Last week in New Orleans, the Association of Alternative News-media handed out its annual awards for excellence in journalism. Our own Arts & Culture Editor, Leah Sottile, was on hand in NOLA, and The Inlander brought four AltWeekly Awards back to the Inland Northwest. Competing with newspapers like the Raleigh-Durham Independent, the Texas Observer, the Nashville Scene and Tucson Weekly, The Inlander was recognized in the categories of Illustration, Photography, News, and Public Service for work published in 2010.
Public Service
Second Place: The Injustice Project by Jacob H. Fries, Nicholas Deshais, Kevin Taylor, Leah Sottile and Young Kwak
Five cover stories and five inside news stories published in 2010 examining inequities in the local criminal-justice system, from cops to courts, with recommended solutions.
Illustration
Third Place: Jeff Drew
“Scholastic Fantastic,” 5/27/10; Profiles of five promising research projects undertaken on local college campuses. Gonzaga’s Brook Swanson, for example, is studying the peacock mantis shrimp to discover why its shell is so strong. The research may change the way the Air Force builds planes and the Army makes body armor.
News (Short Form)
Third Place: Nicholas Deshais
“Between Rocky and a Hard Place,” 8/5/10; A city attorney with a tough-guy reputation tries to strong-arm a lawyer into staying away from City Council members.
“Lost at Sea,” 3/11/10; A local boy watches his ship go down in the Atlantic Ocean and spends two days on the open sea.
“Budding Tax Bracket,” 12/23/10; The state wants to tax pot. Dispensary owners don’t really seem to mind.
Photography
Third Place: Young Kwak
For a portfolio of a variety of work from 2010, including a cover story on a backyard wrestling club, another cover on prescription-drug abuse, and photos of local bands like the Black Taxis.
To read any of the winning stories, or see the winning illustrations and photos, go to www.altweeklies.com
