Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Richmond Times-Dispatch Entry Title: Coverage of UNOS Entry Credit: Eric Kolenich Judge Comment: Extensive coverage of a system that seems impervious to change. Very good use of statistics and specific points of failure to bring the story home to the reader. The story on the VCU opioid study is devastating, as is the lawsuit story about racial bias.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Richmond Times-Dispatch Entry Title: Richmond graduation shooting Entry Credit: Staff Judge Comment: Very strong first-day story. The narrative about the teacher sheltering in the bathroom is harrowing. Very effective story telling.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: The Roanoke Times Entry Title: Investigation faults hospital for morgue failures Entry Credit: Jeff Sturgeon Judge Comment: This is simply great reporting. Effective use of people and documents to weave together a story of systemic failure. The writer does his community a service by lending to this victim more dignity than HCA and the larger system did.
Competition Comment: Strong entries in this category. Very close among the top half-dozen entries.
