Outside group of judges picked the winners who were announced at newspaper’s annual awards event.
By Zacharia Washington
Breaking News Reporter
The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday honored 20 individual employees, including reporters, editors and visual journalists, at its annual Journalists of the Year awards ceremony for their exceptional work in 2024.
“Our annual journalist of the year luncheon is always just wonderful, because we are just recognizing each of you — because you are the best of the best,” said Grant Moise, publisher and CEO of the newspaper’s parent company, to a room packed with company employees, their friends and families. “You have stood out from all of your colleagues in 2024 and you are more than worthy of today’s recognition.”
The contest’s judges were Michael LaForgia, editor on the New York Times’ Metro desk, overseeing investigative and enterprise stories; Vicky Ho, editor of Anchorage Daily News; Nina Alvarez, journalist, documentarian, video photographer and professor at Columbia Journalism school; and Jessica Contrera, reporter on the narrative accountability team at The Washington Post.
“This is extra special, because we asked some of the best journalists in the country to judge this contest,” said Amy Hollyfield, managing editor at The News. “Each one of them was super impressed by the entries they received, and many of them remarked on how difficult it was to choose one.”
The 2024 winners were:
Visual Journalist of the Year: Smiley Pool
Pool, a senior visual journalist, was praised for how his portfolio exemplifies the ways in which journalism can “reflect an amplified spectrum of human emotion.”
“His work invites the viewer into the moment in a way that is irresistible,” said Chris Patheiger, chief product and innovation officer for DallasNews Corp.“And while he captures the glamour of big attention grabbing moments with a high level of sector proficiency, the quieter moments in front of his lens are just as compelling, demonstrating a capacity for photojournalism to hold a mirror to the community and perhaps reveal something to us that we didn’t see before.”
Multiplatform Editor of the Year: Braulio Tellez
Tellez was honored for his leadership, willingness to learn, coordination across multiple departments as well as his designs for The News’ front pages. He was also praised for his ability to learn new roles and master them.
“He works hard to excel, and our readers and our newsroom are better for it,” said Tom Huang, an assistant managing editor at the newspaper.
Breaking News Reporter of the Year: Kelli Smith
Smith covers public safety and the Dallas Police Department for The News. She was the first to report an NFL player’s involvement in a major car crash, and she provided exclusive details on the fatal shooting of a police officer and she knew of the former Dallas police chief’s exit even before some members of the City Council were aware.
“All of that might have been impressive, but with their coverage of the city’s police oversight office and an in custody death, they also showed an ability just to … not only to use [police] as sources, but also to hold them accountable as well,” said Cathy Collins, the company’s chief financial officer.
Public Records Reporting of the Year: Kevin Krause
Krause has worked for The News for over 20 years and covers federal criminal courts. He was praised for his work in a yearslong investigation called “Meth: The Prison Pipeline” that explored the disparities of methamphetamine prison sentencing.
“The Herculean undertaking of analyzing 10 years worth of federal sentencing data, encompassing over 34 gigabytes of data, resulting in revelations about the disparity of federal sentences from meth versus other drug offenses,” said John Kiker, president of Medium Giant, a marketing agency owned by DallasNews Corp.
Community Engagement of the Year: Asian American Bustle team
This team includes reporter Hojun Choi; visual journalists Chitose Suzuki and Shafkat Anowar; digital archivists Spencer Bevis and Jennifer Brancato; and Carmina Tiscareño and Maira Ahmed, who manage the newspaper’s audience engagement efforts.
They were praised for setting up pop-up newsrooms around North Texas, ready to meet and converse with sources and readers from the Asian-American community.
“This innovative experiment yielded a wide range of news and feature stories, but most of all, it made a statement about who The News is invested in,” said Leona Allen Ford, chief talent and diversity officer and deputy publisher for DallasNews Corp. while presenting the award. “I can’t think of a more clear way to show a community you care about them than simply showing up and listening.”
Innovator of the Year: Hojun Choi
Choi, a Collin County reporter, was honored for his many hours of work, dedication and time spent listening, connecting and building trust with underserved and unrepresented communities.
“The DMN pop-up newsroom provides an important opportunity for people from Asian communities to meet the people at the DMN, and that is crucial to the trust building,” said Rudy Bush, who oversees the newspaper’s opinion and editorial pages.
Line Editor of the Year: Damon Marx
Marx, the deputy sports editor, was praised for his commitment to bring stability to the department in times of change and helping his colleagues grow and hone their skills while also deepening audience engagement. The presenter of the award said Marx’s work is a “shining example of leadership” in the newsroom and company.
“Developing strategies to shift coverage in line with evolving audience behavior is one thing,” said Katy Murray, president and treasurer for the newspaper’s parent company. “It’s quite another to get buy in from an array of team members, execute those strategies and be successful.”
Reporter of the Year: Lana Ferguson
Ferguson, the Energy and Natural Resources Reporter, was praised for her empathy and ability to tell subjects’ stories with care as well as her leadership in the newsroom. She was also praised for her coverage in a community’s fight against a reservoir and the aftermath of wildfires and tornadoes.
“She brought the same sense of care to her other duties at The News,” Hollyfield said while presenting the award. “She served as a leader of the team, and when necessary, to the wider community.”
Unsung Hero of the Year: Kevin Lueb
Lueb was praised for his ability to maximize news coverage and opportunities, both digitally and for print. He was also praised for his work to ensure that staff members get the training they need.
He ”has made his mark every single day, from operations to editorial,” presenter Natalie Yancy, chief revenue officer for Medium Giant, said.
Team Effort of the Year
Kevin Sherrington, Jamie Hancock, Smiley Pool, and Kellen Bulger were recognized for their coverage of the Olympics and their ability to localize the worldwide event by focusing on Texan competitors.
“It can be incredibly difficult to make coverage of an event the entire world is covering stands out,”said Sue Kerr, vice president of audience engagement at The News. “It certainly paid off for their teamwork, coordination and innovation.”
Robert W. Decherd Award for Civic Journalism
Evan Grant, Texas Rangers beat writer and insider, was recognized for his connection to the community and prioritizing the needs of the community through his reporting. He was praised for his profile on a Rangers player whose daughter has down syndrome and his leadership in All-Star coverage last year.
“He’s a beat writer that puts readers first and is always thinking beyond his role of how to make our community a better place,” Moise said while presenting the award to Grant.
Zacharia Washington is a breaking news reporter with The Dallas Morning News. A graduate of Huston-Tillotson University and The University of Texas at Austin, Zacharia lived in Austin for several years before coming back to Dallas, her hometown, in 2024. She previously worked as a local government reporter for Community Impact.
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