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SALT LAKE CITY — The Deseret News and KSL television and radio, which are owned by Deseret Media Companies, received the top investigative reporting and best newspaper and television reporter awards from the Utah chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
During ceremonies Friday, KSL dominated the television news categories with 13 first place awards. The Deseret News picked up eight first place awards in writing and photography, and KSL Newsradio earned first-place honors in the spot news and series categories.
El Observador de Utah, a Spanish language newspaper published by DMC, was also honored with several awards.
Reporters John Daley and Lisa Riley Roche received the Don Baker Investigative Reporting Award for their series of stories that connected campaign contributions to state road construction contracts. The series also received first-place honors in the television news Continuing Coverage category.
It's the second top honor for the series, which appeared on KSL-TV and in the Deseret News. Earlier this year, Daley and Roche received a Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism from the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism.
Lori Prichard was named Best TV Reporter by SPJ for her "extremely thorough" reporting. "She doesn't show any bias and presents facts in a balanced way," the judges said. "Her stories are well researched and she gets results."
KSL-TV's Jennifer Stagg placed second, while Alex Cabrero and Daley earned honorable mentions in the Best TV Reporter category.
The Deseret News' Sara Israelsen-Hartley was named Best Newspaper Reporter in 2011 among reporters for large circulation newspapers in Utah. The judges wrote: "Sara has a knack for writing catchy ledes without being cliched or cute. Writing clear and easy to understand. Good, solid work." The newspaper's Lois Collins received honorable mention.
KSL Newsradio's staff won first place in spot news for their deadline coverage of the Ethan Stacy killing. Reporter Nkoyo Iyamba also garnered a first place award for her series on human trafficking in Utah. KSL radio also won five second place awards and an honorable mention.
KSL-TV's news staff won first place in the spot news category for coverage of the Provo Tabernacle fire, and for its immigration series "The Dream Divided."
Also winning first place honors for KSL-TV were Cabrero in general news; Kathy Aiken in General Feature; Daley and Roche in Continuing Coverage; Prichard and Linda Williams in criminal justice reporting; Jed Boal, Kelly Just and Vance Mortimer in business/consumer reporting; Lori Prichard and Kelly Just in education reporting and government reporting; Cabrero in military reporting; Stagg in minority issues reporting; and Sara Roberts in video editing.
The television station swept three categories and earned 12 second place, six third place and five honorable mention awards.
The Deseret News photographers swept in the photo essay contest led by Jeffrey Allred for his images in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake. Also winning first place honors were Laura Seitz in general news and sports action; and Lennie Mahler in feature.
The newspaper's photographers earned five second place, two third place and three honorable mention awards. One of the honorable mention awards went to Kristin Murphy in the Best Photographer category.
The Deseret News also won first and second place honors in the editorial category and sports columnist Brad Rock won first place in the sports columns category for his piece "SL to Chicago: Boozer's your enigma." Former Deseret News reporter Amy K. Stewart won first place in the education reporting category.
The newspaper picked up six second place, four third place and four honorable mention awards.
El Observador reporter Reinaldo Escobar won first place in arts and entertainment and third place in the Best Reporter categories.
The newspaper, which was voted third best among papers in its circulation size, won second place honors in the series, front page design and feature page design categories; and a third place award went to Cecelia Skinner in education reporting.
SPJ's Roy B. Gibson Freedom of Information award went to the Save GRAMA organizers — a group of citizen advocates who played a key role in the repeal of HB477, which would have gutted the state's open records law.
For a complete list of awards go to www.scribd.com/doc/58132717/Utah-SPJ-Winners-List-2011.
