Courier Journal wins multiple awards from local Society of Professional Journalists

The Courier Journal won several major awards at the annual Society of Professional Journalists Louisville Pro Chapter 2022 ceremony Thursday, including one of the biggest awards of the night − Rookie of the Year for Connor Giffin, the paper's environmental reporter.

Giffin joined the paper in 2022 as part of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

"Connor joined the CJ last June and has already made some really important community impact with his environmental coverage," Courier Journal Editor Mary Irby-Jones said.

As part of his coverage, Giffin has followed development plans for land surrounding Floyds Fork, explaining the local impact of bills the federal government passed.

“From his continuing coverage of Louisville’s beleaguered Beargrass Creek and the development pressure put on Floyds Fork to the state of the city’s flood protection infrastructure, Connor has made a strong impression in his first year as a professional journalist, and we look forward to his continued growth over the next year,” said Rob Byers, Courier Journal enterprise and investigations editor.

Josh Wood, now a watchdog reporter at the Courier Journal, was named Journalist of the Year for his work at LEO Weekly.

The SPJ honored work from last year, including recognizing more than 20 current and former Courier Journal reporters and photographers.

"It is an honor for our journalists to be recognized locally for the compelling work they did in 2022 as we served our readers and community," Jones said. "The SPJ awards event is among my favorite because it gives our journalists an opportunity to unite with their colleagues in Louisville."

Rookie of the Year

Connor Giffin for his extensive and continued reporting on environmental issues in Kentucky, including:

• Floyds Fork is seeing a development blitz on its banks. How much more can the stream take?

• Kentucky is getting wetter as climate change brings an era of extremes, data shows

• Only rain will fully clear Louisville of that rotten smell, but city trying to lessen odor

• Norton is building a new hospital in the West End. Can environmental racism be cured?

• 'Warmer and wetter': US' changing climate helps fuel record Kentucky flooding, experts say

• What you should know about Louisville's polluted Beargrass Creek and efforts to heal it

First place SPJ Louisville awards

• Business/technology reporting: Olivia Evans, "Car washes, turkey prices and Kentucky's workforce"

• Column Writing: Maggie Menderski, "Historic Flooding, Mayfield Anniversary and a State Fair ham"

• Social Justice Reporting: Bailey Loosemore, "Racing Louisville, The Black 6 and We are Breonna Taylor"

• Government/Politics Reporting: Olivia Krauth, "Transgender girls, Ronald Reagan and Kentucky charter schools"

• Sports Feature Writing: Jason Frakes, "Donna Moir, Daniel Swinney and Stanley Hardin"

• Editorial Writing: Bonnie Jean Feldkamp, "I'm the mom I am today," "Bail reform," "Cuban corner of the state."

• General News Photography: Jeff Faughender, "Eastern Kentucky flooding victims begin to recover, assess damage"

• Best Picture Story: Courier Journal Staff, "Flooding in Eastern Kentucky"

• Sports Action Photography: Michael Clevenger, "Rich Strike at the Kentucky Derby"

• Sports feature photography: Scott Utterback, "Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith"

• Best video (non-broadcast): Jeff Faughender, "KY tornado survivors recount candle factory devastation, struggle to rebuild lives"

• Best Special Section: Bill Campling, Tracie Keeton, "Run for the Roses Special Section: Kentucky Derby 148"

• Page Design: Brian Gray, "Black Violin"

• Page graphics/illustration: Marc Murphy, "Editorial Cartoons from Marc Murphy"

• Education Reporting: Mandy McLaren, "Between the Lines:  An investigation into why Kentucky's kids can't read"

• Enterprise/investigative reporting: Matt Mencarini, Chris Kenning, Jonathan Bullington, "A Kentucky law is flooding prisons and costing taxpayers millions. Is it 'too tough' on crime?"

• Feature photography: Dustin Strupp, "Arrival at Carter Elementary"

• Best Kentucky Derby Story: Tim Sullivan, "Churchill Downs upgrades run counter to horse racing's downward trends"

• Sports column writing: Tim Sullivan, "Sports columns entry"

• Sports Reporting: Tim Sullivan, "Sports Reporting Entries"

Second place SPJ Louisville awards

• Business/technology reporting: Matthew Glowicki, "PVA values skyrocket, GE labor force and a tight labor market"

• Column Writing: Joe Gerth, "Catholic Churches, Prospect Garden and First Lady Dolls"

• Continuing Coverage: Bailey Loosemore, "'No Other Choice,' Housing Vouchers and Safe Outdoor Spaces"

• Crime/courts/criminal justice reporting: Krista Johnson, "Modified guns, domestic violence deaths and Christy Danner"

• Feature Writing: Matthew Glowicki, "Historical markers, Lottie the dinosaur and Haunted Bethlehem Academy"

• Government/Politics Reporting: Joe Sonka, "Rand Paul, GOP 'Liberty' candidate and gray machines"

• Sports Reporting: Alexis Cubit, "Jeff Brohm and Lance Taylor"

• Sports Feature Photography: Scott Utterback, "Tears"

• Best Special Section: Tracie Keeton, "LONG SHOT STRIKES: Kentucky Derby 148"

• Page Design: Bill Campling, "LOCKED AWAY: THE HIGH COST OF KENTUCKY’S PERSISTENT FELONY OFFENDER LAW"

• Sports Feature Writing: Tim Sullivan, "Sports feature entries"

Third place SPJ Louisville awards

• Best Kentucky Derby Story: Jason Frakes, "A Kentucky Derby favorite from Bowling Green? The story of Epicenter’s birthplace"

• Column Writing: Dana McMahan, "Kentucky Fried Chicken heritage, whiskey signs and The Canary Club"

• Continuing Coverage: Connor Giffin, "Floyds Fork and Beargrass Creek"

• Enterprise/investigative reporting: Stephanie Kuzydym, "If Louisville is a city of parks, why is it letting them fall apart?"

• Feature Photography: Matt Stone, "A Snowy Skyline"

• Sports Feature Photography: Scott Utterback, "Salute"

• General News Photography: Sam Upshaw, "Breonna Taylor arrest announcement"

• Page Design: Brian Gray, "Everything Old is New Again"

• Personality/ Profile Writing: Dahlia Ghabour, Maggie Menderski, Kirby Adams, "Meet the Churchill Downs Bugler, sign maker and executive chef"

• Feature Writing: Dahlia Ghabour, "Cave Hill Cemetery honey, Little Mount Lavender and Gasthaus closure"

Reach Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez at abrinez@gannett.com; follow her on Twitter at @SoyAnaAlvarez.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Here are the Courier Journal winners of the SPJ Louisville Awards