Soapbox recognized for excellence in journalism by Cincinnati Society of Professional Journalists

Two Soapbox journalists were recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Greater Cincinnati Chapter as part of the chapter’s 2023 Excellence in Journalism awards event.

Contributing writer and editor David Holthaus and photographer Natalie Grilli received the Camilla Warrick Award for Community Impact for the series “The Case for Cities.” The award, named after the late Cincinnati Post and Cincinnati Enquirer columnist, is given to journalists “who use their professional role to make a difference in the community.”

The Case for Cities series explores the idea that cities, often maligned as crime-ridden and crowded, can actually hold the keys to a more sustainable, equitable, and healthier nation. Judges called the series “a well-crafted endeavor that was almost like a think-tank report with a lot of heart.”

Holthaus and Grilli were also finalists for the award for business feature reporting for “How an Urban Market Transformed a Neighborhood,” an analysis of how Cincinnati’s Findlay Market revitalized its once-impoverished surrounding community. They were finalists in the environmental reporting category for “How One Neighborhood is Creating a Model to Fight Climate Change,” a look at how one low-income community worked with a nonprofit organization to develop a community-based plan to create a greener neighborhood.

In addition, Holthaus received a Best of Show award as Best Overall Freelance Reporter for several stories published in Soapbox and Cincinnati Magazine. The portfolio included the Soapbox-published stories:

• “A Walk Down Monmouth Street”  
• “A City Safe to Walk In: Vision Zero and Neighborhoods Aim to Make the Streets Safer,”

as well as a Cincinnati Magazine feature on the Cincinnati neighborhood of Price Hill. “Holthaus writes about local neighborhoods with warmth and a depth of understanding,” the judges wrote.

Soapbox Cincinnati and Issue Media Group congratulate all the winners of the 2023 awards. Click here for a full list of the winners and some of the best regional journalism of the last year.

Soapbox is grateful for the ongoing support received from our readers and our underwriters. It keeps us motivated to produce stories using solutions journalism and narrative storytelling to connect people to place.