The Rocky Mountain News’ penetrating examination of high school dropouts; Mother Jones’ thorough investigation of the overmedication of children in state-run institutions; the Kindling Group’s long-form portrait of a woman assisting pregnant teens; and the Commercial Appeal’s revealing stories and photographs of Memphis’ hidden crisis in infant deaths were among the winning stories in the 2006 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism contest.

Other media organizations winning top honors in the 12th annual contest were The Seattle Times; WUNC-FM (North Carolina); The Chicago Tribune; Phoenix New Times; WISH-TV (Indianapolis); The Arkansas Democrat Gazette; The Journal Times (Racine, Wis.); and Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star. Winners will receive a Casey Medal and $1,000 at a National Press Club ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 7, 2006.

More than 560 journalists entered this year’s contest. Judges sought masterfully reported, compelling stories that cut through “compassion fatigue”; socially significant topics; demonstration of enterprise and thorough research; and evidence of story impact. Prizes were awarded in 13 of the 14 categories; no prize was given for online journalism.

The deadline for the next Casey Medals contest, for work published or aired in 2006, is March 1, 2007. (Download the application.)

PROJECT/SERIES 200,000+ circulation
Winner: Burt Hubbard, Nancy Mitchell, Holly Yettick and Jennifer Miller, the Rocky Mountain News, "Early Exit: Denver's Graduation Gap"
This enlightening, comprehensive package may be the most precise and nuanced statistical portrait of dropouts that has yet been done in a big-city school system. The newspaper constructed an evaluation model that could be used by urban-school reformers who want to confront and improve their record of holding onto at-risk kids. The articles effectively illuminate some of the economic and cultural factors buffeting individual choices, while continually emphasizing what is at stake: the future of flawed, complex, promising kids. A genuine public service.  

Runner-up: Jonathan Rockoff and John B. O’Donnell, The Baltimore Sun, “Maryland’s Troubled Group Homes." This investigation of group homes was thoroughly reported, clearly written and its findings were cause for outrage. It also spurred reforms and set the stage for better protection of vulnerable young people.

Honorable mention: Liz Bowie and Andre Chung (photographer), The Baltimore Sun, "On Their Own." Remarkable storytelling demonstrating sensitivity toward and insight about its two young, homeless subjects, while avoiding sentimentality.

PROJECT/SERIES 75,000-200,000 circulation
Winner: Aimee Edmondson, the Commercial Appeal (Memphis), "Born to Die"
“Born to Die” is classic journalism. The newspaper identified a local problem of national importance: Memphis was home to the worst infant mortality rate in the nation, and many of those dying were babies of color. The reporting was terrific, powered by sharp details; the writing was spare and direct. The writer got at the root causes, found a creative way to bring it home not only to Memphis, but to a specific community and made it difficult for readers to turn away. A tremendous accomplishment considering the subject of infant mortality has been tackled many times before.

Runner-up: Lee Williams and Adam Taylor, The News Journal (Wilmington, Del.), “Deadly Streets.” A deeply reported portrait of a neighborhood under siege by violent drug dealers, the project has resulted in greater community involvement and greater state and government resources and changed the way local police fight drug traffickers.

Honorable mention: Scott Reeder, Small Newspaper Group (Springfield, Ill.), “The Hidden Costs of Tenure.” The reporter’s massive review of records revealed that poor teachers with tenure are largely out of reach for discipline or termination. As a result, Illinois legislators and school officials are promising reform. Honorable mention: Beth Macy, The Roanoke (Va.) Times, “An Unlikely Refuge.” This engaging, well-written story of African refugees who fled genocide to start new lives in Virginia took reporting skill and the newspaper's  commitment to humanize the newcomers.

PROJECT/SERIES Under 75,000 circulation
Winner: Kevin Abourezk and Colleen Kenney, Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star, "Standing at the Crossroads"
Deep, powerful reporting and writing about the ravages of alcohol at the Pine Ridge reservation and how the disease has been tearing apart the Lakota tribe. The reporters placed a lot of their attention on the young generation struggling to succeed. This series could have devolved into stereotypes, but the reporters always treated the reservation residents with dignity, and approached them as vulnerable human beings.

Runner-up: Stacy Teicher, Teresa Méndez and Amanda Paulson, The Christian Science Monitor, "Don't Forget Us: Students on the Margins." This series about students on the margins -- who are homeless, whose families are migrant workers, or who live in foster care -- is pure testimony that it’s worth spending the resources to really tell the story of invisible children, and to tell it well.

No honorable mention.

SINGLE STORY 200,000+ circulation
Winner: Jonathan Martin, The Seattle Times,"What's Best for Baby M?"
An unsparing, searing account of a single child custody case that illustrates the tenuous nature of life in the underclass, and the obstacles confronting both parents and those charged with ensuring child welfare. The sustained nature of the two-year reporting focus was the key to the drama of the story; the reporter didn't know whether he would be telling a story of tragedy or triumph, but simply showed the unraveling of the couple's hopes to be reunited with their child. It broke new ground in reporting on society’s need to protect the rights of children while honoring the traditional rights of birth parents to rear their kids.

Runner-up: Kevin Merida, The Washington Post, "A Jacket to Die For?” A fascinating inside look at a culture where a North Face jacket can become the center of a death struggle. Excellent reporting allows the writer to deliver a vivid picture of this world.

Honorable mention: Mark Waller, The Times-Picayune, "Learning Together." An up-close examination of the advantages and stresses of mainstreaming disabled students. A smoothly flowing narrative captured in exquisite detail the inevitable conflicts that occur.

SINGLE STORY 75,000-200,000 circulation
Winner: Amy Upshaw, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, "Teen Cried for Help, Got Little"
A shining example of how a tenacious reporter can make a significant difference in her community and her state. Upshaw recognized a good story when she started working on a standard follow-up to a brief about a girl's death. Through dogged reporting she ultimately discovered that problems at a youth services center most likely contributed to the neglect of Keisha Brown, who died after complaining of health problems. Impressive impact on the state legislature and agencies.

Runner-up: Claudia Rowe, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Judgment Calls: When to remove a child?" Rowe took a subject prone to compassion fatigue -- the problems faced by overburdened child protection workers -- and crafted a highly readable story. The story finds its power through specific, detailed, complicated family cases that illustrate the difficult decisions that social workers have to make.

Honorable mention: Hilary Waldman, The Hartford (Conn.) Courant, “A Second Chance as Mom." This is a strong narrative showing readers what it's like to be a single mom trying to keep her nine kids despite a history of drug addiction, reminiscent of Leon Dash's monumental series on Rosa Lee Cunningham.

SINGLE STORY Under 75,000 circulation
Winner: Janine Anderson and Scott Anderson (photographer), The Journal Times (Racine, Wis.), "Grand Parenting" (photos here)
The ups and downs of becoming a “parent” for the second time come through loud and clear in this story. There is a lot here: The story gets deeply into the life of the main character and thoroughly documents the scope of the phenomenon of grandparents raising kids, and offers resources for those who want help. And the writer lets grandma Bonnie Wozniak show readers what it’s like raising two young girls in a Britney Spears culture.

Runner-up: Lindsay Tice, Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine), "Stepping into a New Life." This well-crafted and well-reported story of a 14-year-old girl facing kidney failure shows how to elevate the subject beyond the sob-story genre.

Honorable mention: Jondi Gumz, Santa Cruz (Calif.) Sentinel, "Amazing Journey: How a teacher and $1,000 changed Maria Rodriguez’s life.” A deft combination of both reporting and writing. The reporter didn’t just tell readers why the college-bound program is worthwhile, she showed them.

EDITORIAL/COLUMN/COMMENTARY
Winner: Cornelia Grumman, Chicago Tribune, "Juvenile Injustice"
In a society where newspapers (and the people who write and edit them) are supposedly becoming more irrelevant, this series shows why there is still no substitute for enterprising reporting and pointed, well-written journalism. These powerfully argued editorials pierced the reality of  inexcusable conditions inside the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.

Runner-up: RiShawn Biddle and Tim Swarens, The Indianapolis Star, “Left Behind.” This series on misleading dropout data peddled by Indianapolis Public Schools represents a sterling example of accountability journalism. Well written and beautifully packaged, with real voices and graphics that add to the powerful impact of the editorials themselves.

Honorable mention: Steve Duin, The Oregonian, “Randy Guzek ­- 20 Years Later.” A harrowing saga of crime and punishment, meticulously reported and compellingly written.

MAGAZINE
Winner: Rob Waters, Mother Jones, “Medicating Aliah"
Waters' diligent reporting and clear explanatory prose take the reader through a series of little-known worlds, where concerns about overmedication of children and pharmaceutical companies' influence are silenced. Waters demonstrates the huge public cost of biased medication selection in state facilities, but the human cost is what lingers: readers find sick children routinely subjected to off-label polypharmacy that bears no relation to their clinical diagnoses, and for which there is no evidence of efficacy. Illuminating and alarming, the article documents how the pharmaceutical industry is methodically gaining influence over the state officials who decide which drugs are used at state-funded and run institutions.

Runner-up: Mary Van de Kamp Nohl, Milwaukee Magazine, “The Lesson: A Tale of Two Schools.” Nohl’s story on disparities in school achievement is brilliantly conceived, passionately reported and undergirded by a wealth of current educational research. She relies on ambition, originality and optimism in framing and reporting this important story.

Honorable mention: Nadya Labi, Legal Affairs, “The Gentle People.” Labi’s harrowing subject matter -- abuse within Amish communities -- is honored by her elegant, understated telling: a stylistic discipline that almost masks the staggering difficulty of her investigative reporting. An extraordinary piece of journalism. Honorable mention: Reshma Memon Yaqub (freelance), The Washington Post, “The Choice: Hard Labor.” A gripping, heart-wrenching story. It takes us beyond the rhetoric and policy debates, and shows readers the private horror so many couples face when they find out they’re carrying a child with fetal abnormalities. The story avoids taking sides and deepens public understanding of the pro-life/pro-choice debate.

NONDAILY NEWSPAPER
Winner: John Dougherty, Phoenix New Times, “Polygamy in Arizona”
The paper’s commitment to covering -- and uncovering -- the story of how a sect of fundamentalist Mormon polygamists took over a town didn’t just make for compelling reading, it was important work, revealing shockingly widespread sexual abuse, pedophilia and misuse of public funds that had gone on for years. This body of work shows lots of shoe-leather and determination. Authorities looked the other way and probably would have continued to do so, had it not been for the newspaper's comprehensive, persistent and passionate coverage. It was a tough story to get and the New Times should be applauded for stepping in where authorities failed to go.

No runner-up.

Honorable mention: Jonathan Kaminsky, East Bay Express (Emeryville, Calif.), “Wounded Warriors.” An insightful, unflinching look at a football team in a bleak neighborhood, the story shed light on the challenges the players and the coaches face and captured the difficulty of giving hope to teenagers who need it.

PHOTOJOURNALISM
Winner: Karen Pulfer Focht, the Commercial Appeal (Memphis),     “Born to Die”
Focht’s photographs on infant mortality and premature babies dissected this important issue in a visually intimate way. By spending a great deal of time with her subjects, she was able to create intimate and beautiful portraits of pain and hope. Her images helped bring attention to how young, African-American mothers were being affected by a trend that few people in or out of government fully understood. This is the highest form of photojournalism: images that prick the conscience and encourage action.

BORN TO DIE -- Cemetery caretaker Robert Savage, left, oversees the burial of eight Memphis babies in simple pine boxes. The Commercial Appeal's series on infant mortality won Casey Medals for photographer Karen Pulfer Focht and reporter Aimee Edmondson. (Karen Pulfer Focht / the Commercial Appeal)

Runner-up: Mike Siegel, The Seattle Times, “What’s Best for Baby M?” Siegel photographed his subjects with great dignity and provided readers with the visual capacity to understand this complex tale of a homeless couple trying to regain custody of their child.

WHAT'S BEST FOR BABY M -- A searing account of how Liz Campo and Mike Testa, above, struggled to regain custody of their young daughter earned a Casey Medal for reporter Jonathan Martin of The Seattle Times and runner-up recognition for photographer Mike Siegel. (Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times)

Runner-up: Andy Cross, The Denver Post, “Letting Go.” Documenting the intensely personal is always difficult for photojournalists but the images that Cross produced gave viewers a glimpse of what it is like for parents to slowly lose a child.

LETTING GO -- Andy Cross of The Denver Post received a Casey Medal runner-up for his intimate portrait of a family’s goodbye to their dying 4-year-old son. Here, Kerri Bruning holds her son, Dylan, on the day he will be fed for the final time. (Andy Cross / The Denver Post)

Honorable mention: Damon Winter, Los Angeles Times, “Missionary's Dark Legacy.” These rich, well crafted photographs create compelling portraits of people trying to recover from abuse. Honorable mention: Mediha DiMartino, The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Calif.), "Born Behind Bars.” The pictures create a serious, incisive, illuminating look at how caring for their babies can have affect incarcerated mothers.

TELEVISION: SHORT FORM
Winner: Mary McDermott and Ron Nakasone, WISH-TV (Indianapolis), “10,000 Children a Month”
McDermott and Nakasone’s four-part series on the Indiana foster care system begins with a harrowing scene: Police and caseworkers have come to the home of woman who has tested positive for drug abuse. In the dark of the night, they carry the woman’s child away. The harrowing part is not just the removal, it’s the underlying reality: A shortage of foster care homes means the caseworkers are not sure where this child will end up. The series illuminates a serious problem plaguing cities around the country and points to solutions. WISH took on a story few stations would attempt, given the difficulties of dealing with the juvenile justice system, with parents accused of neglect and with the foster care system.

Runner-up: Sharona Schwartz, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Michael Simon, Drew Levinson and Ryan Butler, CNN, “Sabrina’s Law.” This is a powerful, well-told and well-produced story about food allergies, an issue that viewers may not even realize they should care about.

No honorable mention.

TELEVISION: LONG FORM
Winner: Daniel Alpert, Susanne Suffredin, Dana Kupper, Ines Sommer, The Kindling Group, “A Doula Story”
With compassion, clarity and a keen eye for detail, the producers portray the efforts of Loretha Weisinger, a doula (or childbirth educator), to guide and empower teen mothers on Chicago’s West side. Weisinger promises her young charges that “You will not be alone,” and over the course of the program, which aired on PBS, we observe how seriously she takes that commitment; and we see the toll it takes on her. Her daily rounds become a prism through which we come to understand teen pregnancy and a lot more. Impossible to forget hours after watching it -- the mark of a great tale.

Runner-up: Roger Weisberg and Vanessa Roth, Public Policy Productions, “Aging Out.” The documentary, aired on PBS, focuses on one of the foster care system’s most challenging problems: What to do about the perennially institutionalized who are suddenly old enough to live on their own but may not be ready to do so? The stories are masterfully told and give incredible insight into the struggles of children growing up in the system.

Honorable mention: Angela Shelley and Omega Hsu, California Connected (a collaboration of KCET-Los Angeles, KPBS-San Diego, KQED-San Francisco and KVIE-Sacramento), "Kids for Real." The series is a riveting look at the timely and important issues facing many immigrants in America, such as language barriers, lack of health insurance, poverty and hunger.

RADIO
Winner: Executive producer: Emily Hanford; Producers: Paul Cuadros, Dawn Dreyer, Leda Hartman, Rose Hoban, Leoneda Inge, Rusty Jacobs, Michelle Johnson, Alison Jones, Jessica Jones, Susan Leffler, Laura Leslie, Amy Nelson, Paul Overton, James Todd; Editors: Sharon Ball, John Biewen, Cheryl Devall, Neenah Ellis, Deborah George, Maria Martin, Marcus Rosenbaum and Ben Shapiro; WUNC-FM (North Carolina) ,"North Carolina Voices: Understanding Poverty"
This superbly reported and edited series brings listeners into the lives of people living on the edge of economic security and illuminates their daily struggles. The range of stories provides a profound understanding of the issues facing people living at or below the poverty level. And 150 listener e-mails for this local station is nothing to sneeze at -- and since audio segments will be used by local teachers, the series’ impact continues to reverberate within the community.

No runner-up.

Honorable mention: Beth Fertig and John Keefe, WNYC-FM (New York), “Neediest Students Crowd Worst Schools.” Tough, enterprising report by WNYC on an under-reported problem plaguing many big city school systems: short-changing services for special-ed students. Honorable mention: Dan Collison and Elizabeth Meister, Long Haul Productions, “Dear Birth Mother.” An expertly produced glimpse into the arduous and emotional journey one woman undertakes to adopt a child. Suzanne's intimate and candid narration of her adoption keeps listeners hanging on her every word.

ONLINE
No winner or runner-up.

Honorable mention: Bob Sullivan, MSNBC on the Internet, "Children and Online Safety." Excellent enterprise reporting on the risks children face online. Honorable mention: Emily Hanford, Sarah Field Gronewold and Billy Barnes, WUNC-FM (North Carolina), North Carolina Voices: Understanding Poverty. A worthy project that raises important questions about who is poor, why are they poor and how have things changed over time.