Local government and news coverage cited in Better Newspaper Contest
The New York Press Association (NYPA) honored Philipstown.info/The Paper last weekend with eight journalism and two advertising awards in its annual Better Newspaper Contest. The NYPA is the statewide organization of weekly newspapers and community news websites. The contest is judged by an association in another state to ensure the integrity of the process. The awards were presented at the organization’s spring conference in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Competing in its first year of eligibility, The Paper was repeatedly cited by judges for excellence among weeklies with circulations of 4,000 or 5,000 or less (depending on the category), most significantly for its 2013 coverage of local news and local government.
In the Spot News (or breaking news) category, The Paper won both first and second place awards for its coverage in December by Kevin E. Foley, Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong and Alison Rooney of the Metro-North train derailment tragedy and the death of Philipstown’s Jim Lovell as well as for reporting in September by Foley, Armstrong and Michael Turton on the area manhunt for a suspect in a Long Island shooting.
An award for second place for Coverage of Local Government recognized reporting by Armstrong and Foley of village, town and county issues, including the Butterfield development, the Fjord Trail and Putnam County’s response to a new state gun control law.
Rooney won an honorable mention in the Sports Feature category for her piece in September on 5-year-old triathlon competitor Zane del Pozo. Foley added two other awards for third place for Best News Story (“Family Celebrates Husband and Father’s Life,” Sept. 6) and Best Feature Story (“Sing, Fly, Mate, Die” on the return of the 17-year cicadas, May 31).
In the Best News or Feature Series category, Jeanne Tao won a third place for her 2013 series on various forms of religious worship in Philipstown, including profiles of the First Presbyterian Church of Philipstown, Graymoor, Philipstown Reformed Synagogue, the United Methodist Church, Peace Mountain Buddhist Hermitage, local pagans and Wiccans and local Quakers.
Philipstown.info videographer Greg Gunder won first place for Best Use of Video among weeklies of all sizes for his work on the return of the cicadas.
Kate Vikstrom, The Paper’s layout editor, won a third place among weeklies with circulations of less than 8,000 for Best House Ad/Ad Campaign for a holiday ad, and an honorable mention in the advertising category of Best Multi-Advertiser Pages for Shop Local, Shop Beacon.
“This extraordinary achievement, winning 10 awards for newspaper excellence from the New York Press Association in one year, including in some of the most essential categories, rightly honors the ability and dedication of the editors, reporters and artists who put out The Paper week after week,” said publisher Gordon Stewart. “Their work represents both a significant contribution and a credit to our wonderful community. It is gratifying to have this formal recognition from the NYPA in that The Paper is not yet two years old but good every Friday.”
Another local weekly, the Putnam County News and Recorder, was also honored. Its editor, Doug Cunningham, won third place for column writing among papers with circulations of 5,000 or less.
SPOT NEWS COVERAGE (Division 1)
FIRST PLACE for coverage of MTA derailment and Jim Lovell, Dec. 6
The Paper, Philipstown
Kevin E. Foley, Alison Rooney and Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong
SECOND PLACE for coverage of local manhunt, Sept. 27
The Paper, Philipstown
Kevin E. Foley, Michael Turton and Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong
COVERAGE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT (Division 1)
SECOND PLACE for various stories on town, village and county issues
The Paper, Philipstown
Kevin E. Foley and Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong
NEWS STORY (Division 1)
THIRD PLACE
Family Celebrates Husband and Father’s Life, Dec. 6
The Paper, Philipstown
Kevin E. Foley
BEST NEWS OR FEATURE SERIES (Division 1)
THIRD PLACE
Religious Life Profiles
The Paper, Philipstown
Jeanne Tao
FEATURE STORY (Division 1)
THIRD PLACE
Sing, Fly, Mate, Die, May 31
The Paper, Philipstown
Kevin E. Foley
SPORTS FEATURE (Division 1)
HONORABLE MENTION
Zane Del Pozo is a Triathlon Champion, and He’s Not Yet Six Years Old, Sept. 13
The Paper, Philipstown
Alison Rooney
BEST USE OF VIDEO (All Divisions)
FIRST PLACE
Sing, Fly, Mate, Die, May 31
Philipstown.info
Gregory Gunder
BEST MULTI-ADVERTISER PAGE (Division 1)
HONORABLE MENTION
Shop Local, Shop Beacon, Dec. 13
The Paper, Philipstown
Kate Vikstrom
BEST HOUSE AD/AD CAMPAIGN (Division 1)
THIRD PLACE
Holiday Ad, Dec. 20
The Paper, Philipstown
Kate Vikstrom
Congratulations to all concerned. You deserve all the honorable mentions. I am proud to advertise in your paper.
Congratulations to our little paper and all you neighbors who put it out every week. You really do help keep our community together.
Well deserved!
Congratulations! So nice for you to be recognized with these honors.
So excited to hear about this well-deserved award! Rock on!
Congratulations to the entire staff! Well deserved. Thank you for your hard work.
Congratulations to all of the writers! So well deserved!
Congratulations to all of you! Well deserved!
Now this is great news.
Good work you guys.
So this is the future of news publishing. The consolidation of local papers by Gannett et al made financial sense but deprived us of local news coverage. The Paper brings it back, and seems to be prospering on many levels. Bravo.
Congratulations! And in the first year! Looking forward to more years.
Congratulations and thanks not only for your coverage of local news, but for your contribution to free speech and expression in the comments section of your online edition. It is a wonderful feature that enables readers to share their opinions as current events unfold, and has done much to encourage dialogue in the community.
Bravo to all the terrific writers at Philipstown.info. Your awards are well deserved. Thank you for the timely, accurate and objective reporting.
I grab it first thing every Friday afternoon to find out what’s really happening. Appreciate the high quality writing too.
The Paper is a 10! Congrats!
Philipstown.info/The Paper is such a welcome addition to the community. Good to see all of your hard work recognized and rewarded! Congratulations.
Bravo, bravo, and richly deserved! Kudos to all!
This is fabulous – mazal tov! Please, please expand your coverage of Beacon. We need a real newspaper here!
I am so pleased to see The Paper’s journalistic integrity and fact-based reporting honored. As the sole source of reliable and unbiased information in our area, your contribution to our community is immeasurable. Thank you!
A hearty “I concur!” to what Steve Laifer said.
Congratulations on awards well earned.
Thrilling! It’s Friday — time to get The Paper.
I don’t want to detract from the wonderful news about the terrific awards my favorite paper has won, but I do feel it incumbent on me to point out that as a long-time advertiser I was surprised my column was overlooked in the prize category. Although, even with my superior knowledge, I’m not sure which category I would fit into.
From
Lady Tara
Behind The Counter
Bravo! Well earned acknowledgement of excellence.