Examiner staff earns national acclaim at 136th NNAF ceremony

Pitting their 2021 reporting against a pool of more than 1,600 newspapers from across the country, staff at The Examiner emerged as the fifth-most awarded publication – with 15 honors won – at the National Newspaper Association Foundation’s (NNAF) 136th annual “Better Newspaper Contest” in San Francisco.

Only four of 92 newspapers honored by the NNAF returned from this year’s ceremony more decorated than The Examiner; the paper also claimed seven more awards than the second highest-achieving outlet in Texas. With a wall already teeming with trophies and offices littered with national and regional awards, The Examiner’s reporting prowess continues to impress professional journalists near and far.

Publisher Don Dodd praised the wonderful work of staff, saying, “While I appreciate the hard work of our staff everyday and appreciate being recognized by our peers, the most important thing to all of us is high-quality, responsible reporting on issues affecting Southeast Texans.”

Wading in accolades

Managing Editor Jennifer Johnson was already a nationally decorated investigative reporter before she earned an Examiner-high four awards in all, winning second place nationally for best breaking news story for “Fight on,” as well as a third-place award in the “Best Investigative Story” category for her “Eight in eight” story.

Despite only winning third place for the story concerning allegations of a Beaumont doctor inappropriately touching patients under anesthesia, this judge said Johnson’s entry was an example of textbook journalism, saying, “When asked what journalism is, this story would make my shortlist for examples. The subject is becoming all too common and it’s top-notch reporting like this which is vital to bringing attention to the issue.”

She earned two more third-place honors in the “Best Localized National Story” and “Best Reporting on Local Government” competitions for “Prison payouts” and “Ousted leader elected again.”

“Solid story with great graphics and content from people on the scene via social media,” wrote one judge about Johnson’s second-place-winning “Fight on” story.

Staff Writer B. Scott McLendon claimed his first individual honors at the national level with two first-place awards and one third for his health coverage and feature writing.

He won first-place award in the “Best Health Story” for a series of stories concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. While droves of Southeast Texans were driving to some scenic pool or beachside location Labor Day 2021, nurses and doctors at Beaumont’s hospitals were quite literally overflowing with dying COVID patients – something The Examiner witnessed firsthand.

“Excellent lede, and the good reporting didn’t stop there,” a judge wrote about McLendon’s first-place health story. “Great account of the toll the pandemic took on healthcare workers, not only on the job but noting that ‘recuperation in their home lives’ was also difficult. Well done.”

His coverage of local Judge Larry Thorne’s final Adoption Day event in 2021 won first place in the “Best Non-Profile Feature Story” division, with judges writing, “The level of detail brought this story to life.”

He won third for best profile feature story for his portrayal of the Golden Triangle Minority Business Council President Beverly Hatcher.

Sports and Entertainment Editor Chad Cooper, a writer and photographer who’s no stranger to awards, won first and second in the “Best Photo Essay” division for photos of “The Nutcracker” and country music star Cody Johnson. He also claimed second in the “Best Sports Photo” contest with his mutton bustin’ photograph from the Southeast Texas  State Fair.

“These photos and the lighting and the make-up of the page all combined for an excellent example. Kudos,” a judge wrote about Cooper’s Nutcracker photos, adding more effusive praise about his two second-place awards, “Great angles and nice approach with a non-traditional layout. Nice composition.”

“(I) liked the story this picture told,” a judge said about Cooper’s “mutton bustin’” photo, “It is what the event is all about and is captured very well here.”

Marking the third corner of The Examiner’s triumphant triumvirate of longtime editors, Business Editor Sharon Brooks earned three awards for her reporting in three Examiner publications, the Beaumont Business Journal (not counted in The Examiner’s 15 awards), the annual Labor Day Magazine and The Examiner proper. She won an “honorable mention” in the “Best Special News, Sports or Feature Section or Edition” for the Labor Day Magazine. In addition, Brooks won third place for best business feature (Indorama Ventures surprises local teachers with STEM Innovation Grants) and third for best coverage of military affairs for her coverage of Blue Angels.

“In an unusual Memorial Day story, this profile carves out the position of the Blue Angels in the military constellation by sharing the story of its only female member – yes, not merely the first, but the only woman ever to have served in this Navy squadron – as she spoke at the local holiday event,” wrote a judge about Brooks’ third-place win for best coverage of military affairs.

Dodd added to his editorial awards list by earning first and third for in the “Best Editorial” division for opinion pieces titled “Who is spending our money?” and “Politics over people.”

The first-place winner called into question why the county would spend extra money to hire an out-of-town company to handle Jefferson County’s share of the American Rescue Plan Act when it could hire a cheaper, local alternative.

“Very good editorial,” wrote a judge about the former. “Describes the issue and gives the facts then draws the proper conclusion. Very informative and well written.”

Regarding the paper’s third-place award in the same category, a judge wrote, “Some investigative journalism at work here when it comes to pointing out a real problem. The reader can see how unfair the decision to terminate really was.”

Brittany Chaney, who works for the paper’s design department, won third place for best front page design for “Let the good times roll.” She also won a third-place award in the multiple advertiser section of the Better Newspaper Advertising Contest (not included in The Examiner’s 15 Editorial Contest awards).

Examining Examiner excellence

In the past five years, only once did staff at The Examiner fail to increase their annual trophy haul from the year before. Staff at the paper won two national awards (one first, one second) in 2018; four in 2019 (two third place, two honorable mentions); nine in 2020 (one first, five second place and three third place); and nine in 2021 (one first, three second place, two third place and two honorable mentions).

Among the 39 awards writers, editors and designers at the paper have collected in the past five years, NNAF judges in 2021 voted The Examiner as second-best weekly newspaper in the country, third best in 2019 and first in 2016.

“Excellent newspaper – it hit all the right buttons on the score sheet,” judges wrote in their 2021 assessment.

According to Dodd, awards, acclaim and accolades in any form are simply a byproduct of The Examiner’s actual goals, which are to keep a watchful eye on the powerful, empower those without a voice and inform all on important matters concerning the Southeast Texas community.

Here’s what other judges have had to say over the past five years:

“This paper is shining a light on local corruption – doing what good community newspapers ought to be doing. Writer was careful to document sources obtained through FOI requests,” wrote a judge in 2019, with another adding, “This is a very enjoyable paper that is well designed and easy to read. I found the story selection enjoyable and impactful.”

“Great coverage of the events. Very detailed information provided so that all readers were able to understand the story in its entirety,” wrote a 2020 judge.

“The writer did an amazing job on this story. The story was a very moving, feel-good community piece, and was very inspiring and motivational. The photos were nice as well, but I wanted a few more photos, like maybe having a photo spread page included with the story,” wrote a judge in 2021.