length breaking news story posted just an hour after official police confirmation of what the reporters gathered, a heart-breaking profile of the family and a file that shed light on the alleged killer while supplying chilling details from that night.  Vital community stories told by community members.

Runner-up: London Free Press team entry – Girl Guide collision

Team: Dan Brown, Calvi Leon, Dale Carruthers and Megan Stacey

Was it another act of terror for a city already on edge? With little information available from police, the team of London Free Press reporters used a mix of old and new gathering techniques – from good old-fashioned legwork to scouring social media – to publish stories that were rich in details of a second deadly crash in five months that shook the city.

Runner-up: Trevor Wilhelm, Windsor Star – Explosion at Windsor assembly plant

Unfazed by official sources who provided scant details, Wilhelm kept digging until he found the story behind the explosion and what may have led to the shocking incident. His dogged determination resulted in the Windsor Star to be consistently ahead of the competition on the breaking story.

 

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