Summarized by Kent Larsen

Journalism Awards Recognize Importance of Mormon Stories
(Winners announced for regional newspaper contest)
Spokane WA Spokesman-Review 10Jun00 B6

SPOKANE, WASHINGTON -- The awards given recently by two different professional journalism associations highlight the importance of Mormon News items in the region and point to which news items gained the most notoriety during 1999. The Utah-Idaho-Spokane Associated Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists' Utah chapter both recently recognized reporters for their efforts in reporting during the past year.

One of the more prestigious awards given was the William H. Cowles 3rd Memorial Award. In the area of investigative or hard edge reporting, Salt Lake Tribune reporter Christopher Smith was recognized for his series of articles "Mountain Meadows Massacre." The judges wrote that the articles were "fine-tuned and well-researched reporting on a history chapter that needed to be pulled together in a comprehensive, insightful and balanced manner."

Other awards recognized both the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News for their coverage of the tornado that hit Salt Lake City last summer and for the coverage of the shooting rampage at the LDS Family History Library. In addition, Tribune reporters Peggy Fletcher Stack and Sheila McCann were recognized for specialized reporting for their report on sexual abuse inside religions.

The Tribune's Humor columnist Robert Kirby was also honored for his column "Mormon Baptisms, Pistol Test, Chocolate for Cats." And Provo Daily Herald Reviewer Eric Snider received an award for his review of "Star Child.'

The Tribune's Bob Mims was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for his article on how inactive LDS Church members view the Church, garnering him the chapter's award for the best religion article of the year.

Other articles recognized news stories about Polygamy and the Olympic scandal.