Photojournalism
2009 Casey Medals
Winner: "America's Shame: 50 million suffer from a lack of affordable healthcare," The Washington Post
Classic, beautiful photography that covers one of today’s greatest issues – health care – but also gives it a face. These photographs capture the struggle to stay healthy endured by so many, as Williamson photographs the hundreds of uninsured and underinsured Americans who flocked to an annual 3-day free field hospital in Wise County, Va. He is both documentarian and witness: His wrenching pictures cover the scope of activity, yet portray the hope and expectation in the eyes of the patients. Ultimately, the photographs capture the intensely personal moments that offer the insight needed to better understand this crisis.
Winner: "At the Edge of Life," The Dallas Morning News
This series about palliative care is innovative; it may be a photojournalistic first. It is not just a story about death; it is about the way people die and how some special people care for the terminally ill. The photojournalist covered all of her bases in this solid and carefully documented work. Hebert did an incredible job gaining access to this story, and then to get so close - perhaps closer to the subject than any of us want to be – speaks to the trust she was able to earn.
Honorable Mention: "The Girl in the Window," St. Petersburg Times
Lyttle’s images are well-crafted in a true documentary genre, as the life of a nearly abandoned child unfolds after years of abuse. Her keen work documents how the new life of a child, Dani, unfolds as she is welcomed in by an adoptive family. The images are strong, intimate and emotional. It is a remarkable photographic essay of a lost child and her newfound family.
2008 Casey Medals
Winner: "The Bottom Line," The Dallas Morning News
The approach of personalizing statistics through documentary photojournalism is not an original one, but rarely is it done more effectively than in “The Bottom Line.” The images are emotional and skillfully made, and required complex negotiation with state authorities to grant exceptional access to juvenile services, detention and mental health facilities. Reeder’s images are clean, iconic compositions that work well against each other to build a sense of people too often out of sight and out of mind.
Runner-Up: "A New Dawn? A Kentucky mother's struggle through drug court," Lexington Herald-Leader
Stephenson's three-year project on Dawn Smith's struggle to break a crushing cycle of drug abuse and destructive relationships is a devastating witness to a life caught in hopelessness. Through his use of composition and keen sense of body language and moments, Stephenson’s images fully communicate Smith’s story.
Honorable Mention: "Our Hidden Poor," Chicago Tribune
This compelling project challenges the viewer to take a fresh look at poverty today. Takahashi’s portraits of dignity and challenge reveal his commitment to each subject.
2007 Casey Medals
Winner: "A Mother's Journey," The Sacramento Bee
Renée C. Byer presents a window into the emotional, physical and financial toll that cancer takes on young victims and their loved ones. The sheer depth, quality and longevity of this sustained effort sets it apart, as Byer followed one mother throughout the final year of her son’s life and captured moments of exaltation, fear and finally despair. Her piece bears witness to the unfolding drama of a child’s life.
Runner-Up: "Kids, Guns and a Deadly Toll," The Philadelphia Inquirer
In a staccato, portrait-driven approach, April Saul gives a face and a story to every child killed by guns in the Philadelphia area in 2006; as reader and legislative response to the project attests, these images cannot be ignored.
Honorable Mention: "Homeless on the Waianae Coast," The Honolulu Advertiser
Photographs of homeless families living on the beach detail the plight of those pushed from their homes by rising housing costs.
about this award
The Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism recognize exemplary reporting on children and families in the U.S. More than 4,500 journalists have competed for Casey Medals since 1994.