Erin Jordan honored for investigative reporting on seclusion rooms
The Gazette
DES MOINES — Gazette reporter Erin Jordan was awarded the state’s highest honor for investigative reporting Friday as the Iowa Newspaper Association named her a recipient of the Harrison “Skip” Weber Investigative Journalism award for large newspapers.
Jordan was recognized for her ongoing reporting about the use of seclusion rooms in area school districts. Jordan also was recognized in 2012.
The Iowa Newspaper Association’s awards for 2017 news writing and advertising were presented at the annual convention Thursday and Friday in Des Moines.
The Gazette also was recognized with the Bill Monroe Innovation Award for the creation of the Iowa Ideas project, which includes a conference in Cedar Rapids. The event, held for the first time last year, drew about 650 participants.
The Gazette also won first-place honors for papers over a circulation of 10,000 for best editorial page, best sports page, coverage of education and community leadership for creation of The Gazette Gives Back program for area nonprofits.
The paper received second-place honors for general excellence, coverage of government and politics, coverage of agriculture, use of graphics, use of social media and feature page.
Coverage of business was honored with a third-place award.
Other Gazette INA winners were:
First place — Mike Hlas for best blog.
Second place — Todd Dorman for best blog, Erin Jordan for best news story, staff for best breaking news story, Jeff Johnson for best sports feature story, Todd Dorman for editorial writing, Rebecca F. Miller for breaking news photo, Jim Slosiarek for best news feature photo.
Third place — Liz Zabel for best video, Lee Hermiston and Brian Morelli for breaking news story, Chelsea Keenan for news feature story, Molly Duffy, Alison Gowans and Makayla Tendall for personality feature story, Erin Jordan for sports story, Rebecca F. Miller for photo story.
The Gazette advertising staff was recognized with awards.
The ad design team won first- and second-place honors for ad campaigns for general services and merchandise. Michele Maakestad placed second for best ad designer, while the team won second-place honors for best ad featuring grocery/food/entertainment, ads featuring auto/boat/aircraft/etc., special-section advertising, and ads for a community promotion or event.