The winner of the 2004 Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award, an annual prize for young science journalists, is Kara Platoni. She received the award and its $1000 prize for three stories in the East Bay Express, "The Making of a Martyr," "I, Robot," and "It's a Boy! We Make Sure of It."
The panel of judges cited Platoni for "beautiful writing on a variety of difficult topics," for "integrating science with compelling narratives," and for "bringing characters to life." Her stories tackled such issues as RU-486 and exoskeletons.
The judges also awarded an honorable mention to Michelle Nijhuis for a story in High Country News, "They're Here: Global Warming's Unlikely Harbingers." Nijhuis was citied for her extensive reporting and ability to make beetles and climate forecasts interesting and scary, without sensationalizing the topic.
The award will be presented by the Evert Clark Fund and the National Association of Science Writers, in conjunction with the National Press Foundation. The ceremony will take place on February 16, 2005, in Washington, D.C., during the annual meeting of the National Association of Science Writers.
