Regular Metro Times contributor Detroitblogger John was named Journalist of the Year last week by the Detroit Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The judging committee said Detroitblogger (real name John Carlisle, an editor for the C&G suburban papers for his day job) was responsible for "stories ... that no one else bothers to find, and his perceptive and gritty story-telling as well as his writing and photographic ability."
Among other MT honors in last week's award ceremony, MT news editor Curt Guyette was also named a finalist in the Journalist of the Year competition, and arts and culture editor Travis R. Wright was a finalist for Young Journalist of the Year. MT swept the Class A feature photography category (first and second places to Detroitblogger and third to Joe Gall) and criticism (first place to film writer Jeff Meyers, second to former music editor Bill Holdship and third to Brian Smith, W. Kim Heron and Metro Times staff).
Guyette also took second place for a single editorial; web editor Casey O'Neil and Metro Times staff took second place for the MT website; and former design director Sean Bieri and photographer Cybelle Codish took a first place for feature page design. (More details at the metrotimes.com in the News Blog and at spjdetroit.com.)
Meanwhile, the Michigan Bar Association has announced that Guyette will receive a Wade H. McCree Award for his coverage of legal issues surrounding the state's medical marijuana law.
Beer & Politics: Kicking off MT's new involvement in the Anchor Bar's Beer & Politics series, we'll be gathering at the venerable bar tonight to discuss ways to improve schools? That's at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, at the Anchor Bar, 450 W. Fort St., Detroit.
Lorena Craighead, a Detroit Public Schools teacher, will discuss what it's really like in the district. Butch Hollowell, general counsel for the Detroit branch NAACP, will describe a new initiative, including opportunities for public involvement, community organizing and education advocacy.
