Spokesman-Review’s Rogers, Mulvany win top awards

The Spokesman-Review took top honors in news photography and social issues reporting among the region’s largest newspapers in the 2013 Northwest Excellence in Journalism contest presented by the Society of Professional Journalists.

The contest received more than 1,800 entries from 269 outlets in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Alaska.

Spokesman-Review photographer Colin Mulvany won first place for news photography for a July photograph of a Spokane Fire Department captain fainting during a public memorial service for a fellow firefighter who died from work-related cancer.

Features reporter Adrian Rogers won first place in the social issues category for a story that ran in April 2013 about schools that use “trauma-based” techniques to work with students whose personal lives threaten not only their academic success but their overall well-being.

Spokesman-Review staff members claimed seven other awards in the contest:

• Colin Mulvany, second place, feature photography

• Jennifer Pignolet, second place, social issues reporting

• Tom Sowa, second place, business reporting

• Jonathan Brunt, third place, government and politics reporting

• Jim Camden, third place, editorial and commentary

• Carolyn Lamberson, third place, arts reporting

• Betsy Russell, third place, crime and justice reporting

The contest this year did not award general excellence prizes in The Spokesman-Review’s circulation category because not enough newspapers entered for the overall prize among the region’s largest newspapers.