Human Interest Story ( 10,000 and Over Dailies)Back
Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Duluth News Tribune Entry Title: Lake Superior has a reason to gloat Entry Credit: Christa Lawler Judge Comment: Christa Lawler matched tempo and good-humored snark with the story topic — the anonymously-manned Lake Superior Twitter feed. The smack talk hooked me from the get-go; Lawler’s light touch and the mysterious identity (never revealed) suspended me to the end. And yes, as soon as I closed the story, I followed Lake Superior. Who wouldn't?
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Mankato - The Free Press Entry Title: The painful life of Kris Bonander Entry Credit: Robb Murray, Jackson Forderer Judge Comment: Robb Murray provides a searingly intimate portrait of pain, love, loss and even a bit of redemption. His show-don’t-tell details are unforgiving – a little boy racing away from bullies, the way grief constricts both time and air as life tips into death, a snow bank, tears, weed, Budweiser, blood.
In a word: real.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Mankato - The Free Press Entry Title: Persevere: Sehe grew up poor but education made all the difference Entry Credit: Mark Fischenich Judge Comment: Mark Fischenich does what we all need to more in reporting: He gets the hell out of the way. The result is an unfiltered, funny, and sneakily sobering interview with 97-year-old Charles Sehe, who charms with his quick wit, candor and thunderous little details: “My brother died from diphtheria … I took over his paper route. He had 33 customers.”
It’s as though a favorite great-uncle has delivered a last lecture, the lessons of which will land only when we most need them.
Competition Comment: Oh boy. I've spent an hour playing arranging and rearranging first, second, and third places. They're all great work. Tough final decision.
These three pieces shine because the writers stayed true to the lessons in Journalism 101 -- lessons we all forget from time to time in the rush of deadline. Details are sparing and strategic. Pitch matches the topic at hand.
Most importantly, these writers each stepped out of the way, making room for the more intimate subject-reader relationship.
