News Summary
Knox News has achieved a historic milestone by winning a total of 39 awards at the Society of Professional Journalists Golden Press Card Awards. This record-setting accomplishment highlights the organization’s commitment to high-quality journalism in East Tennessee. Notably, investigative reporter Tyler Whetstone received the Horace V. Wells Jr. Community Service Award for exposing serious misconduct by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. Knox News dominated the competition, securing awards across multiple categories, including breaking news, investigative reporting, and photojournalism.
Knoxville – Knox News has made history by winning a record total of 39 awards at the 2024 Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Golden Press Card Awards, setting a new standard for excellence in journalism in East Tennessee. This significant accomplishment underscores the news organization’s commitment to delivering high-quality reporting that engages and informs the community.
This achievement marks the highest number of awards received by Knox News in the history of this annual contest. Competing against other respected newsrooms, Knox News stood out by securing the largest tally of awards among all media outlets in East Tennessee.
Among the notable achievements, investigative reporter Tyler Whetstone earned the prestigious Horace V. Wells Jr. Community Service Award for his outstanding work that exposed the Knox County Sheriff’s Office for concealing video related to an armed raid on a business in South Knoxville. This recognition for Whetstone is particularly significant as it marks the third time in four years he has received this esteemed award.
The Golden Press Card Awards celebrate excellence across multiple categories in broadcast, digital, and print journalism throughout East Tennessee. Judging for this year’s awards was completed by the Oklahoma SPJ Professional Chapter, ensuring an impartial assessment of entrants’ work.
Knox News achieved an impressive total of 21 first-place awards, demonstrating a remarkable breadth of talent within the newsroom. The organization swept 16 categories, affirming its dominant position in the region’s media landscape.
Among the newly introduced categories this year were those focusing specifically on Hurricane Helene, which caused severe flooding in East Tennessee in September 2024. These categories included Hurricane Helene breaking coverage and Hurricane Helene in-depth coverage, reflecting the unique challenges and reporting opportunities that the disaster presented.
Other categories in which Knox News received awards included:
- Deadline/breaking news reporting (large newspaper)
- Government and politics reporting (large newspaper)
- Investigative reporting (large newspaper)
- Series/package/project writing (large newspaper)
- Continuing coverage (large newspaper)
- General reporting (large newspaper)
- Photojournalism – Best photographer (all media)
- Photojournalism – Best sports photography (all media)
- Photojournalism – Best news photography (all media)
- Best news video (all media)
- Sports beat reporting (all media)
- Sports reporting (large newspaper)
- Arts and culture reporting (all media)
- Feature reporting (large newspapers)
- Business and technology reporting (all media)
- Climate and environment reporting (all media)
- Digital commentary (all media)
- Personal columns/review/criticism (large newspaper)
- Best podcast (all media)
The Golden Press Card Awards serve as a testament to the hard work and dedication of journalists who strive to uphold the highest standards of reporting and public service in their communities. As Knox News continues to build upon its legacy of excellence, the recognition achieved at this year’s awards is indicative of the significant impact that quality journalism can have in informing and empowering the public.
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Additional Resources
- Knox News: Knoxville News Sentinel Wins 39 SPJ Awards
- Wikipedia: Journalism
- Knox News: Top Workplaces Awards Nominations Open
- Google Search: Top Workplaces Knoxville
- Knox News: Knoxville Accepting Nominations for Neighbors Who Excel
- Google Scholar: Community Service
- Knox News: ACM Awards 2025 Performers Announced
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Awards
- Knox News: Dancing Bear Bistro Receives Tripadvisor Choice Award
- Google News: Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro
