ORDER OF CEREMONY
Welcome
President's Remarks Doug Mouton, WWL-TV
Master of Ceremony David Bernard
Awards Presentation
Presentation of Scholarships
Raffle Drawing
Lifetime Achievement Award Eric Paulsen, WWL-TV
Lifetime Achievement Award Ro Brown, WDSU-TV
Special Awards Presentation
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! The Cannery, Renaissance Publishing and Roulaison Distilling Co.
A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENT
WELCOME to the 66th Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards Gala. After three virtual awards ceremonies in the last four years, we couldn’t be happier to be back in person at The Cannery tonight. We are very proud to be handing out Lifetime Achievement Awards to two New Orleans television legends. WWL-TV’s Eric Paulsen is one of the longest running and most watched onair personalities in Nola history. Ro Brown was a trailblazing Sports Anchor and Reporter at WDSU-TV. I had the life-changing opportunity to intern in the WDSU-TV Sports Department under Ro. He was a great reporter and remains a better person. Ro and Eric are among the most recognized and loved TV personalities in the city’s history.
Our awards are incredibly competitive. The judges’ comments rave about the quality of work across the board and certainly, every finalist wants to win first place. Tonight is about the competitive nature of our business, but it’s also about what we have in common. The Press Club of New Orleans was created as a way for journalists and Public Relations professionals to get together to share our common experience, usually over a drink. I joined the Press Club Board of Directors more than a decade ago because I wanted to be a part of this great organization and tonight, I’m enormously proud of the work that our community continues to do. As one judge commented, “the market is well served.”
Congratulations and good luck to all our finalists tonight.
On behalf of the Board of Directors for the Press Club of New Orleans, thank you so much for joining us. We hope you enjoy the show!
Doug Mouton President The Press Club of New Orleans
DOUG MOUTON is in his 2nd stint as President of the Press Club of New Orleans. He is the Sports Director at WWL-TV.
Mouton is a New Orleans native, raised in New Orleans East and graduated from Brother Martin High School and the University of New Orleans.
Doug’s television career began as an intern at WDSU in 1987. He got his first on-air job at KEVN-TV in Rapid City, South Dakota. He then moved on to KVHP-TV in Lake Charles before coming home to work as a Sports Producer/Reporter in the Local Programming Unit at WGNO-TV.
In 1996, Doug became the Weekend Sports Anchor at WEAR-TV in Pensacola before returning to New Orleans and WGNO-TV in 2000. In 2006, Mouton moved across town to WWL-TV to become their Northshore Bureau Chief, and in 2012, he became the 3rd Sports Director in WWL-TV history.
ABOUT US
In 1957, nearly 100 journalists and public relations professionals gathered in modest quarters in the 200 block of Camp Street to organize the Press Club of New Orleans. The goal of the group was to promote and improve the field of journalism and its related professions through professional development. Today, Press Club activities include the professional, the educational and the social. The club’s 300-plus members represent every level of their fields.
PAST PRESIDENTS
2021-2023 David Baker
2018-2021 Melanie Warner Spencer
2016-2018 Doug Mouton
2013-2016 Kevin Mumphrey
2010-2013 Christian Moises
2008-2010 Greg Shepperd
2006-2008 Rob Nelson
2003-2006 Dominic Massa
2001-2003 Belinda Hernandez
1999-2001 Matt Scallan
1998-1999 Rich Collins
1997-1998 Mark Schleifstein
1997 Sam Moore
1995-1997 Jeffrey Meitrodt
1994-1995 S. Lee Alexander
1992-1994 Kathy Finn
1990-1992 Mark Schleifstein
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2023-2025
Doug Mouton
President WWL-TV
Kevin Mumphrey Vice-President Channel 13, St. Tammany Parish Public Schools
Larry Lovell Treasurer Larry Lovell PR
Robert Witkowski Communications Chair Where Y'at Magazine
Fletcher Mackel WDSU-TV
Laura Jayne Loyola University
Mark Schleifstein The Times-Picayune
Jennifer Crockett DEVENEY
April Catarella Gambel Communications
Nayita Wilson NVisions Communications & Consulting
Reine Dugas Bouton Renaissance Publishing
LIKE US on Facebook and follow us on X and Instagram @PressClubNOLA. Please use hashtag #nolapressclubawards.
1989-1990 Kit Gorman
1988-1989 Bob Pavlovich
1986-1988 Warren Bell
1985-1986 Randy Callendar
1984-1985 Larry Lorenz
1983-1984 Joe Puglia
1982-1983 Clancy DuBos
1980-1982 Tom Bell
1979-1980 Hal Ledet
1977-1979 Ed Anderson
1976-1977 Guy King
1975-1976 Arnold Porsch
1973-1975 Clarence Doucet
1972-1973 Fritz Harsdorff
1970-1972 Jack Dempsey
1968-1970 Mike Lala
1967-1968 Bill Madden
1966-1967 Del Hall
1965-1966 Fritz Harsdorff 1964-1965 Emile Comar
1963-1964 Jerry Romig
1962-1963 Howard Jacobs
1961-1962 Bob Roesler
1960-1961 Alex Waller
1959-1960 Bill Madden
1958-1959 Emile Comar
1957-1958 Gabriel Gelb
CEREMONY
DAVID BERNARD
DAVID BERNARD is one of the most loved and trusted meteorologists in New Orleans television history. Between two highly successful stints at local stations WVUE-TV and WWL-TV, Bernard served as the national hurricane expert for CBS News.
In 1997, Bernard made the move to New Orleans to join the morning team on WWL-TV, where he teamed with Eric Paulsen and Sally Ann Roberts on a newscast that drew huge ratings daily. Bernard and Paulsen were known for their on-camera bickering and close friendship. Paulsen officiated Bernard’s wedding in 2019.
In 2005, Bernard left New Orleans for a bigger opportunity in a larger market, at Miami CBS affiliate WFOR. He became their Chief Meteorologist in 2008 and served as the hurricane consultant for the CBS Evening News and CBS This Morning, where he had a national profile during hurricane season.
In 2015, his love of the city brought him back to New Orleans. At WVUE, legendary Fox8 Chief Meteorologist Bob Breck was retiring, and Bernard was brought in to be his replacement. He served the next eight years as Chief Meteorologist, consistently delivering high ratings in New Orleans once again.
In 2022, he retired from television and began a new career. He earned a master’s degree in social work at Tulane University in 2023 and now works as a clinician at Tulane University’s Early Childhood Supports and Services program, providing mental health interventions for infants and toddlers ages 0-6.
ERIC PAULSEN
ERIC PAULSEN has been a local institution for more than four decades. He’s the longest running Morning News Anchor in New Orleans television history.
Paulsen grew up in St. Louis and earned a journalism degree from Southern Illinois University. After brief TV stints in Savannah, Georgia and Madison, Wisconsin, he was hired at WWL-TV in 1977 as a weekend reporter. After just six months on the job, legendary WWL-TV General Manager Mike Early asked Paulsen to move to the Morning News. In late 1979, Early asked Paulsen to host PM Magazine, a show that took Eric around the world to cover stories.
In January of 1985, Paulsen moved back to mornings. Alongside his long-time partners Andre Trevigne then Sally Ann Roberts, Eric Paulsen delivered some of the most consistently high TV ratings in local television history.
Over the years, Paulsen has become one of the foremost proponents of New Orleans music, interviewing and befriending legends like Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. And at times, he’s become part of the story. Domino had extreme performance anxiety, and when he tried to cut his set short at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2007, Paulsen got on stage and gently convinced Fats Domino to keep playing.
In 2010, Eric engineered an historic reunion between Fats and Bartholomew, the estranged ex-writing partners. His interviews with the music icons are pieces of New Orleans history, and Paulsen’s influence in the New Orleans music community now stretches to current performers like Trombone Shorty and Juvenile.
Eric Paulsen has emceed literally hundreds of charity events in and around New Orleans. He quarterbacks WWL-TV’s Mardi Gras and Bacchus Parade coverage, and his influence in the New Orleans community stretches into a new generation.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
RO BROWN
RO BROWN is an iconic journalist who broke racial barriers in 1978 as New Orleans' first Black on-air sportscaster. Over his 23year on-air career at WDSU, he would become one of the most recognizable journalists in Southeast Louisiana, earning the trust and endearment of television audiences, athletes, community leaders and fellow journalists.
A New Orleans native, born in the Lower Ninth Ward, Brown attended George Washington Carver and John F. Kennedy high schools, as well as Southern University of New Orleans, before joining the U.S. Navy, where he served four years as a medical corpsman.
Following his military service, Brown scored a long-shot internship at WDSU, while he was attending Loyola University. He joined KPLC in Lake Charles briefly, returning to the Crescent City and Channel 6 in 1981.
Brown transitioned to news reporting in 1999, as the city’s first Education Reporter.
Since retiring from television news, Brown has worked in communications at the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and University of New Orleans. He also worked as a content creator for Event Producers, once again telling stories about the Saints, Sun Belt Conference and Louisiana High School Athletic Association.
In 2020, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame bestowed Brown with its Distinguished Service Award (DSA) in Sports Journalism. He was the first Black DSA winner whose accomplishments were primarily in broadcasting. Ro was honored with the St. Sebastian Award by Loyola University Athletic Hall of Fame and presented the Distinguished American Award by the Allstate Sugar Bowl Chapter of The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Brown continues to recognize sports excellence as a member of selection committees for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, the Allstate Sugar Bowl and Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame, the Loyola University Hall of Fame and Saints Hall of Fame.
CATEGORIES ARE LISTED IN PRESENTATION ORDER:
Print/Writing General News Reporting
Print/Writing Best Layout – Design
Print/Writing Education Reporting
Print/Writing Best Editorial Illustration
TV Videography Sports Videography
TV Videography Best Video Editing
Collegiate Journalism Best Written News Story
Collegiate Journalism Best Video News Story
Television Best Public Affairs
Television Best Station Promotion
Television Governmental – Political Reporting
Television General News Reporting
Television Best Sports Story
Public Relations Public Affairs
Public Relations Best Overall Campaign
Television Best Planned Event Coverage
Television Best Sports Special
Television Environmental – Science Reporting
Television Business Reporting
Radio Best Live Remote Broadcast
Radio Best Cultural Broadcast
Print/Writing Continuing Coverage
Print/Writing Best Editorial
Print/Writing Best Sports Feature
Print/Writing Best Critical Review
Print/Writing Breaking News Reporting
Digital Best Podcast
Digital Best Blog
Digital Best Use Of Instagram
Digital Best News Website
Still Photography Best Portrait
Still Photography Best News Photo
Collegiate Journalism Best Video Feature Story
Collegiate Journalism Best Written Feature Story
TV Videography Best Visual Storytelling
TV Videography General News Videography
Print/Writing Medical – Health Reporting
Print/Writing Feature Reporting – Light Feature
Print/Writing Governmental – Political Reporting
Print/Writing Investigative Reporting
Television Lifestyle Reporting
Television Best Talk Show
Television Best On-Air Talent
Television Feature Reporting
Television Best Sports Show
Digital Best Use Of Facebook
Digital Best Use Of X (Twitter)
Digital Digital Special Section
Television Education Reporting
Television Best Sportscast
Television Investigative Reporting
Television Best Documentary
Radio General Excellence In Radio
TV Videography Breaking News Videography
TV Videography Feature Videography
TV Videography Best Video Essay
Print/Writing Environmental – Science Reporting
Print/Writing Business Reporting
Print/Writing Best Column
Print/Writing Best Magazine
Print/Writing Lifestyle Reporting
Print/Writing Best Cover
Print/Writing Best Sports Column
Print/WritingFeature Reporting – Serious Feature
Public Affairs Social Media – Digital Influencers
Public Affairs Special Events
Still Photography Best Multi-Photo Feature
Still Photography Best Sports Photo
Still Photography Best Feature Photo
Television Continuing Coverage
Television Medical – Health Reporting
Television Breaking News Reporting
Television Best Weathercast
Television Best Newscast
TO ORDER A DUPLICATE COPY of your first place award, please email the name of the category and honoree’s name to pressclubneworleans@gmail.com. Reprints cost $47.80. No names may be added or replaced on awards. No exceptions.
JUDGES
The judges for this year’s competition are a diverse group. They are peers. They are professionals who gave a lot of their time because they know how important this contest is to the individuals who, likewise, took the time to enter it.
Florida Press Club
San Francisco Press Club
Los Angeles Press Club
Orange County (California) Press Club
San Diego Press Club
Idaho Press Club
Milwaukee Press Club
The Press Club of Western Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh)
The Press Club of Cleveland
Syracuse Press Club
Press Club of Southeast Texas
FOLLOWING TONIGHT’S PRESENTATION, go online for a complete list of winners and comments from the judges. Visit the Press Club of New Orleans’ website at PressClubNewOrleans.com.
AWARD FINALISTS
PRINT/WRITING GENERAL NEWS REPORTING
Gabriella Killett
The Times-Picayune • ”Downgraded: Pleas from Asia Davis Weeks before Murder Sat for 11 Hours”
Katy Reckdahl
The Lens • “The Car Never Started”
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune • “Dolphins at Risk from Louisiana’s Biggest ever Coastal Project. The Plan Might Save Some.”
PRINT/WRITING BEST LAYOUT – DESIGN
Tiffani Reding Amedeo New Orleans Magazine • “The Coffee Conversation”
Liz Jurey
Preservation in Print • “Mod Squad”
Erin Theriot
64 Parishes • “Tournoi de la Ville Platte: Defending the Cotton Crop with Old-Fashioned Sportsmanship”
PRINT/WRITING EDUCATION REPORTING
Marta Jewson, Katy Reckdahl
The Lens • “Living School Mom asks School Board: What’s more Important, Test Scores or Actual Students?’”
Kloe Witt
The Maroon • “Students Struggle to Enroll in Core and Required Classes”
PRINT/WRITING BEST EDITORIAL ILLUSTRATION
Amber Day
New Orleans Magazine • “The Bucket List”
Frenchy, Robert Witkowski, Josh Danzig
Where Y’at Magazine • “James Andrews – Satchmo of the Ghetto”
David Johnson, Arthur Hardy
Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide • “325th Anniversary of Mardi Gras in Louisiana”
TV VIDEOGRAPHY SPORTS VIDEOGRAPHY
Kevin Duckworth
WVUE-TV • “Riding Blind”
Adam Ney
WWL-TV • “Tulane Sailing”
Steve Wolfram
WVUE-TV • “Training David to Beat Goliath”
TV VIDEOGRAPHY BEST VIDEO EDITING
Adam Copus
WWL-TV • “Whispers in the Cane: The Mysterious Death of Paula Boudreaux”
Whitney Hill
WWL-TV • “Broken Tracks –Part 1”
Kevin Mumphrey
Channel 13 St. Tammany Parish Public Schools • “FHS Band Camp”
COLLEGIATE JOURNALISM
BEST WRITTEN NEWS STORY
Ava Acharya
The Maroon • “Loyola Program Works to Overturn Wrongful Convictions”
Macie Batson
The Maroon • “Loyola’s Only Black English Professor Says His Dismissal Feels Targeted”
Kloe Witt
The Maroon • “Behind the Curtains: Theatre Production Sparks Outrage and Community Disapproval”
COLLEGIATE JOURNALISM
BEST VIDEO NEWS STORY
Maria DiFelice
The Maroon • “Pro-Palestine Protest Met with Opposition”
Maria DiFelice
The Maroon • “Protesters Face off on Freret St over Israel’s War on Hamas”
Francisco Esteves
The Maroon •“Students Struggle to Find Parking”
TELEVISION BEST PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Marcia Kavanaugh
WYES-TV • “Challenges & Opportunities: The Louisiana Coast”
Ian Kramar, Ben Arendt, Chris Franklin
WWL-TV • “Eye on Hurricanes”
WVUE Staff
WVUE-TV • “Weathering the Storm”
TELEVISION BEST STATION PROMOTION
WVUE Marketing Staff
WVUE-TV • “First Alert”
WVUE Marketing Stff
WVUE-TV • “Fox8 Football Friday”
TELEVISION GOVERNMENTAL –POLITICAL REPORTING
Lily Cummings, Adam Copus
WWL-TV • “Docket Day”
Meg Gatto
WVUE-TV • “Sinful Situation: Housing Horrors”
Travers Mackel
WDSU-TV • “Tracking the Money”
TELEVISION GENERAL NEWS REPORTING
Meg Gatto
WVUE-TV • “Combating Carbon”
Mike Perlstein
WWL-TV • “Tracking a Murder: Missed Opportunity?”
Lee Zurik, Jon Turnipseed, Dannah Sauer
WVUE-TV • “Executive Protection”
TELEVISION BEST SPORTS STORY
Garland Gillen
WVUE-TV • “Game Changer”
Ricardo LeCompte
WWL-TV • “Erica Randolph: Breaking Barriers at Hahnville”
Fletcher Mackel
WDSU-TV • “New Orleans One-Legged Wrestler Noah Confident”
PUBLIC RELATIONS PUBLIC AFFAIRS
The Ehrhardt Group, Grow Louisiana Coalition
The Ehrhardt Group • “Grow Louisiana Coalition: Getting out the Energy Vote”
PUBLIC RELATIONS BEST OVERALL CAMPAIGN
Christian Justrabo, Peter Jabbia, Meredith Mendez St. Tammany Parish Public Schools • “The Lead Strong Award – Honoring those who are Dedicated to Building a Strong Future for Students”
Larry Lovell
Larry Lovell PR • “Jazz Great Branford Marsalis Returns Home to New Orleans to Continue Father’s Legacy”
Margaret Tuskey, Amanda Mbuya
Peter A. Mayer Public Relations • “Zatarain’s Smoked Sausage 2023 Mardi Gras PR Campaign”
TELEVISION BEST PLANNED EVENT COVERAGE
Lamar Bourgeois, Ben Arendt, Ian Kramar
WWL-TV • “Election Night in Louisiana”
Torre Josey
WWL-TV • “Bacchus Rendezvous 2023”
WVUE Staff
WVUE-TV • “Endymion Extravaganza”
TELEVISION BEST SPORTS SPECIAL
Doug Mouton, Adam Ney
WWL-TV • “Eye on the Black & Gold – Bears Special”
WDSU Staff
WDSU-TV • “Jayden Daniels: Heisman Hopeful”
WVUE Staff
WVUE-TV • “LSU Parade of Champions”
TELEVISION
ENVIRONMENTAL –SCIENCE REPORTING
Rob Masson
WVUE-TV • “Managing the Mississippi”
Dave McNamara
WVUE-TV • “Heart of Louisiana: Atchafalaya Basin Swamp”
John Snell
WVUE-TV • “Rising Seas Threat”
TELEVISION BUSINESS REPORTING
Sula Kim
WDSU-TV • “Louisiana Homeowners Struggling to get New Policies under Insurance Incentive Program”
Sula Kim, Matthew Deemster
WDSU-TV • “Homeowners Forced to Sell Homes Amid Insurance Nightmare”
Paul Murphy
WWL-TV • “Brewery Bummer”
RADIO BEST LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST
WWOZ Staff and Volunteers
WWOZ-FM • “WWOZ’s Jazz Fest Live Broadcast 2023”
RADIO BEST CULTURAL BROADCAST
WWOZ Staff and Volunteers
WWOZ-FM • “WWOZ’s Piano Tribute to Professor Longhair and James Booker”
PRINT/WRITING CONTINUING COVERAGE
Delaney Dryfoos, La’Shance Perry
The Lens • “David and Goliath: River Parish Residents take on Greenfield”
David Hammer
WWL-TV • “Insured to Lose”
Ramon Antonio Vargas, Jason Berry
The Guardian • “My Prayerful Support: How the Archdiocese of New Orleans Hid ‘Credibly Accused’ Abusers”
PRINT/WRITING BEST EDITORIAL
Mark Michel
The Maroon • “Illegitimi non Carborundum: A Message to Dr. Cole”
Tom Planchet
WWL-TV • “Let Others Get the Glory”
Alan Smason
Crescent City Jewish News • “Time for Change at the Coroner’s Office”
AWARD FINALISTS
PRINT/WRITING BEST SPORTS FEATURE
Les East
CrescentCitySports.com • “New Orleans’ Tradition Gives it a Boost in Quest for Record Title”
Les East
CrescentCitySports.com • “JT Curtis’ Historic Career Shines Light on Prep Football Coaches”
Tina Howell Canal Street Chronicles • “Demario Davis Shares Inspirational Story of his Faith after Saints Win.”
Kelly Massicot, Ashley McLellan
New Orleans Magazine • “Beyond the Grave”
Kelly Massicot, Ashley McLellan
New Orleans Magazine • “Beyond the Kitchen”
DIGITAL BEST BLOG
Les East
CrescentCitySports.com • “Les East’s College Sports Blog”
Sean Fazende
WVUE-TV • “After Further Review”
Errol Laborde
PRINT/WRITING BEST CRITICAL REVIEW
Lucie Monk Carter
64 Parishes • “Closing Time”
Rien Fertel
64 Parishes • “Always on the Threshold”
Mia Oliva
The Maroon • “‘Bottoms’ Review: ‘Superbad’ for Queer Femcels”
PRINT/WRITING BREAKING NEWS REPORTING
Gabriella Killett
The Times-Picayune • “Amid the Joy of Jazz Fest, the Sorrow of the Mandina’s Shooting”
Alex Lubben
The Times-Picayune • “Survivors of Louisiana I-55 Crash Recall the Terror: ‘I just kept Hearing Stuff Explode.’”
Missy Wilkinson
The Times-Picayune • “Neighbors in Shock, Mourn Three Children Killed in Alleged Arson. Father in Custody.”
DIGITAL BEST PODCAST
Ross Jackson
Tegna New Orleans • “Locked on Saints”
MyNewOrleans.com • “The Editor’s Room”
DIGITAL BEST USE OF INSTAGRAM
Hannah Gard
WVUE-TV • “Hannah’s Forecasts”
Jack Gillespie
Preservation in Print • “On this Day in New Orleans History”
Kelly Massicot
New Orleans Magazine • “New Orleans Magazine”
DIGITAL BEST NEWS WEBSITE
Chelsea Brasted, Carlie Kollath Wells
Axios • “Axios New Orleans”
Kelly Massicot, Rich Collins
Biz New Orleans Magazine • “BizNewOrleans.com”
WWLTV.com Staff
WWL-TV • “WWLTV.com”
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY BEST PORTRAIT
Matthew Hinton
USA Today Network • “Zion Yell”
Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee
WWOZ-FM • “Doreen Ketchens”
Greg Miles
New Orleans Magazine • “Jennifer Samuels”
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY BEST NEWS PHOTO
Sophia Germer
nola.com • “New Orleans Heat Wave”
Anna Hummel
The Maroon • “Violence Erupts at Protest”
La’Shance Perry
The Lens • “Marathon Refinery Fire”
COLLEGIATE JOURNALISM
BEST VIDEO FEATURE STORY
Maria DiFelice
The Maroon • “Grrl Spot”
Maria DiFelice, Daniela Martinez
The Maroon • “Alumna Creates Queer Safe Space”
COLLEGIATE JOURNALISM
BEST WRITTEN FEATURE STORY
Maria DiFelice
The Maroon • “Beyond his Presidency: Meet the Man behind the Mission”
Patrick Hamilton
The Maroon • “Behind-theScenes with Bombino: The Sultan of Shred”
Sophia Maxim
The Maroon • “From Exile to Educator: Loyola Professor Fosters Social Justice”
TV VIDEOGRAPHY BEST VISUAL STORYTELLING
Whitney Hill
WWL-TV • “Vinyl Revival”
Chris Russell
WWL-TV • “Triple C Rescue”
Steve Wolfram
WVUE-TV • “Critical Call”
TV VIDEOGRAPHY
GENERAL NEWS
VIDEOGRAPHY
Adam Copus
WWL-TV • “I Didn’t Want to Die”
Steve Wolfram
WVUE-TV • “Sinful Situation: Housing Horrors”
Steve Wolfram
WVUE-TV • “Waiting on the Bus”
PRINT/WRITING MEDICAL –HEALTH REPORTING
Topher Danial
New Orleans Magazine • “The Earnest Provider”
Alex Lubben
The Times-Picayune • “Federal Reports Describe Dire Conditions at Psychiatric Hospital in Mandeville”
Emily Woodruff
The Times-Picayune • “New Gene Therapies are a Near-Cure for Louisiana’s Sickle Cell Patients. But at $1-2M, Who will Pay for it?”
PRINT/WRITING FEATURE REPORTING – LIGHT FEATURE
Donna Bush
Slidell Magazine • “Boudreaux the Flamingo”
Ricky Riccardi
64 Parishes • “De-Satchuration”
Alan Smason
Crescent City Jewish News • “Cantorial Soloist Jordan Lawrence to Produce ‘Broadway Shabbat’ at Gates of Prayer”
PRINT/WRITING GOVERNMENTAL –POLITICAL REPORTING
Nick Chrastil, Katy Reckdahl
The Lens • “A Group of ‘Violence Interrupters’ Worked the Streets of New Orleans to Prevent Retaliatory Shootings – Until they were Sidelined Two Years Ago”
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune • “Louisiana Coastal Projects are Funded by an Unlikely Source. What Happens when the Money Runs Out?”
Mark Schleifstein
The Times-Picayune • “Replacing Louisiana’s Lead Pipes Would Improve Public Health. But the Price Tag is Big.”
PRINT/WRITING INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
Joseph Cranney
The Times-Picayune • “Sworn & Protected: An Examination of Louisiana’s Failure to Rein in Abusive Police”
Ramon Antonio Vargas, David Hammer
The Guardian, WWL-TV • “Unmasking the Confessed but Hidden Catholic Clergy Predator Lawrence Hecker”
Missy Wilkinson
The Times-Picayune • “911 Calls Reporting Domestic Violence Surged in New Orleans in May and June”
TELEVISION LIFESTYLE REPORTING
Rob Krieger
WVUE-TV • “Locally Tuned: LeTrainiump”
Dave McNamara
WVUE-TV • “Heart of Louisiana: Lafitte Artist”
Leslie Spoon, Chris Russell WWL-TV • “When News is more than just the News”
TELEVISION BEST TALK SHOW
Val Amedee, Caegan Moore, Malik Mingo
WWL-TV • “Great Day Louisiana”
Peggy Scott Laborde
WYES-TV • “Steppin’ Out”
Keith Spera, William Hill, Jim Dotson
WLAE-TV • “Let’s Talk with Keith Spera”
TELEVISION BEST ON-AIR TALENT
Kenny Lopez
WGNO-TV
Travers Mackel
WDSU-TV
Malik Mingo
WWL-TV
TELEVISION FEATURE REPORTING
Kristi Coleman, Kevin Duckworth
WVUE-TV • “Through the Lens of Christopher Horne”
Dave McNamara
WVUE-TV • “Heart of Louisiana: Duck Calls”
Gina Swanson
WDSU-TV • “Black History Month: Young Trailblazer Creates her own Path in the Mardi Gras Indian Community”
TELEVISION BEST SPORTS SHOW
Doug Mouton, Adam Ney
WWL-TV • “4th Down on 4”
WDSU Staff
WDSU-TV • “WDSU Sports Game On”
WVUE Sports Staff
WVUE-TV • “Fox8 Tailgate Live”
DIGITAL BEST USE OF FACEBOOK
WVUE Staff
WVUE-TV • “Marathon
Petroleum Fire Live Drone”
WWL Louisiana Staff
WWL-TV • “October 23rd”
WWOZ Staff
WWOZ-FM • “Crescent City Blues & BBQ Fest”
AWARD FINALISTS
DIGITAL BEST USE OF X (TWITTER)
Garland Gillen
WVUE-TV • “Garland on the Avenue”
WWOZ Staff
WWOZ-TM • “Holidays: New Orleans Style”
WWOZ Staff
WWOZ-FM • “WWOZ’s 43rd Birthday”
DIGITAL DIGITAL SPECIAL SECTION
WDSU Staff
WDSU-TV • “WDSU 75 Years: Then, Now, Always”
WVUE Staff
WVUE-TV • “Outside the Office”
WWOZ Staff
WWOZ-FM • “A Closer Walk: Interactive New Orleans Music History Map”
TELEVISION EDUCATION REPORTING
Lily Cummings, Adam Copus
WWL-TV • “Where the Road Ends: Pointe-au-Chien”
Travers Mackel
WDSU-TV • “New Orleans Residents Call 30 Unused Nola Public Schools Properties ‘Eye Sores’”
Liz Reyes
WVUE-TV • “The Mackie Mission”
TELEVISION BEST SPORTSCAST
Ricardo LeCompte
WWL-TV
Doug Mouton
WWL-TV
WVUE Sports Staff
WVUE-TV
TELEVISION INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
David Hammer, TJ Pipitone, Ramon Antonio Vargas
WWL-TV • “On Camera: Priest Admits his Molestation”
Lee Zurik, Dannah Sauer, Jon Turnipseed
WVUE-TV • “Double Injustice”
Lee Zurik, Dannah Sauer, Jon Turnipseed
WVUE-TV • “Outside the Office”
TELEVISION BEST DOCUMENTARY
Aaron Brownlee, Karen Swenson
WYES-TV • “Turning the Tide: A Story of Hell, Healing & Hope”
Jim Dotson, Bruce Smith, Ron Yager
WLAE-TV • “George Dunbar: Mining the Surfaces”
Charisse Gibson, Nicole Waivers
WWL-TV • “Follow the Line”
RADIO GENERAL EXCELLENCE IN RADIO
WWOZ Staff and Volunteers
WWOZ-FM
TV VIDEOGRAPHY BREAKING NEWS
VIDEOGRAPHY
Jake Rosenberg
WVUE-TV • “Marathon Petroleum Fire”
TV VIDEOGRAPHY
FEATURE VIDEOGRAPHY
Adam Copus
WWL-TV • “A Language that Won’t Wash Away”
Whitney Hill
WWL-TV • “Gun Violence Crisis: Louisiana’s 40 Shootings in 7 Days”
Dave McNamara
WVUE-TV • “Heart of Louisiana: Chauvin Sculpture Garden”
TV VIDEOGRAPHY BEST VIDEO ESSAY
Adam Copus
WWL-TV • “Put It on Your Bucket List”
Rhett Sharpe
Channel 13 St. Tammany
Parish Public Schools • “Dia de Muertos”
Steve Wolfram
WVUE-TV • “Ramadan”
PRINT/WRITING ENVIRONMENTAL –SCIENCE REPORTING
Delaney Dryfoos
The Lens • “Marathon Proves Why it was the Last Refinery Built in the U.S.”
Ken Kolb
64 Parishes • “Against the Current: River Pilots in an Age of Automation”
Kevin Rabalais
Louisiana Life • “Shell Game”
PRINT/WRITING BUSINESS REPORTING
David Hammer
WWL-TV • “Insured to Lose”
Stephanie Riegel
The Times-Picayune • “The Plan was to Build 53 Affordable Homes. Now, They’re ShortTerm Rentals”
Keith Twitchell
Biz New Orleans Magazine • “Leading the Charge”
PRINT/WRITING BEST COLUMN
John Case
Slidell Magazine • “The Storyteller”
Rien Fertel
64 Parishes • “Lost Lit 2023”
Kim Ranjbar, Robert Witkowski, Josh Danzig
Where Y’at Magazine • “20 and Under”
PRINT/WRITING BEST MAGAZINE
Erin Greenwald, Chris TurnerNeal
64 Parishes
Susan Langenhennig, Liz Jurey, Dee Allen
Preservation in Print
Melanie Warner Spencer, Sarah EG Majeste Louisiana Life
PRINT/WRITING LIFESTYLE REPORTING
Cynthea Corfah
Essence GU • “Let’s Recap: Essence GU Kickback Night Two”
Benjamin Morris
64 Parishes • “The St. Joe Brickyard: Hiding in Plain Sight”
Tom Planchet
WWL-TV • “Quite a Show”
PRINT/WRITING BEST COVER
Romney Caruso, Robert Witkowski, Josh Danzig
Where Y’at Magazine • “Where Y’at Magazine 25th Anniversary Issue”
Mandie Manzano
Slidell Magazine • “Child of Heaven”
Dora Sison
Gambit • “Octophonium”
PRINT/WRITING BEST SPORTS COLUMN
Richard Cuicchi
CrescentCitySports.com • “Mel Ott League Part of the Fabric of New Orleans Baseball in 60’s, 70’s and 80’s”
Les East
CrescentCitySports.com • “Saints Losing Record Doesn’t Justify a Coaching Change”
Rod Walker
The Times-Picayune • “Sean Strong, Tyjae Spears, Dear Zion”
PRINT/WRITING FEATURE REPORTING – SERIOUS FEATURE
Katy Reckdahl
The Lens • “Revell Andrews: Picture of Potential”
Ramon Antonio Vargas
The Guardian • “Archbishop Secretly Backed Bid to Free Priest Convicted of Raping Child”
Emily Woodruff
The Times-Picayune • “Meet the Rare Louisiana Priest Helping Moms Breastfeed when Care, Policies fall Short”
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
SOCIAL MEDIA – DIGITAL INFLUENCERS
April Catarella
Gambel Communications • “McCord Butchery”
Harold Ellis Clark, Chelsea Creel
DePaul Community Health Centers • “Making DCHC More Visible Online”
Melinda Daffin
Ochsner Health • “Ochsner Health Nurse Saves Brother’s Life with Kidney Donation”
PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIAL EVENTS
The Ehrhardt Group, Heaven’s Pets
The Ehrhardt Group • “Nola Dogs ‘Race to the Rescue’ 5K Run/Walk and Blessing of the Pets”
The Ehrhardt Group, TunicaBiloxi Tribe of Louisiana
The Ehrhardt Group • “TunicaBiloxi Tribe of Louisiana 25th Annual Pow Wow”
Amanda Mbuya, Margaret Tuskey
Peter A. Mayer Public Relations • “Felipe’s Mexican Taqueria –Unveiling Metairie Road”
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY BEST MULTI-PHOTO FEATURE
Sophia Germer nola.com • “Louisiana 2050: Rising Seas will Upend Life. Time is Running Out to Limit the Impact.”
Kevin Rabalais
64 Parishes • “Tournoi de la Ville Platte: Defending the Cotton Crop with Old-Fashioned Sportsmanship”
WWOZ Staff
WWOZ-FM • “Jazz Fest”
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY BEST SPORTS PHOTO
Sophia Germer nola.com • “Saints Jimmy Graham Celebrates a Touchdown”
Matthew Hinton
Associated Press New Orleans • “Pelicans Play-in Dunk”
Matthew Hinton
Associated Press New Orleans • “Tulane Sack”
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY BEST FEATURE PHOTO
Matthew Hinton
USA Today Network • “John Curtis Record Win”
AWARD FINALISTS
Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee
WWOZ-FM • “Tarriona “Tank” Ball”
La’Shance Perry
The Lens • “Phase III Protest”
TELEVISION CONTINUING COVERAGE
Aubry Killion
WDSU-TV • “Deadly Intersection Addressed”
Lee Zurik, Dannah Sauer, Matt McBride
WVUE-TV • “Tapped Out”
Lee Zurik, Dannah Sauer, Jon Turnipseed
WVUE-TV • “Starving the Competition”
TELEVISION MEDICAL –HEALTH REPORTING
Rob Krieger
WVUE-TV • “Supplying a High: Losing Feeling”
Eleanor Tabone
WWL-TV • “I Talked to God”
Lee Zurik
WVUE-TV • “Permission to Prescribe”
TELEVISION BREAKING NEWS REPORTING
WDSU Staff
WDSU-TV • “Super Fog Pile Up”
WVUE Staff
WVUE-TV • “Fatal I-55 Pileup”
WWL Louisiana Staff
WWL-TV • “Breaking News Super Fog”
TELEVISION BEST WEATHERCAST
Alexandra Cranford
WWL-TV
Zack Fradella
WVUE-TV
Chris Franklin
WWL-TV
TELEVISION BEST NEWSCAST
Torre Josey
WWL-TV • “WWL Louisiana News at 10”
Ian Kramar
WWL-TV• “Eyewitness News at 5”
Erin Peytral
WVUE-TV • “Fox8 News at 5pm”
SPECIAL AWARDS
BEST IN SHOW
Billy Rainey Memorial Award
Honoring the first-place winner in print breaking news reporting
Ashton Phelps, Sr. Memorial Award
Honoring the first-place winner in editorial writing
Hal Ledet Print Photography Award
Honoring the best of first-place winners in still photography
President’s Videography Award
Honoring the best of first-place winners in television photography
Alex Waller Memorial Award
Honoring the best of first-place winners in print writing
Jim Metcalf Memorial Award
Honoring the best of first-place winners in broadcast writing
PAST
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
AWARDS
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
The Renaissance Foundation Scholarship
The Fox8 / Gray Television Scholarship
The Press Club inaugurated its Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992. Presentation of this award is aimed at honoring individuals who not only have demonstrated the utmost in professionalism throughout their careers but have also made significant contributions to the community in the process.
2022 Nancy Parker & Walt Handelsman
2019 Joe Duke & Frank Donze
2018 Clancy DuBos & Renette Dejoie-Hall
2017 Bruce Nolan & Margaret Orr
2016 Bill Capo & Errol Laborde
2015 John Pope & SallyAnn Roberts
2014 Ed Daniels & Ted Jackson
2013 Bob Breck & Bill Curl
2012 Lynne Jensen & Norman Robinson
2011 Jim Henderson & Mark Schleifstein
2010 Byron Hughey & Angus Lind
2009 Dan Milham & Walt Philbin
2008 Press Club’s 50th Anniversary
2007 Ashton Phelps Jr.
2006 Special award honoring Alec Gifford’s 50 years in broadcasting
2005 Ed Anderson & Richard Angelico
2004 William M. Metcalf Jr. & Willie P. Wilson Jr.
2003 Bob and Jan Carr & Buddy Diliberto
2002 Ronnie Virgets & Jack Wardlaw
2001 Angela Hill & Larry Lorenz
2000 Peter Finney & Terry Flettrich Rohe
1999 Bill Elder & Betty Guillaud
1998 Maury Magill & Dave Snyder
1997 Charles “Pie” Dufour & Phil Johnson
1996 Walter Greaves Cowan & Alec Gifford
1995 Nash Roberts & Bob Roesler
1994 J. Michael Early
1993 Iris Kelso & Wayne Mack
