By Ana Mendieta
Chicago Sun-Times
April 26, 2003
A dramatic portrait of the crisis in Maryville Academy’s City of Youth and an unapologetic look into R&B singer R. Kelly’s sex scandal were among six Chicago Sun-Times stories honored with the prestigious Peter Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism on Friday night.
“Maryville Is Losing Control” by Tim Novak and Chris Fusco was one of two winners in the public service category of daily newspapers with circulation of more than 300,000. The story told of the rampant suicide attempts, sex abuse, drug use, fights and vandalism in Illinois’ largest center for abused and abandoned children.
“This is a wonderful story that forced real change, with reporting done in the face of daunting obstacles,” a judge wrote.
Jim DeRogatis and Abdon M. Pallasch won the arts and entertainment reporting category in a daily publication for “City Police Investigate R&B Singer R. Kelly in Sex Tape,” in which they provided a detailed portrait of Kelly through the analysis of a tape that appears to show him having sex with an underage girl.
“The Baby Ceiling,” a three-part series describing the quest for children for professional women and written by Debra Pickett, Lisa Lenoir, Sara Fiedelholtz, Jae-Ha Kim, Jim Ritter, Chris Ledbetter and Deborah Douglas won the features award for daily newspapers of more than 300,000.
Mark Brown won in the columns and commentary category, and Roger Ebert took first place for commentary in arts and entertainment journalism. Mark Skertic took first place for science reporting for his story “Ritalin Roulette.”
The award is named after the late Washington bureau chief of the old Chicago Daily News. Prizes also went to other publications, including the Daily Herald, which received nine awards, and the Chicago Tribune, which received eight awards.
© 2003 JAE-HA KIM | All Rights Reserved
