Technical Competition Winners 2021
Category description: Entries in this category focus on machinery, new technology, a process, regulations or scientific methods in agriculture. Entries can apply to crops or livestock. One story or package of stories (sidebars or secondary stories) published together on a single day is a single entry in this category. Number of entries: 32
“Technical stories must grab and hold a reader’s attention while avoiding the traps set by statistics, industry jargon, acronyms and the frequently unwieldy titles held by expert sources. Winners in this category exemplify the hallmarks of excellent technical journalism: Careful, balanced reporting; clear, concise writing that simplifies the complex; and storytelling that entertains as well as informs. Just as importantly, the winning journalists paid close attention to how the information should be organized to best serve the reader — from sentence structure to quote selection to overall order of presentation.”
1st Place: Bart Pfankuch
and Nick Lowrey
South Dakota News Watch
Judge’s comments: Clearly exploring a regulatory topic is difficult under the best of circumstances. Doing that while the news continues to break all around you is nothing short of impressive. The reporters told a compelling story, laying out a history of regulatory failures that helped enable a virus to shut down the the majority of the nation's meat packing plants. Well-organized, well-sourced, well-researched and exceptionally well-written, this story rolls like a freight train from beginning to conclusion. The writers earned bonus points for incorporating breaking news within hours of publication.
2nd Place: Jessica Fu
The Counter
Scientists are trying to make crops love salt — 3/26/2020
Judge’s comments: This well-told story weaves history, humanity, and clear explanations of plant science and technology into a highly readable narrative about research into crops that can thrive in salty soils. Multiple sources help balance the story. Clear writing, excellent organization and effective use of quotes and examples move the story to a satisfying conclusion.
3rd: Laurie Bedord, Successful Farming
Judge’s comments: Informative. Clearly written. Relatable. This story about what to consider before growing hemp is a text-book example of effective technical reporting. Humanize the subject. Organize potentially dense information into easy-to-digest chunks. Provide clear examples. Use quotes to emphasize and further the narrative.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
— Jessica McKenzie, The Counter
What does a vertical farm taste like? — 9/22/2020
Judge’s comments: Building a story around an unknowable answer is daring. In this case, the dare pays off. The story is thoroughly intriguing examination of the technology that makes indoor, vertical farming possible, as well as an exploration of whether marketing claims regarding flavor and taste could be true. The well-organized narrative explores the topic through multiple sources across a wide range of expertise, from growers and investors to academic researchers and NASA. Clear writing. Excellent story arc from opening paragraphs to a fitting conclusion.
— Gabriel Popkin, Food & Environment Reporting Network
Is carbon farming a climate boon, or boondoggle? — 3/31/2020
Judge’s comments: This is a great technical topic explored thoroughly. The reporter examines the facts and hype that surround carbon farming, from the technology used to collect and analyze carbon sequestered in soil to the blockchain technology used to buy and sell carbon credits. Clear, concise writing and excellent use of quotes and examples help pull the reader along through some fairly complex concepts.
— Joel Reichenberger, DTN/Progressive Farmer
Operation Evolution: The tractor cab may be in for a makeover, realigning for a future as a rolling office when driving is an afterthought — 7/1/2020
Judge’s comments: Excellent example of how to elevate typically routine coverage of innovations displayed at a machinery trade show. Through vivid description, good use of details and quotes and excellent organization, the reporter helped me visualize, as well as understand, the new technology and its potential.
— Des Keller, Successful Farming
Hemp Takes Hold: Farmers and industry hustle to ramp up production to keep up with demand — 1/01/2020
Judge’s comments: A vividly written exploration of the hemp growing trend. A longtime hemp grower's personal experiences bookend a story about the dramatic increase in hemp acreage, technology needed to grow it and potential markets for the crop. Clear, active voice, vivid descriptions, excellent use of quotes drives the story and helps explain the complexities of farming hemp. An informative sidebar reminds readers of the history behind the legal cultivation of hemp.