The Queens Courier was rewarded for its hard-hitting, in depth, 21st century brand of journalism at the April 3 and 4 gathering of the New York Press Association (NYPA), a statewide community newspaper trade group.
Queenscourier.com dominated the weekend in Saratoga Springs, earning “Best Newspaper Web site” and “Best use of Multimedia” among statewide weeklies for the second straight year. Additionally, Queenscourier.com earned second place honors for “Best Citizen Involvement” on a web site, with the judges noting that the site “strives to involve readers in all entry areas” from blogs to photo sharing to forums for user comments.
The Courier also left Saratoga with a first place award for “Coverage of Crime/Police/Courts” for its in-depth reporting on the trial involving the police officers who shot and killed Sean Bell on the eve of his wedding. The Courier – which, according to judges, “stayed true to its roots” in covering a national story – was inside the courtroom when the verdict was announced and produced a seven-page special section focusing on the reaction across Queens. The paper also earned first prize for the “local, timely” editorial cartoon included in its vast coverage.
Not to be outdone by The Courier’s editorial team, the newspaper’s art department was awarded second place in the “Best Color Ad Created by the Newspaper” category. The winning ad, for Forest Hills restaurant Cheeburger Cheeburger, was praised by judges for its look – “good choice of color, appropriate design” and its feel – “like the 50s.”
The Courier competed against the NYPA’s largest weekly members in the Division 4 category.
