Paddock honored in annual AP awards contest
The Daily Herald will take home the first-place award in the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors contest in the breaking news category for its coverage of the beating of a young man that was shared on Facebook Live.
Lead writers Elena Ferrarin and Marie Wilson were honored for their work on the story, which told of a young man from Crystal Lake with mental problems who was brought to Chicago and tortured for hours in an apartment. Twenty-eight minutes of that was shared live on Facebook.
The Daily Herald earned third place in editorial writing for commentary on efforts in Des Plaines Elementary District 62 to shield from public view sexual harassment complaints against Superintendent Floyd Williams Jr. The school board planned to fire him without disclosing reasons why.
The series of stories and editorials resulted in legislation seeking disclosure of sexual harassment complaints in separation agreements.
And Deputy Director of Visual Journalism Paul Valade received a third-place award for his photo of a stilt walker taking a break before the Elgin Fourth of July parade.
The Daily Herald's parent company, Paddock Publications, also operates a group of small newspapers in Southern Illinois.
The Du Quoin Call, Marion Republican and the Harrisburg Register/Eldorado Journal won five AP awards - all first and second place - in sports, news, feature writing, column writing and photography.