CINCINNATI, Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition
of quality journalism, creative solutions and community impact, The
E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is honoring some of its best
employee work from 2019 with Give Light Awards.
The awards, which salute the longtime company motto, "Give light
and the people will find their own way" recognize work from across
the company in five categories: Creating a Better-Informed World,
Doing Well by Doing Good, Creating Value, Leading at all Levels and
Upholding the First Amendment.
"Our 'give light' motto has long guided our work – the
journalism that informs and empowers, the creative solutions that
lead to new business innovations, and the community impact that
deepens our connection with the audiences we serve," said Scripps
President and CEO Adam Symson.
"Through the Give Light Awards, we celebrate Scripps employees
across the country who embody this motto through their tremendous
impact – companywide and within their communities."
The 2019 Give Lights Awards winners and award categories
are:
- Creating a Better-Informed World: The news team at
WXYZ in Detroit took home
the top honor for storytelling with the greatest impact, for
"Detroit 9-1-1." As a result of
the team's investigation into the local 9-1-1 system,
administrative and policy changes were put in place and 9-1-1 hold
times were reduced by 60%. The team includes Ross Jones, investigative reporter;
Randy Lundquist, editor;
Jodie Heisner, assistant news
director; John Ciolino,
videographer; and Johnny Sartin
Jr., videographer.
Honorable mention: WTMJ in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was
commended for "Drive Sober," which has led to proposed legislation
and the passage of a drunk driving bill creating mandatory
minimums. The news team includes Shannon
Sims, reporter and anchor; Rachael Glaszcz, special projects producer;
Tamott Wolverton, photojournalist; Paul Marble, photojournalist; and
Nicole Buckley, senior
manager of investigative, enterprise.
- Doing Well by Doing Good: Chris
Conte, reporter at WTVF in Nashville, Tennessee, was honored for
meaningful community service. Conte's coverage of health care costs
led to a station initiative called "Medical Debt Rescue." WTVF made
a $15,000 investment to purchase
medical debt. After viewer contributions, the project eliminated
more than $2 million in medical debt
for more than 600 people in Middle Tennessee.
Honorable mention: Danita Harris, anchor at WEWS in
Cleveland founded the S.H.I.N.E.
organization, which empowers women, domestic violence victims and
the homeless. In her work as a journalist, Harris' coverage
highlights community members who are working to end poverty,
fighting housing inequality and creating opportunities to help
women and minorities have a chance to succeed.
- Creating Value: The WXYZ team in Detroit won this award – which recognizes
innovation – for their work in launching the First Annual PGA
Tour's Rocket Mortgage Classic event and for their exclusive
coverage of the tournament and its players. The project team
includes Rhonda LaVelle, news
director; Sandy McPhee,
executive producer, programming; Brad
Galli, sports anchor; Tony
Lamerato, director of sales; and Donn Bousquet, operations manager.
Honorable mention: Triton
received praise from judges for identifying a need to
help clients maximize revenue from their existing inventory within
Triton's streaming infrastructure, resulting in the creation of the
Yield-Op supply-side platform. The team includes Carole Theisen, product owner, and
developers David Colpron,
Laetitia Knittel,
Suyin Lefebvre and
Chris Dupervil.
- Leading at all Levels: Maya Saenz, morning anchor at KMTV in
Omaha, Nebraska, won the company's
top award for leadership. As a participant in the company's
leadership development program, Saenz helps "model the way" for
other journalists. KMTV leadership say her seminars have led to
better decision making in the newsroom, a focus on diversity in the
stories covered and stronger ties among staff.
Honorable
mention: Sam de
Sousa, senior advisor of research and development at
Triton, was recognized for his technical and effective
communication skills and ability to empower others, which have
earned him trust with customers and internal teams.
- Upholding the First Amendment: "The Transparency
Project," from KGTV in San
Diego, won the award for exemplary service in the cause of
the First Amendment guarantee of a free press. For the project, the
reporting team held the San Diego
Police Department accountable to a new state law requiring camera
footage taken in officer involved shootings to be made public. As
part of its coverage, the team took their audience through the
content-gathering process and created a robust website, where they
compiled all their video and digital reporting. The news team
includes Melissa Mecija,
investigative reporter; Melissa
Alexander, senior enterprise producer; Adam Racusin, investigative reporter; and
Jennifer Kastner,
investigative reporter.
Honorable mention: WTVF in
Nashville, Tennessee, has devoted
considerable time and resources to fighting for landmark court
rulings and legislation that protects journalists working in
Tennessee and beyond. In 2019, the
station won victories in the Tennessee Supreme Court and Court of
Appeals and successfully fought for legislation protecting those
exercising their First Amendment rights. The team includes
Michelle Bonnett, assistant
news director; Sandy
Boonstra, news director; and Phil Williams, chief investigative
reporter.
The winners were celebrated in an all-employee broadcast event
today. They receive an award of Scripps stock and will attend the
67th Scripps Howard Awards in Cincinnati on Thursday,
April 16.
About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ:
SSP) advances understanding of the world through journalism. As the
nation's fourth-largest independent TV station owner, Scripps
operates 60 television stations in 42 markets. Scripps empowers the
next generation of news consumers with its multiplatform news
network Newsy and reaches growing audiences through broadcast
networks including Bounce and Court TV. Shaping the future of
storytelling through digital audio, Scripps owns top podcast
company Stitcher and Triton, the global leader in technology and
measurement services. Scripps runs an award-winning investigative
reporting newsroom in Washington,
D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National
Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps has held for decades to the
motto "Give light and the people will find their own way."
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scripps-announces-give-light-awards-winners-300996421.html
SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company