News

09 May Congratulations to the 2014 SPJ Gala Award Winners

The Western Washington SPJ Chapter is pleased to announce our 2014 Gala Award winners: Dan Lewis, Danny Westneat, Mark Mulligan, Taylor Soper, Rikki King and Stephanie Schendel.

June Anderson Almquist Lifetime Achievement Award: After 27 years, Dan Lewis will be stepping down as KOMO 4’s news anchor. Lewis is one of the most recognizable media figures in Seattle and has accomplished an incredible amount throughout his career.

Journalist of the Year: Danny Westneat had a standout year as a columnist for The Seattle Times. As one of his nominators said, “he ties things together” for the community.

Susan Hutchison Bosch Award: Covering the Oso mudslide was not easy for most journalists. Mark Mulligan stepped up to help lead The Herald of Everett photography team as the chief photographer when the editor left in early 2013. He showed incredible strength by not only stepping up as a leader, but making sure the team truly captured the devastating situation in Oso. Correction: Mark Mulligan is not the editor as previously reported. He is the chief photographer.

New Journalists of the Year: Rikki King of The Herald of Everett, Stephanie Schendel of The Chronicle, and Taylor Soper of GeekWire are active young journalists. All of them are not only making an impact in their respective organizations, but are they are creating stories that have an impact on their audiences.