Catholic New York Is Judged Best in Nation For Second Year in a Row

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Catholic New York received first-place honors for General Excellence in the annual Catholic Press Awards competition announced June 20 at the closing banquet of the Catholic Media Conference in Charlotte, N.C.

It marks the second consecutive year Catholic New York has taken the top prize in the category of diocesan newspapers with circulation of more than 40,001, the highest in the competition.

The judges’ critique said, “Catholic New York simply produced the very best newspaper journalism for a diocese. Creative writing, excellent photos, fine news judgment, and well-crafted opinions, good captions and layouts.

“It’s high level professional work on every page.”

The general excellence award was one of a dozen CNY received in the competition sponsored by the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada.

First-place awards went to Cardinal Dolan for his To Whom Shall We Go? column; the newspaper’s staff, which was cited for its Papal Transition coverage; and CNY News Editor Christie L. Chicoine and Reporter Juliann DosSantos in the Best Coverage of the Year of Faith category.

Cardinal Dolan, in the category of Best Column by a Bishop or Archbishop, was cited as “a storyteller, and his personal reflections help the reader better understand papal succession, immigration and the role of women in the Church.”

The Papal Transition entry, from the point of Pope Francis’ election, emphasized the “conversational tone” in the back-page editorial about the new pope’s initial steps.

The Year of Faith coverage was lauded for the up-close and personal introduction Ms. Chicoine and Mrs. DosSantos offered to the subjects of their reports, which the judges called “the secret to writing and great journalism, and evangelization, for that matter…”

The newspaper was also recognized with awards ranging from editorials and news writing to photography and advertising as well as column writing and online blogs.

CNY received third-place recognition in Best Editorial on a Local Issue. “Off Target on Abortion” strongly took Gov. Cuomo to task for the 10th point of his “Women’s Equality Act.” The editorial called the provision “an inexplicable and unconscionable expansion of abortion access.”

Reporter Ron Lajoie, who visited Rwanda last fall on a Catholic Relief Services fellowship, came home with stories that earned him second place in the Best News Writing on an International Event category. The judges said his report used the “creative and compelling ‘hook’” of forgiveness to movingly “capture the pathos of the 20-year-old Rwandan genocide, the extraordinary work being done today by CRS and other groups, and the very personal quest for forgiveness.”

Photographer Chris Sheridan took second place in the Best General News Photo category for his endearing image of Cardinal Dolan and Kyle Hendrickson, a young man at the Confirmation for Youths with Disabilities Mass. Photographer Maria R. Bastone got an honorable mention citation in Best Feature Photo for her shot of a young boy being lifted to kiss the statue of St. Rocco at an annual feast at St. Joseph’s Church in Little Italy.

Production Manager Molly Gallegos won two awards, a third-place citation for advertising copy writing on an ad for “Reconciliation Monday,” and honorable mention in the Most Effective Use of Small Space for an advertisement for TMI Audio.

Ms. DosSantos scored another honor with her blog, Footprints on the Journey, which came in second among Best Online Blogs by an Individual. It was the first time CNY has received an award in that category.

Mary DeTurris Poust’s Life Lines column received an honorable mention in the Spiritual Life category.