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AAR Honors Journalists for In-Depth Reporting Sept. 7, 2005 Kimberly Winston, a freelance journalist, Linda Leicht of The News-Leader in Springfield, Mo., and Steven Waldman of Beliefnet have won the American Academy of Religion awards for Best In-Depth Reporting on Religion. Winston, who submitted writing published on Beliefnet, won the contest for journalists at news outlets with more than 100,000 circulation or on the web; Leicht for journalists at news outlets with less than 100,000 circulation; and Waldman for opinion writing. Eighty-five journalists entered the contests, the most in its six-year history. The awards recognize “well-researched newswriting that enhances the public understanding of religion,” said Barbara DeConcini, AAR Executive Director. Each of the winners will be awarded $1,000. Winston, from Pinole, Calif., submitted articles on whether the influence of the movie “The Passion of the Christ” was what was feared or hoped for, the mainstreaming of Wicca, the campaigning politicians’ use of Puritan theology, the trend of modern pagans reviving ancient religions, and how non-Christians are fighting to save Christmas. The judges said Winston “distinguishes herself by pursuing unfamiliar stories and angles, in the process casting unexpected light on the tapestry of religion in America today.” She did that in the five stories she submitted by creating a “wonderful mix of scholarly sources and interviews to tackle a range of timely issues,” the judges said. Additionally, the judges said Winston’s stories on “The Passion” and the candidates’ use of the City on the Hill metaphor “managed to include new information.” Leicht submitted stories on the divisiveness of gay marriage, the debate over teaching evolution in schools, the significance of language in expressions of faith, the slew of books responding to “The Da Vinci Code” and the 2004 election. “Leicht’s articles do a wonderful job of combining expert insight and background context with local reporting on the views and behavior of ordinary people,” one judge said. “They are educational in the best since of the word.” Another judge said the topics “weren’t earth-shattering, but (Leicht) created just the right mix of scholarship and excellent interviews to come up with new insights and interesting angles.” Waldman submitted opinion articles discussing the election and “The Passion of the Christ.” “Often contrarian and always provocative, these articles consistently helped shape the discussion of the important religion news of 2004,” one judge noted. Another said that although the stories were familiar, Waldman “succeeded in presenting a wealth of information and included a variety of sources, while remaining straightforward about his own response.” Waldman placed second in the contest last year. In fact, three other writers who placed second or third were honored in last year’s contest as well: Bill Tammeus, John Dart and Douglas Todd. Tammeus, of the Kansas City Star, placed second this year in the contest for news outlets with more than 100,000 circulation. Last year, he placed third in the opinion-writing contest and three years ago he won it. “The stories drew heavily on current scholarship, but the writing kept the reader interested and engaged,” one judge noted. Dart, of The Christian Century, who won last year’s contest for news outlets with less than 100,000 circulation, placed third in this year’s contest for that category. “Dart’s solid grasp of the range and character of scholarly research and insight gives these articles a rare degree of authority in religion reporting,” the judges said. Todd, of the Vancouver Sun, placed third in the opinion-writing contest after winning it last year. “Todd’s articles range from the magisterial to the personal, resulting in a range of opinion that is consistently stimulating,” one judge said. Burton Bollag, of the Chronicle of Higher Education, placed second in the contest for news outlets with less than 100,000 circulation. Judges were impressed with the depth of Bollag’s writing – of how he explored the complexities of religion in higher education. “While focusing on university life, the journalist manages to look at issues as varied as Homeland Security policies and the funding of religious universities, as well as studies of Catholic pedophilia and evangelical debates over omniscience,” a judge commented. Tracey O’Shaughnessy, of The Sunday Republican, in Waterbury, Conn., placed second in the opinion-writing contest. “O’Shaughnessy’s voice is distinctive, and she uses it to give the important religion news of the week the kind of turn that the best columnists do – combining attitude with personal reflection, local reporting, and insight drawn from religion scholarship,” one judge said. David Van Biema, of Time magazine, placed third in the contest for news outlets with more than 100,000 circulation. “With cover stories and shorter takes, Van Biema gives Time’s readers the kind of reporting-with-assessment characteristic of the best of that journal’s traditions,” judges said. Each contestant submitted five articles published in North America during 2004. Names of contestants and their news outlets were removed from submissions prior to judging. The judges were Joyce Smith, a journalism professor at Ryerson University and a former journalist; Mark Silk, the founding director of the Leonard E. Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life at Trinity College and a former journalist; and Michael Barkun, a political science professor at Syracuse University and a member of the AAR’s Committee for the Public Understanding of Religion. ### Contact: Steve Herrick Back to Press Release Archives
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