2011 Readers Poll: News and Media

Best Politician

1) Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

2) Martin O’Malley

3) Mary Pat Clarke

Best Politician in Need of a Slap Upside the Head

1) Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

2) Sheila Dixon

3) Martin O’Malley

Best Do-Gooder

1) Adam Van Bavel

2) Mary Pat Clarke

3) Steve Vilnet

Best Troublemaker

1) Sheila Dixon

2) Tom Kiefaber

3) Denise Whiting

Best Local Eccentric

1) John Waters

2) Leroy Moore

3) Tom Kiefaber

Best Local Cause

1) Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) (301 Stockholm St., [410] 396-4695, baltimoreanimalshelter.org)

2) Chesapeake Bay Foundation

3) Maryland SPCA

Best Local Scandal

1) Hontroversy

2) Police towing scam

3) The Conaways

Best Local Issue You’re Sick Of

1) Grand Prix

2) Hontroversy

3) Crime

Best Use of Taxpayer Funds

1) Education

2) Charm City Circulator

3) Improving roads

Best Misuse of Taxpayer Funds

1) Grand Prix

2) Sheila Dixon

3) Paying politicians

Best Journalist

1) Justin Fenton (The Sun)

2) Dan Rodricks (The Sun)

3) (tie) Julie Scharper (The Sun) and Bret McCabe (City Paper)

Best Local Publication

1) City Paper

2) Urbanite

3) Baltimore magazine

Best Overlooked Story

1) Homelessness

2) Crime

3) zillion-way tie

Best Local Blog

1) The City That Breeds (citythatbreeds.com)

2) Baltimore Brew

3) Bmore Musically Informed

Best Local Twitter Feed

1) @justin_fenton

2) @BaltimorePolice

3) @BaltimoreMD

Best Baltimore-Related Web Site

1) citypaper.com

2) baltimoresun.com

3) whatweekly.com

Best Local Radio Personality

1) Weasel (WTMD-FM)

2) Marc Steiner (WEAA-FM)

3) (tie) Dan Rodricks (WYPR-FM) and Ed Norris (WJZ-FM)

Best Local TV Newsperson

1) Stan Stovall (WBAL)

2) Denise Koch (WJZ)

3) Kai Jackson (WJZ)

Best Meteorologist

1) Bob Turk (WJZ)

2) Tony Pann (WBAL)

3) Tom Tasselmyer (WBAL)

Best Local Sportscaster

1) Mark Viviano (WJZ)

2) Keith Mills (WBAL)

3) Gerry Sandusky (WBAL)