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Among all the individual awards at the annual Nevada Press Association convention, one of the most important and prestigious of our honors sometimes gets overlooked.
The award — for community service — recognizes the effort that newspapers and their staffs make to be leaders and contributors, whether it be for charity or a social cause.
Journalists often think of themselves as impartial bystanders to the events they cover — recording the news accurately and fairly, without becoming part of the story.
However, newspapers and the people who work there are as conscientious and committed as anyone to making their communities better places to live. In most cases in Nevada, the newspaper is one of the oldest businesses in town. It has a history and a tradition as a pillar.
More than that, the freedom that comes with the First Amendment is also a responsibility to further the ideals of our society. We may disagree — as a matter of fact, we encourage a healthy discourse on the issues — but we also sound a call to action every day in our editorial pages.
Here are the winners of the 2015 NPA awards for Community Service:
Community (small newspapers)
First Place
Julie Fairman, Laughlin Times
UMC Closes Laughlin Quick Care Clinic
Outstanding work to expose bureaucratic deception, ineptness and closed-door decisions in an effort to save the town’s only medical clinic.
Second Place
Jeff Donaldson, One Voice
NvE Contractors Support Community by Helping Kids with Back to School
Intermediate (medium-size papers)
First Place
Steve Ranson, Christine Kuklica, Steve Puterski, Laci Thompson, Kelly Davis, Lahontan Valley News
Sesquicentenntial
This was a great series. Love the community involvement.
Large weeklies
First Place
D. Brian Burghart, Dennis Myers, Brad Bynum, Brian Brenneman, Jonathan Buck, Reno News & Review
Fatal Encounters
Important topic with an incredible amount of research and community service. Good for not only the local community, but the nation.
Second Place
Jackie Valley, The Sunday
A Culture of Abuse: Nevada ranks among the worst when it comes to domestic Abuse
Excellent illustrations, sidebars and graphics. In-depth coverage on a difficult topic. Offered places to get help for victims.
Third Place
Andrea Domanick, Jackie Valley, Staff, The Sunday
Safety Comes First: Keeping Children Educated in a Culture of Guns
An important subject carefully handled in a gun culture. Excellent graphics.
Large dailies
First Place
Yesenia Amaro, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Foster Care System
Solidly written story with several convincing facts and figures intertwined. Shows a variety of angles and sides to the problem.
Second Place
Anjeanette Damon, Reno Gazette-Journal
Pedestrian Safety
Good story with several emotional segments that really draw the reader into the story. Author also finds several different sides to the story.
Third Place
Cathleen Allison, Teri Vance, Tara Burke, Nevada Photo Source
Fire Safety book
Fun, easy-to-read flyer that is convincing to both kids and adults. The short sentences are simple for children but have a mild emotional connection for parents.
