Melissa Griffiths won the Outstanding Newspaper Article GLAAD Media Award at the 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles for her multi-part series, "LGBTQ in the Capital,” which ran in the Juneau Empire.
Other nominees in the category included "Boy or Girl? Gender a New Challenge for Schools" by Martha Irvine of the Associated Press; "Gay Ex-mayor Who Fled U.S. Awaits Immigration Change" by Jeremy Roebuck, San Antonio Express-News; "Poor Black and Hispanic Men Are the Face of H.I.V." by Donald G. McNeil, Jr. of the the New York Times; and "Why Bisexuals Stay in the Closet" by Emily Alpert of the Los Angeles Times.
The Juneau Empire ran a story immediately after Griffiths won:
“Feels absolutely unreal, but I won!” Griffiths said in an Instagram post. “We won, Juneau!”
Griffiths explored the issues and experiences of the LGBTQ community in Alaska’s capital city with a multi-part series that ran during the span of a week last April.
“All of us at the Empire couldn’t be prouder of Melissa,” Empire Managing Editor Charles L. Westmoreland said. “All of us who work with Melissa know of her gift for telling people’s stories, and today the rest of world knows it too.”
Since she won the award, Griffiths got a promotion from Neighbors editor to a full time reporter.
The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their lives. The GLAAD Media Awards also fund GLAAD's work to amplify stories of LGBT people and issues that build support for equality.
Learn more about the GLAAD Media Awards at glaad.org/mediaawards.
Congratulations Melissa on your GLAAD Media Award and on your promotion!