The Independent News has been named a finalist for the 2012 Sunshine State Awards in Non-Deadline News Reporting (Small) for its cover story on the botched turnaround of the Warrington Middle School – “Tarnished Turnaround.”
The Sunshine State Awards are given annually by the Society of Professional Journalists’ South Florida Pro Chapter to recognize the highest quality journalism in the state of Florida in the best tradition of the profession. The 2012 finalists include such newspapers as Miami Herald, Orlando Sentinel, Palm Beach Post and Miami New Times. The Independent News is the only newspaper in Northwest Florida to be named a finalist.
In the Non-Deadine News Reporting category, the finalists are:
Large Newspapers
- The News-Press – Mary Wozniak, Oil drilling in preserve? It’s not new
- The Palm Beach Post – Pat Beall, In the Line of Fire
- The Palm Beach Post – Pat Beall, Online sales boom for illegal pill peddlers
Small Newspapers
- Lakeland Ledger – Suzie Schottelkotte & Jeremy Maready, Crimestoppers: No Bid Contract
- Pensacola Independent – Rick Outzen, Tarnished Turnaround
- The News-Press – Janine Zeitlin, Loving Ingrid