Morning News Honors 19 Staff Members as Journalists of the Year

Nineteen Dallas Morning News staffers have been named as the organization's 2016 Journalists of the Year.The journalists - writers, editors, photographers, artists and digital innovators - were honored at a downtown luncheon Wednesday.The Morning News has presented the awards every year since 2010. This year's judges were Pulitzer winner Thomas French and Pulitzer finalist Kelley Benham French of Indiana University; data journalist Carl Bialik of FiveThirtyEight; and Mindy Marques and Rick Hirsch, editor and managing editor of the Miami Herald. Marques judged our Spanish-language entries.A special prize, the Robert W. Decherd Award for Civic Journalism, was given to Sunday and Enterprise Editor Tom Huang for his community-related efforts. He was nominated by a panel of senior editors and selected by Wilson and Jim Moroney, publisher and CEO of the Morning News.The civic journalism award is named after the retired longtime CEO of the Morning News' parent company.Here are the winners and excerpts of the judges' comments.Community Journalist of the Year: Matt WixonIn a city where high school football is a community connector, Matt Wixon has elevated coverage with original, off-the-beaten path stories far beyond the game. With deep reporting, a deft writing style and a creative approach, Wixon is a model for how to tap into the personal stories that drive high school sports.Production Hero of the Year: Greg RiddleIn a metro newsroom with a big league print product, few things are harder than maintaining a digital mindset and tempo while pressroom deadlines loom -- all the while remembering what's important to your audiences. Greg does that with pride and aplomb.Visual Journalist of the Year: John HancockWith a clean, modern style, John Hancock weaves in multiple elements to produce stunning digital story presentations. His designs offer multiple points of entry that co-exist rather than compete for attention. He brings a creative but subdued design that doesn't overwhelm the story itself.  Continue reading...