COLUMBUS, Ohio — WTOL11 collected 13 awards at Sunday’s Associated Press Media Editors contest in Columbus, including the top honor – “General Excellence.”
"Receiving awards is icing on the cake, but, honestly, working with the entire team at WTOL11 is the best prize a person can get,” News Director Lauren Weppler said. “We work with such a passionate and driven team, that it shows in being honored with awards from the Ohio APME."
The station also won the First Amendment Award, the first time a television station has collected the award since AP began naming winners in 2012. This award is presented by the Ohio APME Board to an individual or news organization that made a distinguished contribution during the previous year on behalf of the First Amendment or Freedom of Information. The board selected WTOL for its ongoing battle with Cedar Point over police department records.
Last May, WTOL’s 11 Investigates ran a week-long investigation into sexual assault complaints lodged by Cedar Point employees. During a five-year period, 29 reports were filed for incidents that occurred inside employee dorms. 11 Investigates received those reports from the Sandusky Police Department, but the park’s police chief did not respond to a request for records. For years, Cedar Point has claimed it is a private police force and not subject to public records law, though WTOL and sister stations WBNS (Columbus) and WKYC (Cleveland) learned that most of the department’s officers went through police academy training, could make arrests, transport prisoners, and had a leadership hierarchy like any other public department.
After WTOL, WKYC, and WBNS filed a lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court, Cedar Point released dozens of documents that included 12 additional sexual assault reports, bringing the five-year total to 41. WTOL is still pursuing the case, believing the park has additional records. Justices are expected to render a decision this spring or summer.
“It's unpleasant and upsetting to tell stories about sexual assaults, especially when you uncover that there are ways to make a place safer, but it's the reality with these stories and our reporting,” Weppler said. “I'm grateful these young women, and some men, spoke up to tell us their stories and entrusted WTOL 11 to see it through. That's why we will fight to hold the powerful accountable, because our community demands it, and so do we.”
Other top honors for WTOL 11 were received for the following:
- “Best Investigative Reporting” for the station’s Cedar Point series.
- “Rising Star Award,” which recognizes achievement and ability for those with five years or less in journalism, was given to investigative producer Silas Tsang.
- “Best photographer” was awarded to 11 Investigates and senior photographer Eric Rerucha.
- “Best Documentary or Series.” This November series discovered that the city of Toledo was continuing to prosecute dozens of deceased residents for nuisance properties.
The station earned second place in the following categories:
- “Best Feature Reporting” for a look back at the 2007 Bluffton University bus crash, produced by reporter Mel Andrews and photographer John Juby.
- “Best Photographer” and “Best Use of Photography,” awarded to photojournalist Joe Cromer. His submission included a look at a southern Ohio lantern festival.
- “Best Spot News Coverage.” This submission included team coverage of the October shooting outside of the Whitmer High School football stadium during a game against Central Catholic.
- “Best Continuing Coverage” for a series of 11 Investigates reports on high water bills incurred by Maumee residents.
- “Best Enterprise Reporting.” Last year, Andrews and Rerucha traveled to death row to meet with inmate James Worley. During preparation for the story, Andrews also discovered that the convicted killer of Sierah Joughin was also with Toledoan Claudia Tinsley on the night she disappeared in 1996.
- “Best Newscast” for WTOL’s 11 p.m. newscast.
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