Sun Journalists Take Top Honors in ‘Front Page’ Awards

Baltimore Sun reporter Melissa Harris and Sun photographer Chiaki Kawajiri took the top Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild “Front Page” awards for their work published in 2008.

The Bill Pryor Memorial Grand Prize Award for Writing will be presented to Harris for her story last year entitled “ No Safe Place,” at a ceremony scheduled for March 31 in Baltimore. At the same event, Kawajiri will receive the Bill Pryor Memorial Grand Prize Award for Photography for her picture entitled “Cancer,” also published last year. The ceremony is open to the public.

The Guild will also honor members for distinguished service to the union and to the general public. Member of the Year Bill Salganik, a retired Sun business writer, was named both for his service as immediate past WBNG president and his current work as the union’s representative on the creditors’ committee in the Tribune Co. bankruptcy, which includes the Sun.

The public service award, named for the late Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and WBNG member Herbert R. Block (“Herblock”), goes to Dan Duncan, an at-large WBNG member who is also president of the Northern Virginia Labor Federation. Duncan was honored for mobilizing the federation’s outstanding get-out-the-vote effort.

Besides the grand prizes, Harris received top honors in the Local News category for her story, and Kawajiri’s photo won the Picture Story category. The Guild’s yearly Front Page Awards honor outstanding writing, photography and design work by employees at WBNG-represented organizations, including the Sun, the Washington Post, the Bureau of National Affairs’ publications, Catholic News Service, other firms, and union staffs.

“The judges weighed the entries carefully, and saw quality across-the-board,” said Guild Secretary Mark Gruenberg, chair of the Front Page Awards committee. Judges named winning entries, honorable mentions, or both, in four news categories, five photography categories and two graphic arts categories, as follows:

Bill Pryor Memorial Grand Prize For Writing: Melissa Harris, Baltimore Sun, “ No Safe Place.”

Local Reporting: Winner: Melissa Harris, Baltimore Sun, “ No Safe Place.” Honorable Mention: Jamie Smith Hopkins, Baltimore Sun, for her series “The Affluent Are Also Losing Their Homes.”

Feature Writing: Winner: Scott Calvert, Baltimore Sun, “Then Came Closure.” Honorable Mention: Scott Calvert, Baltimore Sun, “Taking A Chance On Change.”

Criticism: No winner. Honorable Mention: Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun, “Life Changes In The Blink Of An Eye: Memory Helps Man Escape From His ‘Diving Bell’ Body.”

Public Service Reporting: Stephanie Desmon, Baltimore Sun, for her series “The Trial Of Our Lives.”

Bill Pryor Memorial Grand Prize For Photography: Chiaki Kawajiri, Baltimore Sun, “Cancer.”

Picture Story: Chiaki Kawajiri, Baltimore Sun, “Cancer.” Honorable Mention: Carl Mark Gail, Washington Post, “When The Plebes Go Marching In.”

Sports Photography: Doug Kapustin, Baltimore Sun, “Pressure For Flacco.” Honorable Mention: John McDonnell, Washington Post, “Looking Up To The Giants.”

Portrait Photography: Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun, “Shelter.” Honorable Mention: John McDonnell, Washington Post, “Patrick Ewing, Jr.”

Feature Photography: Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun, “Burn Notice.” Honorable Mention: Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun, “Giraffe, Zoo.”

Local News Photography: Algerina Perna, Baltimore Sun, “Bittersweet Farewell.”

Graphic and design award winners::

News Graphics: Lamont Harvey, Baltimore Sun, “High Art.”

Advertising Design: Gene Russell, Baltimore Sun, “Catch Them While You Can.” Honorable Mention: Felicia Hung, Baltimore Sun, “Window Expressions.”

Guild Service awards, named by a committee of the union’s top officers:

Member of the Year: Bill Salganik, at-large, formerly of the Baltimore Sun.

Shop Steward of the Year: Tim Fitzgerald, American Postal Workers Union.

Unit Officer of the Year: Cheray Jones, American Nurses Association.

Organizers of the Year: Ann-Marie Ditchey and James Crudup, both of the Washington Post.

Bargaining Unit of the Year: Baltimore Sun.

Herbert L. Block (“Herblock”) Community Service Award: Dan Duncan, at-large (Maritime Trades Dept., AFL- CIO).