An incredible in-depth look into Jessica McDonald's story and how it shaped her into the mother, player and groundbreaker she is today. The entire series was captivating and informative. The list of endless sources only made the series that much more interesting to an outsider.

Great narration of history.

A great story about resilience and beating the odds.

A unique look into the revitalization of a racetrack, what it means to fans near and far and how it impacts the region and sport. It made me want to travel to North Wilkesboro to see the place for myself.

This video is a great presentation of of emotion. It presents an element of the story you would never have in print. great job.

One of the main purposes of newspapers is to expose these types of hidden evils within our communities. A needed report on a worthwhile topic.

Excellent stories of redemption in relationships between those cast aside by the church, who did not cast away their faith, and the God they choose to worship. LGBTQ people are some of Christianity's last remaining castoffs, and these stories must be told.

This was a great attempt. The photographer was perfectly positioned to get a great photo with the scoreboard in the background and the team celebrating, even adding what looks like raindrops to the mix but the player in the foreground was slightly too much out of focus so it became distracting. We know they were trying to do that intentionally but just missed a great photo.

Theoden James' account of a Charlotte single mother's quest to get a starter home was quite interesting. The approach was simple but very effective -- and proof that a great news feature doesn't have to involve a lot of investigative reporting. It was much like a print version of one of those "House Hunters" TV shows. You don't see that a lot in print.

Compelling read about a major social issue as our population gets older. Depth of reporting offers an excellent sense of the overall problem in N.C. with staffing issues and the human consequences that result.

Janes effectively uses a Q and A format to take the reader on a personal journey with him. It reminds me more of a podcast than a newspaper column, which is a good thing.

A shocking story to say the least. Writer did an excellent job of navigating through the complex issues of this case, as well as delving into the horrible experiences the homeowner had to endure. Clearly, the system failed in this case -- at ever conceivable step.

Both this and the 3rd-place effort from McClatchey are consummate professinalism -- impressive efforts mining data to reveal facts and scopes of issues that were flying under the radar. This investigation into big poultry is especially specific to North Carolina.

This type of article is important to those running for office as well as voters.

Good reporting on the trial of a Jan 6 defendant.

Touching graphic when associated with text. Draws the reader to follow story.

This feature told a good story, and as an adult the curiosity of who his parents are.

Love the design of this newsletter! Interesting content and photos capture attention.

Breaking news competitions often center around shootings, plane crashes and weather emergencies, but Anna Maria Della Costa's story about the firing of a school superintendent hit the mark for covering a breaking and important news story. She was ahead of the story and clearly is an expert on her beat, providing solid background of the events that led the school board to fire him. She gave details of the contract buyout and provided commentary from multiple sides of the story.

This in-depth story did a fine job of examining the challenges that come with balancing the need for school safety with the cost and practical concerns that come with security scanners in schools. The review of school system emails regarding scanners was impressive.

The Charlotte Observer clearly was ready to report on Jerry Richardson's death before it happened. The staff was ready with a wealth of history on the man and his impact on the NFL franchise, the business world and the people around him. Plenty of quick responses to his passing and an unbiased report that shared the good, the bad and the ugly. Well done.

What an amazing tribute! Love this writer's style. Keep up the good work!

1st Place