Best Newspaper Writing 1997

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Best Newspaper Writing 1997 celebrates the winners of the ASNE's Distinguished Writing Awards, including the Jesse Laventhol Awards, created to honor deadline reporting.David Maraniss of The Washington Post covers the day's top-breaking news with deadline stories that blend evocative details, a sense of history, and understanding of the human spirit. With style and substance, he reports on a grand jury appearance by First Lady Hillary Clinton and the plane crash in Croatia that killed Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and 30 other Americans.

The staff of Newsday provides swift and comprehensive coverage when TWA flight 800 explodes and crashes off Long Island. With reports from the scene, Paris, Washington, and small towns where victims lived, the newspaper's deadline reports follow the news and convey the human loss behind the headlines.

Tom Hallman Jr. of The Oregonian crafts haunting feature stories about ordinary people who become unforgettable characters: retarded parents struggling to keep their children, a mother grappling with a decision to institutionalize a severely handicapped child.

Eileen McNamara of The Boston Globe takes readers to a hospital waiting room where loved ones wait, into her own backyard to remember the legacy of an elderly neighbor, and to the lingering memories of the unsolved murder of a young woman.

N. Don Wycliff of the Chicago Tribune writes thoughtful and thought-provoking editorials that step back from the torrent of news to tackle larger issues, such as pervasive racism and a national loss of faith.

David A. Waters of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes about religion and spirituality with touchingand inspirational stories about a criminal's surrender to faith and a bishop whose faith is shaken by the death of his wife and son.

Best Newspaper Writing 1997 includes interviews with the winners about their craft by Christopher Scanlan, Karen Brown, Roy Peter Clark, and Keith Woods of The Poynter Institute faculty; the work of 17 other writers who share the lessons they learned; study questions useful to students, teachers, and working journalists; a bibliography; and essays to help you improve your own writing.