News-Leader receives multiple awards for last year's coverage

Marta Mieze, Springfield News-Leader
·6 min read

The Springfield News-Leader was awarded a multitude of awards this Saturday by the Missouri Press Association. From thorough and accurate reporting to in-depth and captivating visuals, the News-Leader staff have been recognized for their work in the following categories.

A series of first place awards

Best News Photograph- "Defend Roe" Rally in Downtown Springfield by Nate Papes

In a gallery of photos, Papes documented the Defend Roe rally in Downtown Springfield that brought together about 500 people in May after the leak of Supreme Court opinion that sought to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Through the images, Papes captures the emotion of the protestors and encapsulates the power of community in collective action.

Community Service- Share Your Christmas 2022 by Susan Atteberry Smith and Amos Bridges

Through our annual fundraiser in partnership with Crosslines, the News-Leader encouraged our community to share their holiday joy with their neighbors. From Thanksgiving until mid-December, we profiled local families and care center residents in need of additional support. With their simple requests of a few toys, warm clothes and community shared, our readers answered the call by providing gifts and additional household items for more than 30 Springfield families and some 80 care center residents.

Best Investigative Reporting- Decades of Unreported Abuse, Multiple Abusers at Kanakuk Kamps by Nancy French, Gregory J. Holman, Harrison Keegan and Amos Bridges

This series of investigative journalism uncovered decades of sexual abuse at the Branson-based Kanakuk Kamps. Nancy French, author and freelancer who had written extensively about the abuse since 2021, had uncovered allegations involving multiple abusers affiliated with the camp, other than the former camp director Peter D. Newman who was accused of molesting dozens or even hundreds of boys, according to the prosecutor.

After joining forces, months of research and interviews followed. These are the articles that were created as a result of the investigation and that received first place in Best Investigative Reporting.

Best News or Feature Obituary- 'I Believe in Good' by Sara Karnes

This story offers an inside look into Mendell Peter Sparks, a World War II merchant marine who was posthumously awarded a Victory Medal. Through conversation with a long-time best friend, Karnes uncovers the life Sparks led by his bumper sticker motto of "I Believe in Good."

Best Online Newspaper and Best Headline Writing by Staff

Outstanding Young Journalist of 2023

Greta Cross was announced as the Outstanding Young Journalist in Missouri for 2023 in May and was honored by the press association Saturday. Cross has worked at the News-Leader as the trending topics reporter since January 2022.

Throughout her time here, her work has covered a variety of topics and extended far beyond the nearby area. From Black film students’ efforts to capture college life in a web series, the history of Springfield’s drag scene to a 90-year-old homeless man’s journey toward stability and the world of collecting Squishmallows, she has captured many aspects of the local community. She's captured corners of the wider Ozarks, as well, telling stories from Joplin and Cassville, all the way over to Shannon County.

She said she's proud of expanding coverage of both the LGBTQIA+ and art communities. Beyond the News-Leader, Cross is creating a podcast with KJLU 88.9FM, a public radio station based in Jefferson City, about the experiences of drag communities in rural Missouri.

Other honors

Best Investigative Reporting- 'Poop in the water' by Galen Bacharier

The News-Leader also took the second-place spot in the Best Investigative Reporting category. The story documents how a rural Missouri town of Hayti Heights, where the vast majority of residents are Black, has been without a functioning water treatment system for four years. Bacharier, through his reporting, looked into how federal American Rescue Plan Act funds may help the small city find solutions and expanded it to drinking water projects across rural communities in the state.

Best News Story- SOGI ordinance protected gay, trans residents. Is it time to try again? by Amanda Sullender

Sullender's article which placed second in the category recounts the history of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity ordinance, or SOGI for short, in Springfield and its possible future. The ordinance, which prohibited discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations on the basis of an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, was initially passed by city council in 2014 but repealed only six months later by a slim margin when it went to a public vote.

The article examines the possible future of a similar ordinance in the city's future after a changing legal landscape and shifting city council. As council members recount the divisiveness of the initial ordinance, Sullender examines SOGI with balance and depth through her reporting.

Best Sports Feature Story- Nixa's 6-foot-8 freshman Jackson Cantwell has Olympian parents, world records and a 33 ACT score by Wyatt D Wheeler

This profile of then high school freshman Jackson Cantwell captures the talent and dedication of the young student athlete and was awarded second place by the press association. Wheeler documents Cantwell's achievements, both academic and athletic, while highlighting the student's personality and the role his Olympian parents have played in his life. Cantwell entered high school with an ACT score of 33 under his belt and prospects of being on both the football and basketball teams and participating in track and field events.

More recently, Wheeler wrote another story on Cantwell's progress and his impressive workout routine as he has already received football offers from some of the nation's biggest programs.

Best Military Story- Through handwritten letters, Springfield man gets to know father killed in WWII by Greta Cross

Cross writes about Jack Lund getting to know his father who died during World War II through an in-depth look at letters sent to and from the father. This story received second place in the Best Military Story category.

Uniting the past with the present, Cross relays Lund's experiences of reading the letters and unpacking everything they include. The article brings both Jack and his father's stories to life and unpacks family ties what building a sense of connection through the intimate correspondence of letters looks like.

Best Story About Education- Behind closed doors, Springfield School Board Rejected Two Book Ban Attempts in 2021 by Claudette Riley

Receiving third place in the education category was Riley's story documenting how Springfield Public Schools dealt with book ban attempts behind closed doors rather than in public view. While the district claimed the closed nature of the meeting was to protect students and parents' identities who challenged the books and could be potentially present at the meetings, Riley spoke to legal counsel who argued this was not a justifiable reason under the Missouri Sunshine Law.

Multi-Media Reporting- 65 Years of History Gone in Mere Seconds by Sara Karnes, Nate Papes and Andrew Jansen

This coverage documents the detonation of the James River Power Station through reporting, photos and a video. Receiving third place for Multi-Media Reporting, the story immortalizes the power station and its history while recognizing the community it brought together.

The staff were also awarded second place for General Excellence, Best Overall Design, Best Front Page and placed third for Best Sports Page.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: News-Leader staff honored by Press Association across categories