Senior editor Jackson Baker (left) and staff writer Chris Herrington (right) took home awards in Atlanta.The Memphis Flyer brought home two first-place awards from the 2000 Green Eyeshade Awards, held June 9th, in Atlanta. Sponsored by the Atlanta chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), this competition showcases the best print and broadcast journalism in 11 Southern states.
Senior editor Jackson Baker won first prize in the business reporting category for “Is FedEx Going Postal?” an October 5, 2000, cover story that examined the local company’s relationship with the U.S. Postal Service.
Staff writer Chris Herrington received a first-place award in the general criticism category for his music and film columns.
The Flyer‘s sister publication, Memphis magazine, also received recognition Saturday night. A first-place award went to Vance Lauderdale in the humorous commentary category for “Ask Vance,” his monthly history/trivia column. John Branston, editorial director of special projects, was named a finalist in the non-deadline reporting category for “Hit and Miss,” a February 2000 magazine cover story on Dean and Kristi Jernigan’s role in AutoZone Park.
Other local winners included The Commercial Appeal‘s Bill Day, who picked up a first-place award for editorial cartoons, and the CA‘s Geoff Calkins, named a finalist in the sports reporting category.
This year’s Green Eyeshade Awards drew entries from newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations throughout the region. The awards are “presented in recognition of an achievement judged to be outstanding among the professional journalists working in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.”
