Daily Herald wins 12 first-place awards in annual journalism contest

The Daily Herald took home 12 first-place awards en route to winning the James S. Copley traveling trophy from the Northern Illinois News Association's annual journalism contest.

NINA celebrated its 60th anniversary Friday night at Altgeld Hall on the campus of Northern Illinois University in Dekalb.

The Daily Herald has held onto the traveling trophy, which goes to the winningest news organization in NINA's competition - since 2017.

"I know our staff is pleased with the recognition," said Executive Editor Jim Baumann, who attended the conference. "There was some very stiff competition."

In addition to 12 first-place awards the staff won 13 second-place awards and nine third-place awards.

The first-place awards included:

• General Excellence

• Best Website

• Best Design - Staff

• Most Impactful Coverage of COVID-19 - Jake Griffin and Marni Pyke

• Best Spot News Story - Katlyn Smith and Paul Valade for coverage of the Naperville tornado

• Best Editorial - Lisa Miner

• Best Headline Writing - Sean Stangland

• Best Sports Photo - John Starks (he also won second and third place awards in this category)

• Best Technical/Medical Story - Katlyn Smith for her feature on Zoe Koz, one of the tiniest babies to ever survive, turning 17

• Best Business/Financial/Consumer Story - Madhu Krishnamurthy for her story on Aurora creating a suburban Chinatown

• Best Use of Humor - Jim Baumann for "Grammar Moses"

• Best Special Section - Jim Baumann and staff for "The Stories That Stick With Us"

Second Place

• In-Depth News Story - Jake Griffin

• Watchdog Reporting - Russell Lissau

• Spot News Story - Rick West

• Columnist - Burt Constable

• Personality Profile - Burt Constable

• General Feature - Kevin Schmit

• Special Section - Lisa Miner and staff

• Sports Story - John Dietz

• Headline Writing - Rick Kirby

• Sports Photo - John Starks

• Feature Photo - John Starks

• Spot News Photo - John Starks

• Online Photo Gallery - John Starks

Third Place

• Watchdog Reporting - Christopher Placek

• Columnist - Jim Slusher

• Editorial - Jim Baumann

• General Feature - Katlyn Smith

• General Feature - Marni Pyke

• Headline Writing - Kathleen Danes

• Spot News Photo - Paul Valade

• Sports Photo - John Starks

• Online Photo Gallery - Jeff Knox.