Oregon Daily Emerald receives several journalistic honors, awards
The Oregon Daily Emerald and its staff received 23 awards from the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association at the 2004 awards ceremony held Friday in Monmouth.
The Emerald placed second, behind the Portland State University Vanguard, in the general excellence category. The Emerald also received second-place awards for best design and best special section. Pulse, the weekly arts and entertainment section, received first-place honors for best section.
Columnist Peter Hockaday received a first-place award for best writing, Senior News Reporter Jared Paben received first-place recognition in the best series category, and Sports Editor Hank Hager received first-place awards for best feature story and best sports story.
Editorial Editor Travis Willse received second-place recognition for best editorial, former photographer Mark McCambridge received the first-place award for best sports photo and Illustrator Steve Baggs earned second place for best cartooning.
Former photographer Adam Amato earned the most awards of the ceremony: First place for best photography, first place and honorable mention for best spot news photo, second place for best feature photo and honorable mention for best sports photo.
Pulse writers swept the best review category with Senior Pulse Reporter Ryan Nyburg earning first place and Pulse Editor Aaron Shakra taking second place. Former designer Mako Miyamoto swept the best graphic category, garnering first- and second-place awards.
In the advertising portion of the awards ceremony, Emily Cooke earned first place and Marissa Jones took second place in the best house ad category. Jones and Katherine Vague’s collaborative efforts earned second place for college ad of the year.
The Emerald competed in the Division 1 category of the contest, which consists of four-year college or university daily newspapers. In addition to the general excellence award, Portland State University received first-place awards for best news story, best editorial and college ad of the year, and a second-place awards for best spot news photography.
The Daily Barometer of Oregon State University, which garnered honorable mention in the general excellence category, received the following awards: First place for best design, best special section, best columnist, best feature photo and best cartooning; second place for best section, best writing, best news story, best series, best feature story, best sports story, best columnist, best photography and best sports photo; and honorable mention for best feature story, best editorial, best sports story and best spot news photo.
Individuals from the editorial and advertising departments of the state’s professional newspapers judged the contest.
Oregon attorney general seeks stay in gay-marriage ruling
The state of Oregon wants to postpone part of a judge’s recent ruling requiring the state to register same-sex marriage licenses issued by Multnomah County.
Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers announced Thursday that the state is seeking a stay in the decision in an attempt to ensure equal treatment for couples who may receive same-sex marriage licenses in the future.
Oregon Circuit Court Judge Frank Bearden ruled last month that the state’s marriage statutes violate the Oregon Constitution by excluding same-sex couples, but he did not grant gay couples the immediate legal right to marry. Instead, Bearden ordered the Oregon Legislature to draft new marriage laws as it sees fit and told the State Registrar to validate those same-sex marriage licenses that had already been issued.
Now, Myers is concerned that the Legislature’s actions may provide different rights in the future than those currently afforded by the marriage statutes.
“Without a stay, some same-sex couples holding marriage licenses issued by Multnomah County may attempt to claim benefits that the Legislative Assembly may subsequently decide to modify,” Myers said in a press release.
Myers said he knows a stay would affect the plans of some same-sex couples.
“We understand that a stay of this portion of the judgment, if granted, will be disappointing to those same-sex couples who have looked forward to registration of their licenses by the state,” he said. “But we believe that a stay is important to ensure that all same-sex couples in Oregon receive similar treatment under Oregon law until the important constitutional issue is finally resolved by the Oregon Supreme Court and the Legislature has had an opportunity to determine the course of action it wishes to take.”
As of press time, Bearden had not responded to Myers’ statement.
— Parker Howell
