These are the winners of the 2021 Peter Lisagor Awards


The Chicago Headline Club, the nation’s largest chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, presented the 45th annual Peter Lisagor Awards at a reception on May 6. The club also recognized its two newest lifetime achievement award winners – Bill Cameron and Dahleen Glanton – and many past presidents from its 100-year history.

In addition to the Lisagor Awards, the club also announced the winners of the 2021 Watchdog Award: WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos, Alex Keefe and Angela Rozas O’Toole. The Anne Keegan Award, presented to a journalist who tells stories of ordinary people, was given to Madeline Buckley of the Chicago Tribune. And Casey Bukro and Bob Roberts were presented with special Service Awards thanking them for their many years of service to the club.

For the Lisagors, the club marked a century of rich journalism history by presenting awards in 100 categories, including many first-time awards. The winners were as following:

BEST ALL MEDIA

Best Investigative Reporting
* Cecilia Reyes, Madison Hopkins; Chicago Tribune and Better Government Association; “The Failures Before the Fires”

Best Feature Story
* Maya Dukmasova, Sujay Kumar; Chicago Reader; “Reasonable doubt”

Best Feature Series
* Justin Agrelo, Natalie Frazier, Woojae Julia Song, Malik Jackson; City Bureau; “Inside Chicago’s Silent Housing Crisis”

Best Photography
* E. Jason Wambsgans; Chicago Tribune; “Chicago civil rights legend Jesse Jackson turns 80”

Best Multimedia Collaboration
* Cecilia  Reyes, Madison Hopkins, Jonathon  Berlin, Kaarin Tisue, David Kidwell, Armando  Sanchez, Andrew  Johnston, Olivia  Obineme; Chicago Tribune and Better Government Association; “The Failures Before the Fires”

Best Graphics
* Digital Team WBEZ Chicago

Best Illustration
* Jesse Howe; Chicago Sun-Times; “Through the flames”

Best Data Journalism
* Casey Toner, Jared Rutecki, Frank Main, Forrest Gregg, Hannah Cushman; Better Government Association/Chicago Sun-Times; “The costly toll of dead-end drug arrests”

GENERAL INTEREST DAILY NEWSPAPER, NEWS SERVICE OR BUREAU

Best Deadline Reporting
* Katlyn Smith, Lauren Rohr, Scott Morgan, Jake Griffin, Marni Pyke, Russell Lissau, Paul Valade, Mark Welsh; Daily Herald; “Aftermath of a Tornado”

Best Investigative Reporting, circulation >100,000
* Jason Grotto, Caleb Melby, Mira Rojanasakul, Paul Murray; Bloomberg News; “America’s Inequitable Property Tax”

Best Investigative Reporting, circulation <100,000
* Robert Herguth; Chicago Sun-Times; “Cardinal, Catholic orders keeping secrets on child sex abuse by clerics”

Best Political and Government Reporting
* Jason Grotto, Caleb Melby, Mira Rojanasakul, Paul Murray; Bloomberg News; “America’s Inequitable Property Tax”

Best Education Reporting
* Cassie Walker Burke, Yana Kunichoff, Mila Koumpilova; Chalkbeat Chicago; “Chicago’s public education comeback: The effort to re-engage 100,000 students”

Best Science or Technology Reporting
* Julie Johnsson, Brett Haensel; Bloomberg News; “Boeing’s Turnaround After 737 Max Crisis Threatened by Talent Exodus”

Best Business or Consumer Reporting
* Maudlyne Ihejirika; Chicago Sun-Times; “Promises Made, Promises Kept”

Best Feature Story or Series, circulation >100,000
* Jeremy Gorner, Annie Sweeney, Rosemary Sobol, E. Jason Wambsgans; Chicago Tribune; “One gun, 27 shootings: How a gun shop burglary in a small Wisconsin town shook Chicago’s streets”

Best Feature Story or Series, circulation <100,000
* Stefano Esposito; Chicago Sun-Times; “After 4 decades apart, ‘true love’ finally triumphs”

Best Arts Reporting and Criticism
* Lee Bey; Chicago Sun-Times ; “The Second City: How the Great Chicago Fire changed Chicago architecture”

Best Sports Story
* Patrick Finley; Chicago Sun-Times; “Back from the brink”

Best Sports Commentary
* Rick Morrissey; Chicago Sun-Times

Best News Photo
* Ashlee Rezin; Chicago Sun-Times; “Salutes to a slain cop”

Best Feature Photo
* E. Jason Wambsgans; Chicago Tribune; “Civil Rights Leader Jesse Jackson Turns 80”

Best Sports Photo
* John Starks; Daily Herald; “Made It”

Best Design, Print
* Eric White; Chicago Sun-Times

Best Design, Digital
* Jesse Howe; Chicago Sun-Times; “Through the flames”

Best Environment or Climate Reporting
* Karl Plume; Reuters; “Climate change and agriculture: impacts and solutions”

Best News Column, Editorial Writing or Commentary, staff size 50+
* John W. Fountain; Chicago Sun-Times; “A selection of 3 columns”

Best Health or Science Reporting on Covid-19
* Katlyn Smith; Daily Herald; “Three Times, It Wasn’t Goodbye”

Best Feature Reporting on Covid-19
* Justin Agrelo, Natalie Frazier, Woojae Julia Song, Malik Jackson; City Bureau; “Inside Chicago’s Silent Housing Crisis”

Best Reporting on Race and Diversity
* Jason Grotto; Bloomberg News; “How Unfair Property Taxes Keep Black Families From Gaining Wealth”

NON-DAILY NEWSPAPER, MAGAZINE OR NEWSPAPER MAGAZINE SECTION

Best In-Depth Reporting in a General-Interest Publication, Magazine or Magazine Section
* Monte Reel, Bloomberg News, “The Left-for-Dead Hospital That Got a Second Chance for $1”

Best In-Depth Reporting in a Community Newspaper
* Jim  Daley; South Side Weekly; “How Chicago Policed Protest”

Best News Column, Editorial Writing or Commentary
* Mark Valentino, William  Bike; Gazette Chicago; “Clout is key to proposed One Central boondoggle”

Best Business Reporting
* Leslie Patton, Kim Chipman; Bloomberg News; “Farmers See Sustainable Eggs as the Industry’s Next Big Thing”

Best Feature Story or Series
* Monte Reel; Bloomberg News; “The Left-for-Dead Hospital That Got a Second Chance for $1”

Best Political Reporting in Newspaper or Magazine
* Aaron Gettinger; Hyde Park Herald; “Why Ald. Taylor, hesitant of the vaccine, got her shot: ‘I don’t want to be scared to live’”

Best Education Reporting in Newspaper or Magazine
* Lily Levine; South Side Weekly; “CPS Layoffs Shock Teachers”

Best Arts Reporting and Criticism.
* Leor Galil, Philip Montoro; Chicago Reader; “Neo: where misfits fit in”

Best Sports Story
* Tonia Hill; The TRiiBE; “Kamau Murray puts the South Side on the pro-tennis map with inaugural Chicago Tennis Festival”

Best Photography
* Kathleen Hinkel, Philip Montoro, Amber Huff; Chicago Reader; “How live music looks during COVID”

Best Design, Print
* The TRiiBE staff, Robin Carnilius; “The TRiiBE Guide 2021: Turning our history into power”

Best Design, Digital
* Jason McGregor; Crain’s Chicago Business

Best Illustration
* Kiki Lechuga-Dupont; City Bureau, Chicago Reader; “Breaking the Cycle”

Best Feature Reporting on Covid-19
* Marie Mendoza, Ester Wells, Yvonne Krumrey, Courtney Kueppers; South Side Weekly; “The Ripple Effects of COVID in Englewood, La Villita, and South Shore”

Best Reporting on Race and Diversity
* Cassandra West, Judith Crown and Steve Hendershot; Crain’s Chicago Business; “Crain’s Equity”

BROADCAST: TELEVISION

Best Investigative or In-Depth TV Reporting
* Doug Wolfe, Jacklynn Boatman, Eric Ahola; WAND TV; “Dirty Deeds”

Best On-Camera Reporter
* Kane Farabaugh; Voice of America TV

Best Feature or Human Interest TV Reporting
* Dan Protess, Stacy Robinson, Yasmin Rammohan, Katerina Simic, Tim Boyd, Sam Rong, Anthony Fleming; WTTW; “Ida B. Wells: a Chicago Stories Special”

Best Business or Consumer TV Reporting
* Kane Farabaugh; Voice of America TV; “Producing Through a Pandemic and Trade War”

Best Arts and Entertainment TV Reporting
* Dan Protess, Jude Leak, Ian Bertorelli, Sam Rong, Tim Boyd, Anthony Fleming, Allie and Steve Mullen; WTTW; “Inventing Improv: a Chicago Stories Special”

Best TV Reporting on Crime and Justice
* WTTW News Team; “Chicago Tonight Adam Toledo Special”

Best TV Reporting on Education
* WTTW News Team; “CTU/CPS Standoff”

Best TV Reporting on Environment or Climate
* Martha Irvine, Cathy Bussewitz, Christopher Hulme; The Associated Press; “Forgotten oil and gas wells linger, leaking toxic chemicals”

Best TV Reporting on Politics and Government
* WTTW News Team; “Chicago Tonight: January 6th Special”

Best TV Health or Science Reporting on Covid-19
* Lauren Stauffer, Lisa Balde, Tracy Davis, Chris  Hush, Greg Sanchez, Yvonne Ramirez, Sebastian Torres, Nathan Halder; WMAQ NBC Chicago; “Vaccinated State”

Best TV Feature Reporting on Covid-19
* Kane Farabaugh; Voice of America TV; “As COVID Surges in India, South Asians in US Mobilize Aid”

Best TV Interview
* Brandis Friedman, Nick  Blumberg; WTTW News; “’It Could Happen to Anyone’: Chicago Mother Shares Story of Stepson’s Murder”

Best TV Reporting on Race and Diversity
* Doug Wolfe, Jacklynn Boatman, Eric Ahola; WAND TV; “Dirty Deeds”

BROADCAST: RADIO

Best Investigative or In-Depth Radio Reporting
* Patrick Smith; WBEZ Chicago; “Those Who Did Not Die”

Best On-Air Reporter
* Esther Yoon-Ji Kang; WBEZ Chicago

Best Feature or Human Interest Radio Reporting
* Adriana Cardona-Maguigad, Manuel Martinez; WBEZ Chicago; “The High School Class of 2021 Celebrates With a Prom to Remember”

Best Business or Consumer Radio Reporting
* Greta Johnsen, Anna Bauman, Brendan Banaszak; WBEZ Chicago; “How Supply Chain Woes Might Impact Chicago Booksellers”

Best Radio Commentary
* Yolanda Joe; WVON-AM; “YOJOE Knows Commentary”

Best Radio Reporting on Environment or Climate
* Michael Puente, Mark LeBien; WBEZ Chicago; “Chicago-Area Communities Vow To Slash Carbon Emissions With Ambitious New ‘Climate Action Plan’”

Best Radio Health or Science Reporting on Covid-19
* Stephanie Kim, Bianca Martin, Sasha-Ann Simons, Daniel Tucker; WBEZ Chicago; “Reset: Closing The Gap On Vaccine Access”

Best Radio Interview
* Dave Dahl; WTAX Radio; “Ex-Gov Looks Back”

Best Radio Reporting on Race and Diversity
* Natalie Moore, Esther Yoon-Ji  Kang, Odette Yousef; WBEZ Chicago; “The Chicago Monuments Project Grapples With The Hard History Of Some City Statues”

SPECIALTY/TRADE

Best Investigative or In-depth Reporting
* Lakeidra Chavis, Daniel Nass; The Trace; “Aftershocks”

Best Business or Consumer Reporting
* Leslie Patton, Michael Hirtzer, Emily Cadman, Deena Shanker, Charlie Wells, Olivia Rockeman, Michael Sasso, Amelia Pollard; Bloomberg News; “Food Inflation Soars”

Best Feature
* Amanda Robert; ABA Journal; “Troubling Treatment: Efforts are underway to reform teen behavioral programs”

Best Health or Science Reporting on Covid-19
* Julie Steenhuysen; Reuters; “The Omicron variant”

Best Feature Reporting on Covid-19
* Brendan Murray, Enda Curran, Kim Chipman; Bloomberg News; “The World Economy Is Suddenly Running Low on Everything”

Best Reporting on Race and Diversity
* Adam Mahoney; Grist; “Environmental Racism in Illinois”

ONLINE

Best Multimedia Feature Presentation
* Block Club Chicago staff; “Year of Loss”

Best News Website
* Better Government Association; bettergov.org

Best Individual Blog Post, independent
* Derrick Clifton; them.us (Conde Nast); “Anti-Trans Sports Bills Aren’t Just Transphobic — They’re Racist, Too” and “Celebrities Have Been Silent on 2021’s Horrific Anti-Trans Bills. It’s Time to Speak Up.”

Best Individual Blog Post, affiliated
* Alden Loury; WBEZ Chicago ; “Chauvin Verdict Doesn’t Change The Systemic Racism That Costs So Many Black Lives”

Best Continuing Blog, independent
* Derrick Clifton; them.us (Conde Nast); “Derrick Clifton on Race, LGBTQ+ Rights and Politics”

Best Continuing Blog, affiliated
* Mark Konkol; Patch

Best Online Deadline Reporting
* Michael Hirtzer, Isis Almeida, Kim Chipman; Bloomberg News; “It’s So Cold on the Plains That Calves’ Ears Are Falling Off”

Best Online Non-Deadline Story
* Kiran Misra; South Side Weekly; “What Went Wrong at Cook County Jail”

Best Online Series, Non-deadline Reporting
* Robert Herguth; Chicago Sun-Times; “Cardinal, Catholic orders keeping secrets on child sex abuse by clerics”

Best Neighborhood/Community News Website
* The TRiiBE staff; “The TRiiBE: reshaping the narrative of Black Chicago”

Best Online Business or Consumer Reporting
* Tim Novak, Lauren FitzPatrick, Caroline Hurley; Chicago Sun-Times ; “Cook County property 

Best Online Feature Story or Series
* Block Club Chicago staff; “Year of Loss”

Best Online Food or Restaurant Coverage
* Ashok Selvam, Naomi Waxman, Barry Brecheisen, Jeffy Mai, Garrett Sweet; Eater; “Chicago Sues Grubhub and DoorDash for Allegedly Scamming Basically Everyone: Restaurants, Drivers, and Customers”

Best Online Music Coverage
* Evan F. Moore; Chicago Sun-Times; “How churches, community organizations created safe spaces for South Side teenagers via hip-hop”

Best Theater or Literary Online Coverage
*Hedy Weiss; WTTW News; Hedy Weiss on Theater

Best Investigative/Public Service Online Reporting
* Cecilia Reyes, Madison Hopkins; Chicago Tribune and Better Government Association; “The Failures Before the Fires”

Best Use of News Video Online
* Olivia Obineme, Armando L. Sanchez, Alex Garcia, Madison Hopkins, Cecilia Reyes; Better Government Association/Chicago Tribune; “The Failures Before the Fires”

Best Use of Video for Online Feature
* Dan Protess, Pat Odom, Anne Gleason, Jude Leak, Jessica Martinaitis, Alejandro Marin; WTTW; “FIRSTHAND: Living in Poverty”

Best Use of Digital Technology or Data Visualization
* Jesse Howe; Chicago Sun-Times; “Through the flames”

Best Online Photography
* Pat Nabong, Ashlee Rezin, Joe Kline; Better Government Association/Chicago Sun-Times; “The costly toll of dead-end drug arrests”

Best Podcast
* Justin Kaufmann; Better Government Association; “The Madigan Rule”

Best Podcast Single Episode
* Justin Kaufmann; Better Government Association; “The Madigan Rule: Power over Policy”

Best Online Illustration
* Raziel Puma; City Bureau; “Inside Chicago’s Silent Housing Crisis”

Best Email Newsletter, affiliated
* Justin Kaufmann, Monica Eng, Everett Cook; Axios Chicago; “Axios Chicago Daily Newsletter”

Best Online Health or Science Reporting on Covid-19
* Duaa Eldeib; ProPublica; “The Pandemic’s Hidden Toll”

Best Online Feature Reporting on Covid-19
* Kiran Misra; South Side Weekly; “What Went Wrong at Cook County Jail”

Best Online Reporting on Race and Diversity
* Natalie Moore, Jesse Dukes; WBEZ Chicago ; “Chicago’s Restrictive Covenants”