PRESS ROOM

The 2015 C.B. Blethen Memorial Awards Presented

For Immediate Release — Sep. 18, 2015
Lindsay Taylor, Consumer Marketing Manager

The 2015 C.B. Blethen Memorial Awards for Distinguished Newspaper Reporting were presented yesterday, September 17, at the Washington Athletic Club to writers from 11 daily newspapers in the region.

The awards were established in 1977 in honor of C.B. Blethen, publisher of The Seattle Times for 26 years, from 1915 to 1941. Ryan Blethen, associate publisher and assistant managing editor/digital and fifth generation member of the Blethen family, presented this year’s awards at the annual meeting of the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Association (PNNA) in Seattle, WA. The first- and second-place winners in each category received plaques provided by The Seattle Times.

PNNA daily newspaper members in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Alaska, Alberta and British Columbia are eligible to enter the contest, which is administered completely independent from The Seattle Times by PNNA. Judges are top news executives from respected daily newspapers outside the PNNA region and are not affiliated with PNNA member groups.

The awards honor reporters from newspapers in two circulation divisions (over 50,000 circulation and under 50,000 circulation). There are five regular award categories: deadline reporting, feature writing, enterprise reporting, investigative reporting, and distinguished coverage of diversity issues.

In the competition for the special Debby Lowman Award for Distinguished Reporting of Consumer Affairs, all entrants compete together, regardless of circulation. This award honors Debby Lowman, a Seattle Times consumer reporter who died of cancer in 1978.

Winners of the 2015 C.B. Blethen Memorial Awards are:

Distinguished Coverage of Diversity
Under 50,000 circulation:

  1. The Columbian, Clark County, WA. Scott Hewitt: “Crisis in affordable housing: Lowest-income tenants face homelessness as rents rise”
  2. Lewiston Tribune, Lewiston, ID. Tribune Staff: “Mental health services in crisis”

Over 50,000 circulation:

  1. The Seattle Times, Seattle, WA. Claudia Rowe: “Education Lab: School Discipline
  2. The Oregonian, Portland, OR. Casey Parks: “The Pact”

Deadline Reporting
Under 50,000 circulation:

  1. The Daily Herald, Everett, WA.  Daily Herald Staff: “Dreaded Day in Marysville”
  2. The Chronicle, Centralia, WA. Chronicle Staff: “Plane Crash Rattles Chehalis Area”

Over 50,000 circulation:

  1. The Oregonian, Portland, OR. Oregonian Staff: “Reynolds High School Shooting”
  2. The Seattle Times, Seattle, WA. Seattle Times Staff: “Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooting

Enterprise Reporting
Under 50,000 circulation:

  1. Yakima Herald-Republic, Yakima, WA. Kate Prengaman: “Tobacco, Taxes and Treaty Rights -- King-size disputes”
  2. Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Bozeman, MT. Nick Ehli: “Secured blessings”

Over 50,000 circulation:

  1. The Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID. Audrey Dutton: “The watchful eye of Valley hospitals”
  2. The Seattle Times, Seattle, WA. Sanjay Bhatt: “Misdirected Money: Money from investor visas flood U.S., but doesn't reach targeted poor areas

Feature Writing
Under 50,000 circulation:

  1. The Daily Herald, Everett, WA. Amy Nile: “Humoody's Way: Blinded at 2, Snohomish boy lives with no holds barred”
  2. The Columbian, Vancouver, WA. Lauren Dake: “Westley Allan Dodd Killings: A Gruesome Anniversary”

Over 50,000 circulation:

  1. The Seattle Times, Seattle, WA. Tyrone Beason: “Inside Harborview: An elite emergency team fights to mend broken bodies and minds
  2. The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA. Adriana Janovich: “Passing Down Pierogi”

Investigative Reporting
Under 50,000 circulation:

  1. The Columbian, Vancouver, WA. Aaron Corvin and Amy M.E. Fischer: “Port of Secrecy”
  2. The Daily Herald, Everett, WA. Scott North, Chuck Taylor, and Rikki King: “UW Medicine misled public about Airlift Northwest in MPHS shooting”

Over 50,000 circulation:

  1. The Oregonian, Portland, OR. Lynne Terry: “A Game of Chicken”
  2. The Seattle Times, Seattle, WA. Mike Baker and Daniel Wagner: “The Mobile-home Trap: How a Warren Buffett empire preys on the poor

Debby Lowman Award for Distinguished Reporting of Consumer Affairs

  1. The Columbian, Vancouver, WA. Marissa Harshman: “Live Well series”
  2. Tri-City Herald, Tri-City, WA. Kristi Pihl: “Tri-City Made: Manufacturing critical to current, future Tri-Cities economic health”