By Gina Martinez
TimesLedger Newspapers took home editorial awards at the New York Press Association 2016 Better Newspaper Contest last weekend for education coverage, photographic excellence, picture story, feature story and spot news coverage.
At the NYPA’s annual spring convention in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., 546 awards were presented to the winners among 184 newspapers that submitted 2,957 entries.
“The reporters and the photo editor put in a lot of hard work last year covering schools, immigration, crime, features and the Trump effect in the nation’s most diverse borough,” said Roz Liston, editor of the TimesLedger. “I’m very proud that the judges recognized our achievements.”
Reporter Patrick Donachie won first place in education coverage for his reporting on the student sit-in protest at Townsend Harris High School, where the school committee searched for a replacement for the controversial interim principal. Donachie also wrote about Success Academy Charter School’s inconsistent financial statements. An audit released by city Comptroller Scott Stringer revealed the organization looked like it was spending more funds directly on students than it actually was.
“The entries show the reporter was staying on top of issues in schools and holding administrators accountable for finances and effective leadership,” the judges wrote. The award was in the biggest circulation category.
The TimesLedger edition won second place for photographic excellence in the largest circulation category. The entry included two issues from Aug. 12 and Sept. 16 that featured strong photos of Queens’ reaction to the Dallas police killings, the colorful Colombian Festival of Flowers, the Flushing Dragon Boat Festival and a mass baptism on Queens Boulevard.
“This paper has some really great photography, and the photos are well-used considering the limitations of the tabloid format,” the judges said.
TimesLedger Photo Editor Mike Shain won second place for picture story for his coverage of a Golden Gloves boxing tournament at Holy Cross High School.
“The entry does an excellent job telling a story through the images,” according to the judges.
Reporter Sadef Kully won second place in feature writing for her story on Johnny Hincapie, the Bayside resident who returned home after being convicted in 1991 of the fatal subway robbery of 22-year-old Brian Watkins. Hincapie’s conviction was overturned after he served 22 years. In this highly competitive category in the largest circulation group, the judges wrote: “Kudos for taking me to the crime, his time in jail and his hope for life after jail. Easy flow and comfortable delivery.”
Reporter Bill Parry and contributing writer Naeisha Rose won third place for spot news for a package of stories on an anti-Trump march from Queens to Trump Tower. The entry also included sidebars on death threats against the march’s organizer — City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer — and bias incidents on the rise in Astoria.
“The coverage of this protest was top-notch,” one judge said. “From the start of Page 1, the pairing of the photos and the article gives the reader a real sense of what the event was like and what drew people to the streets.”
The TimesLedger Newspapers, which includes the Bayside Times, the TimesLedger and the Flushing Times, are part of Community News Group, which owns a large chain of weekly newspapers covering Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx.
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmart
