My friend, Heidi Hall, has been nominated posthumously for a @ReligionReport award. Please read her story for @RNS, which is a study in excellent writing, starting with the lede: “My mother would be surprised that I did not die alone.” https://t.co/GD4C8r4B8L pic.twitter.com/mw7t1XdRKC

— Shelley DuBois (@shelleydubois) July 15, 2020

The Religion News Association named nearly 100 finalists in 22 categories last week for its 2020 Awards for Religion Reporting Excellence.

Among the familiar names on the list: Religion Unplugged’s own Meagan Clark, Paul Glader and Elizabeth Vandenboom. And yes, I was honored to be included for my work with The Christian Chronicle.

But one finalist’s name stood out: Heidi Hall.

Hall, a former religion and education editor for The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville, was nominated posthumously. She died Sept. 25 last year from metastatic colorectal cancer. She was 49.

Her deeply personal final story was published the day after her passing.

“It’s the story of her life — of losing everything when she left the (Jehovah’s) Witnesses — and finding a new family of her own,” RNS editor-in-chief Bob Smietana noted at the time.

“Final edits were done by her hospice bed,” Smietana said after the RNA finalists were named. “I hope she is smiling somewhere.”

The winners will be announced this fall.

Religious leaders weigh in on mask mandate’s exemption for religious gatherings | @OKRelig https://t.co/irmL4jbitL

— The Oklahoman (@TheOklahoman_) July 19, 2020

Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads

1. Religious leaders weigh in on mask mandate’s exemption for religious gatherings: For nearly two decades, my friend and former colleague Carla Hinton has served as faith editor of The Oklahoman, the daily newspaper in Oklahoma City.

As an Oklahoman subscriber (I live in Oklahoma City), here’s what I love about Hinton: Again and again, she provides fair, impartial coverage of important, often controversial subjects. This piece from Sunday’s front page is yet another fine example.

2. Saints, sinners and the statue debate: Kelsey Dallas, national religion reporter for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, is another journalist whose willingness to tell all sides of the story impresses me.

This one delves into what the Bible’s teaching that all humans are flawed means for today’s statute debates. Dallas interviews smart sources who disagree, which — surprise, surprise — makes for thought-provoking reading.

Continue reading”90+ Finalists Were Named For Religion News Awards. Why 1 Stands Out,” by Bobby Ross at Religion Unplugged.