VALDOSTA — The Valdosta Daily Times was rewarded for its investigative work with the CNHI Public Service Journalism Award.
The award was one of several announced by CNHI, The Daily Times’ parent company, earlier this week.
“The Public Service Journalism award for Division II went to the Valdosta Daily Times for unflinching reporting and editorializing on a scandal surrounding a school superintendent, whose illegal use of school bus fuel for his personal vehicles and duplicity in also submitting expense receipts from gas stations came to light because of the newspaper’s determined reporting and public records requests,” the judges said. “Acting on a tip, the paper caught the superintendent red-handed on video at the bus depot refueling his pickup along with an extra gas tank in the truck bed. The superintendent eventually resigned in the face of mounting public reaction to the paper’s coverage.”
The VDT competed against newspapers of similar size throughout the company.
In Division I, the company’s larger newspapers, the Public Service Journalism award went to The Daily Item in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, for its deeply reported and thoughtful series “LGBTQ+ Lives Here.” The special project, which included editorials, helped dispel fears and myths about the everyday presence of gay, lesbian and other gender identities among the population of the paper’s conservative central Pennsylvania market, the judges said. The insightful series featured creative storytelling and compelling online video interviews that gave it a very human sense.
The VDT was the only South Georgia newspaper to win one of the awards, but Thomasville Scene, produced by the Thomasville Times-Enterprise, was a finalist for Magazine of the Year in Division II.
Other award winners included:
— Newspaper of the Year, Division I: The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pennsylvania.
— Newspaper of the Year, Division II: The Tahlequah (Oklahoma) Daily Press.
— Magazine of the Year, Division I: Heartland Magazine, produced by the Kokomo Tribune and Logansport Pharos-Tribune in Indiana.
— Magazine of the Year, Division II: Cullman Magazine, produced by the Cullman (Alabama) Times.
— Rising Star Award: The Times-West Virginian in Fairmont, West Virginia, was recognized as the company’s most improved newspaper for its commitment to producing a high volume of local news, top-notch sports content, regular local editorials and fearless coverage of controversial topics, the judges said.
— Reporter of the Year, Division I: Elizabeth Brewer, Traverse City (Michigan) Record Eagle.
— Reporter of the Year, Division II: Maria Flora, Lebanon (Indiana) Reporter.
— Best Breaking News, Division I: Sue Loughlin, Terre Haute (Indiana) Tribune Star.
— Best Breaking News, Division II: Cathy Griffith, Nick Taylor and Jeff Long, Effingham (Illinois) Daily News.
— Photographer of the Year, Division I: Laurie Sick, Joplin (Missouri) Globe.
— Photographer of the Year, Division II: Alex Wallner, Effingham (Illinois) Daily News.
— Sports Reporter of the Year, Division I: Bill Burt, The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Massachusetts.
— Sports Reporter of the Year, Division II: Kevin Green, Claremore (Oklahoma) Daily Progress.
— Sports Columnist of the Year, Division I: Nick Sabato, Niagara (New York) Gazette.
— Sports Columnist of the Year, Division II: Derek Hatridge, McAlester (Oklahoma) News-Capitol.
— Editorial Writer of the Year, Division I: Rebecca Pierce, Traverse City (Michigan) Record Eagle .
— Editorial Writer of the Year, Division II: Kyle Ocker, Ottumwa (Iowa) Courier .
— Columnist of the Year, Division I: Damon Cain, Beckley (West Virginia) Register-Herald .
— Columnist of the Year, Division II: Kim Poindexter, Tahlequah (Oklahoma) Daily Press .
— Designer of the Year, Division I: Kyra Smith-Cullen, Sunbury (Pennsylvania) Daily Item.
— Designer of the Year, Division II: Warren Morrison, Greenville (Texas) Herald-Banner.
— Video of the Year, Division I: Rick Barbero, Beckley (West Vrginia) Register-Herald.
— Video of the Year, Division II: Nathan Hutchinson, Richmond (Kentucky) Register.
— Podcast of the Year, Division I: Sunbury (Pennsylvania) Daily Item for High School Football Show (Todd Hummel and Bill Bowman) and Baseball Cards Show (Rob Inglis and Eric Pehowic).
— Podcast of the Year, Division II: No entries.