A number of awards were bestowed upon KPLU in the 2012 Society of Professional Journalists' (Western Washington chapter) Excellence in Journalism Competition. This year's contest covered work produced or published in 2012 within the region.
KPLU Law and Justice Reporter Paula Wissel took first place in the Spot News Reporting category for “First marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples in Washington”which aired the day after certification of voter-approved legalization of same-sex marriages in the state. KPLU Business and Labor Reporter Ashley Gross’ story, “How do you bankroll a tomatobattle in Seattle?” about two young Seattle entrepreneurs who came up with a unique idea for bankrolling their startup company, received a first place award in the Feature News Reporting category.
KPLU was also honored with second and third place wins. In the News Series category, the KPLU News team won second place for its 2012 election series, “If it’s legal: Five ways pot could affect your life,”which separated facts from rumors to explain exactly what would change if Washington State ballot measure I-502 were approved, legalizing the sale of marijuana for recreational use. (The series previously won a national 2012 Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service in Radio Journalism, and the 2013 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Audio News Series from the Radio Television Digital News Association.) Ashley Gross won third place in the General News Reporting category for “Is Amazon.com taking over the world?” about how the growth of the company is spreading way beyond retailing.
The annual contest honors the very best in journalism in SPJ's Region 10 which includes Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. Entries were submitted to judges across the United States—Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Illinois, Kansas City and Missouri—to choose finalists in almost 185 categories.
The winners were honored on Saturday, May 18 in ceremonies in Portland and Seattle.
