Posts by Connecticut SPJ

Connecticut SPJ 2022 Excellence in Journalism Contest now accepting entries

The Connecticut SPJ Excellence in Journalism Contest, which recognizes the best local journalism from the previous year, is open for entries. All entries should have been published or broadcast in 2022. The deadline to enter is 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 15. Winners will be announced at a CTSPJ board event later this year.

Entry fees remain the same as previous years: $10 for SPJ members (membership number required), and $25 for news outlets entering on behalf of journalists.

You can access the contest platform here: https://awards.connecticutspj.org/default.aspx

Some changes to note for this year’s contest:

The temporary special categories for COVID-19 reporting will be discontinued. Any COVID-19 stories should be submitted in the category that best fits, such as Investigative Reporting or Health Reporting.
Audio Storytelling is being replaced by two new categories: Podcasting and Innovative Digital Storytelling. The podcasting category is for a single episode of any style of podcast. The Innovative Digital Storytelling category is for any story or package that uses multimedia tools – including audio, video, social media or interactive graphics – in an innovative way.

If you do not see your publication on the entry list, please contact contest clerk Kathleen Farmer at kathleenctspj@gmail.com.

Each year, Connecticut entries are judged by out-of-state journalists from other SPJ chapters. The judging is made possible because CTSPJ receives entries to judge from other chapters. If you are interested in signing up to help judge incoming entries, please contact Contest Committee member Martha Shanahan at mshanahan@connecticutspj.org.

MAIN CONTEST CATEGORIES

All media outlets compete against each other in the top three special awards categories. For the rest of the categories (below), media outlets will compete in one of five circulation classes.

Stephen A. Collins Public Service Award

This is a special award open to all media for a story or stories having a significant impact in the public interest. Entries must include supporting documentation such as letters, editorials, evidence of a change in public policy, showing how the entry had an impact. Please include a cover letter with the entry.

Theodore Driscoll Award for Investigative Reporting

This is a special award open to all media for a single story or formal series containing information, obtained through reporter initiative not readily available to the news media or public.

First Amendment Award

This is a special award open to all media for a single story, column or series which increases public understanding of the role of the press in a free society.

REPORTING

Arts & Entertainment | A single story dealing with the arts

Breaking News | A single story or package of stories and social media updates that involves coverage of a spot news event written under an immediate deadline

Business | A single story dealing with business

Continuing Coverage | No more than 10 articles that follow the same topic over time

Courts/Crime | Any story dealing with issues of the criminal justice system, except for breaking news

Data | Effective use of data for reporting a single story or graphic

Diversity Coverage | Single story on a diversity issue

Education | A single story on an education issue

Feature | Any story written for a reason other than timeliness

Government | A story dealing with government topics

Health | A single story or broadcast regarding health issues, either local or statewide

In-Depth | A single story that helps audience understand situation beyond information provided in a normal news story

Investigative | A single story containing information obtained through reporter initiative that was not readily available to the news media or the public

Leisure | A story dealing with travel, food, gardening, or other leisure topics

Local Reporting | A story that shines light on an issue important to a single town or region. This category is meant for those stories that fulfill the mission of community journalism.

Religion | A story dealing with religious topics

Reporting Series | A formal series of no more than 10 articles, including investigative, in-depth or feature series

OPINION

Editorial Cartoon | A single cartoon online or in print

Editorial | A single editorial that represents the opinion of the publication, station or news website

General Column | A single (other than sports or humorous) column that expresses an opinion or point of view on an issues or event

Humorous Column | A single column on any topic with the purpose to entertain

SPORTS

Sports News | A single story on a sports news topic

Sports Feature | A single story on a sports topic, written for a factor other than timeliness

Sports Column | A single column on a sports topic

MULTIMEDIA

Infographic | The design of a single static or interactive graphic

Innovative Digital Storytelling | Any story or package that uses multimedia tools – including audio, video, social media or interactive graphics – in an innovative way

Video Storytelling | Use of video to tell a story alone or bolster written reporting

Podcasting | A single episode of any style of podcast

PHOTOS/DESIGN

Feature Photo | A single feature photo

News Photo | A single news photo

Sports Photo | A single sports photo

Photo Essay | A collection of photos, either in print or online, that together tell one story

Page 1 Layout | A category for the person who arranged the text and images, not for the writers or photographers of the materials on the page

Non-Page 1 Layout | Any single page design that was not on page 1

Headline | A single entry is made up of three headlines, all the work on a single article

CIRCULATION CATEGORIES FOR THE CONTEST

The following is the list of circulation categories for the Excellence in Journalism contest. If you don’t see your media outlet listed here, please contact contest clerk Kathleen Farmer at kathleenctspj@gmail.com, and we will add it.

These categories are based, in part, on media outlets’ advertised coverage areas and staffing levels. To petition for a change in circulation class, please contact the CTSPJ president. The CTSPJ Board of Directors will consider all requests, and any approved changes will take effect in the next year’s contest season.

Regional A

Connecticut Health Investigative Team
Connecticut Mirror
Connecticut Post
Hartford Courant
New Haven Register
Waterbury Republican American
The Day (New London)
Any Hearst Connecticut collaboration, including smaller circulation outlets

Regional B

Connecticut Law Tribune
CT News Junkie
Danbury News-Times
Manchester Journal-Inquirer
Meriden Record Journal
Norwich Bulletin
Stamford Advocate
Greenwich Time
CT Latino News
Greater New Milford Spectrum
Litchfield County Times
The Middletown Press
New Britain Herald
The Bristol Press
The Register Citizen
The Chronicle
The Hour
Fairfield County Business Journal
Hartford Business Journal
The Connecticut Times
Inquiring News
Neighbors Paper

Regional C (Magazines)

AAA Journeys and AAA Horizons
Catholic Transcript
Connecticut Magazine
Connecticut Parent Magazine
Connecticut Voice
Hartford Magazine
New Haven Biz
Seasons magazines
Stamford Magazine
Today Magazine
WAG Magazine
Wilton Magazine

Regional D (Broadcast)

WTNH
WFSB
WTIC
WNPR
WSHU
News12
NBC30

Hyperlocal

Citizens News
CollinsvillePress.com
Shore Publishing weeklies
TurleyCT publications
New Britain City Journal
NewCanaanite.com
Online Journalism Project publications
Hearst Connecticut weeklies
Branford Eagle
Glastonbury Citizen/Rivereast News Bulletin
Nancy on Norwalk
Greenwich Sentinel
Fairfield Patch
New Haven Independent
WestportNow.com
Town Times
Glastonbury Life
Guilford Curier
The Source
Harbor News

* Note: Any item that appeared in a higher circulation publication should be entered in that circulation class.

Travel grants available for national SPJ conference in Washington, D.C.

The Connecticut Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will again offer travel grants to the SPJ national conference.

Professional members of the CTSPJ chapter are eligible for reimbursements, with proof of receipt, of up to $1,100 toward conference expenses. Student members of SPJ in Connecticut are eligible for $500.

Dubbed MediaFest2022, this year’s conference — hosted by the SPJ, Associated College Press and College Media Association — will happen at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C., from Oct. 27-30.

To apply, submit an essay of no more than 500 words about why you want to attend the conference, and how you have been, or would like to become, involved in CTSPJ events. That could include anything from helping with judging swaps to ideating and/or supporting programming.

Send the short essay, along with your SPJ member number, to Cindy Simoneau, a past president of the CTSPJ board, at simoneauc1@southernct.edu.

Simoneau will prepare all entries for a blind review by the CTSPJ board.

One professional member and one student member will be selected. The winners must be members in good standing of CTSPJ. New members are welcome to apply.

To confirm your membership status, contact national Membership Coordinator Caroline Escobar at cescobar@hq.spj.org or 317-361-4132.

The deadline to apply for the grants is noon (ET) on Saturday, Sept. 17.

College contest winners announced for 2021-22

June 28, 2022
by Connecticut SPJ
in Uncategorized
1 comment

Audio Storytelling

First Place

Lunchtime Legislation: Russia/Ukraine war, Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court nomination, Quinnipiac Chronicle, Brendan Samson, Jack Spiegel, Jack Muscatello

Second Place

Bobcat Banter, episode 6: Interview with Kyle Maves, infielder for Bobcats baseball, Quinnipiac Chronicle, Brendan Samson, Noah Epstein, Seth Fromowitz

COVID-19 Reporting

First Place

$22 million worth of CARES Act funds awarded to CCSU students, The Recorder, Logan Zdun

Second Place

First Place

Students and faculty protest at Fairfield’s “community in action” event photo, Fairfield Mirror, Kyler Erezuma

Second Place

Hamden apartment complex fire impacts 60 residents, including QU students, Quinnipiac Chronicle, Daniel Passapera

Non-Page 1 Layout

First Place

Former QU men’s hockey player reveals life-threatening effects of ‘intoxicating’ smashmouth culture, Quinnipiac Chronicle, Connor Lawless

Second Place

Uncovering the art of drag, Crescent magazine, Everett Rende

Third Place

First Place

KC Ndefo and St. Peter’s swats Quinnipiac men’s basketball out of the MAAC tournament, Quinnipiac Chronicle, Connor Lawless

Second Place

How the women’s soccer team’s season started piping hot and ended in a MAAC championship loss, Quinnipiac Chronicle, Daniel Passapera

Spot News

First Place

University students robbed at gunpoint outside of campus store, University of New Haven Charger Bulletin, Samuel Weinmann

Second Place

Students ‘terrified’ after a delivery man targeting college women broke into QU off-campus housing, Quinnipiac Chronicle, Chatwan Mongkol

Third Place

Quinnipiac fails to check in with victims of shuttle crash, students say, Quinnipiac Chronicle, Aidan Sheedy, Melina Khan

Video Storytelling

First Place

Fans back in the stands, Q30 Television, Jack Main

Second Place

Costs up, employees down: COVID-19 & New Britain restaurants, Central Connecticut State University, Melody Rivera

Third Place

Hartford Hospital invites Quinnipiac students to learn about the university partnership, Q30 Television, Olivia Kettell

CTSPJ announces five scholarship winners for 2022

The Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists hosted a summer gathering on June 25 at the Ansonia Nature Center in Ansonia, Connecticut, where this year’s contest winners and scholarship recipients were honored.

Five scholarships were issued this year.

Our first scholarship recipient is Madison Langweil, a senior at Marist College who studies biology and journalism and is from West Hartford. Currently a science news intern for the Stanford University News Service, Maddi aspires to be a science journalist.

Our second recipient is Jacklyn Pellegrino, from Staten Island, New York, who is going into her second year as a journalism major in the 3+1 accelerated bachelor’s/master’s dual degree program at Quinnipiac University. She’s a copy editor at The Quinnipiac Chronicle, where she edits articles, attends weekly deadline meetings and helps with the production of the weekly newsletter. She also reports and writes her own news stories based on campus updates and university events.

Our third recipient is Anya Grondalski, a double major in journalism and political science. She will be entering her final year of the communications 3+1 program at Quinnipiac University in the fall. She recently returned from a semester studying in Washington, D.C., where she worked in the Office of Public Affairs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She’ll spend her summer interning with Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network in radio production.

At Quinnipiac, she is the podcast producer for The Quinnipiac Chronicle, as well as a video host and assistant producer with Quinnipiac Productions. She is also a member of the Honors Program, and serves on the executive board for QU Democrats and Students for Environmental Action.

Robyn Karashik is a Ridgefield native who recently graduated magna cum laude from Quinnipiac University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She’ll be going back this fall to get her master’s degree in journalism as part of the 4+1 program.

Robyn works as a field coordinator with the Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee and hopes to become a multimedia journalist once her education is complete.

And we have a special scholarship this year in honor of the late Genevieve Reilly, a former longtime reporter for the Fairfield Citizen and Connecticut Post, and her father, John Reilly.

The Reilly scholarship has been awarded to Michael Sicoli, a journalism major who graduated from Quinnipiac University this past spring in his third year. He was The Quinnipiac Chronicle’s editor-in-chief during the 2021-22 academic year. He also was a member of the Dean’s List for each of his six semesters at college. Next summer he and 14 other students will attend a Quinnipiac-run program to cover the women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand, another step toward his goal of covering professional sports — preferably the NFL.

Good Morning Wilton, Hearst CT honored at CTSPJ awards gathering

Reporter Clare Dignan holds her awards plaque and speaks to attendees. — Clare Dignan

The First Amendment Award for Journalism Excellence was established by Connecticut SPJ to recognize the achievement of journalists who promote open government and the pursuit of freedom of the press and other First Amendment rights.

This year’s winner is: “A free press, a fair election,” by Heather Borden Herve from Good Morning Wilton.

Judges said this about the entry:

“A thorough dive into local candidates that utilizes First Amendment rights to shine a light on true positions and motivations of candidates. Revealing election coverage is critical to democracy and by going beyond the surface, by examining public documents and communications, this publication was able to provide the community important information. “

Heather was unable to attend but sent the following statement:

I’m sorry I couldn’t be there in person, and congratulations to everyone whose work was recognized today. Thank you for setting an example and keeping the bar high for all of us.
GOOD Morning Wilton is an independent, hyperlocal daily news website covering Wilton, CT, a small, suburban town with 18,000 residents. In 2013 the year I started GMW, Wilton had two weekly print newspapers, one bi-monthly magazine, and four daily news websites running news about Wilton. Now, like so many markets where corporate media ownership has impacted local journalism, only one weekly newspaper remains in addition to GMW, and even that paper has pared down coverage so much that it reports local election returns 4-5 days late.
The little guys like GMW matter all the more. Take, for instance, when an elected official publicly attacked us by name for asking questions, filing FOIAs and doing our work. When she threatened that she hoped the issue of “no unbiased media in town… would be resolved in the immediate future” — we knew how critical it is to keep working as we always have.
The small-town, hyperlocal experience doesn’t mean a First Amendment issue may not arise. It’s glaringly critical now, especially as we’ve seen media choices in our town winnowed away, how important and impactful our coverage is.
Voters told us over and over how they used our reporting to make their choices. Voters in each party told us they trusted our journalism. …We believe GMW’s reporting played a critical role in the election.
Thank you for recognizing that and validating why a free press is so vital.

The Stephen A. Collins Public Service Award is a special award for stories having a significant impact in the public interest. Entries must include supporting documentation such as letters, editorials, evidence of a change in public policy showing how the entry had an impact.

The award is named for Stephen A. Collins, a former editor of the Danbury News-Times, known throughout the state for his pioneering work on the state Freedom of Information Act. He was a long-time SPJ FOI chairman, and a member of the Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame.

This year’s winner is: “Lost to Abuse,” by Clare Dignan and Verónica Del Valle, from Hearst CT Media

Judges had this to say about the entry:

“This series is both overpowering and heartbreaking. ….The reporters and editors balanced emotional, personal stories with reams of data. These are sad but important stories to tell and memorialize.”

Clare Dignan was on hand to accept the award, and spoke about working on a difficult project involving a touchy topic like domestic violence. She mentioned how a person from a domestic violence support center recently let her know that someone had reached out to them for help because of what they had read in the local newspaper. “If we could help just one person, it was worth it,” Dignan said. “But I’d like to think we helped many more.”

The Theodore A. Driscoll Investigative Award is given for a single story or formal series containing information, obtained through reporter initiative, not readily available to the news media or public.

Theodore A. Driscoll was a Hartford Courant investigative reporter who helped found IRE, the Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. in 1975. He is a member of the Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame.

This year’s winner is: “Policing the Police,” by Bill Cummings, from Hearst CT Media

Judges had this to say about the entry:

“Thanks to the diligent investigating of Bill Cummings and Hearst CT Media, the public can now take a closer look at proceedings that by design were kept behind closed doors. Over nine months and through dozens of FOIA requests resulting in hard-fought battles over information not readily available to the public, dedicated journalists told a story of light reprimands, repeat offenses, and vanishing complaints, both broadly across the state and specifically in shocking cases of misconduct. Now the public can see the failings in a system that they fund, one that is meant to protect them. They can also see the areas that are still deliberately hidden by a lack of transparency on the part of many Connecticut police departments. This is fine investigative work that will surely result in positive change.”

Hearst CT Editor John Ferraro wears sunglasses and holds an awards plaque and speaks to attendees — John Ferraro

Bill was unable to attend the event, but editor John Ferraro briefed attendees on what went into covering such a big story. “It is time consuming, and it is expensive,” Ferraro said. “But we had the support and we are lucky we were able to do this project.”

CTSPJ elects new board for 2022-23

The Connecticut PRO chapter of the SPJ hosts annual elections for board officers. The new board officers start their terms July 1. Due to a bylaws change approved by members this past year, the board now consists of 11 members. As of July 1, 2023, the board will shrink in size to 10 members.

President – Lindsay Boyle (first of two potential one-year terms)

Vice President, programming – Jordan Fenster (first of two potential one-year terms)

Vice President, communications – Ayah Galal (no term limits)

Treasurer – Bruno Matarazzo (no term limits)

Secretary – Jeniece Roman (first of two potential one-year terms)

Past President – Viktoria Sundqvist (no term limits)

Board of Directors:

Darren Sweeney (second year of two-year term of 2021-23)

Mercy Quaye (filling a vacancy, second year of two-year term 2021-23)

Chandra Bozelko (filling a vacancy, second year of two-year term 2021-23)

Mike Savino (first year of two-year term – 2022-24)

Martha Shanahan (first year of two-year term – 2022-24)

Winners for 2021 Excellence in Journalism contest announced

An outdoor event to celebrate the winners of our Excellence in Journalism contest is planned for Saturday, June 25, from noon-4 p.m. at the Ansonia Nature Center pavilion, 10 Deerfield Road, Ansonia. More details here.

Click here to see winners of this year’s college contest.

All Media Special Awards

First Amendment Award
First Place
A free press, a fair election; Good Morning Wilton; Heather Borden Herve

Stephen A. Collins Public Service Award
First Place
Lost to abuse; Hearst CT Media; Clare Dignan, Verónica Del Valle

Theodore Driscoll Award for Investigative Reporting
First Place
Policing the police; Hearst CT Media; Bill Cummings

Arts & Entertainment

Hyperlocal
First Place
Conversations with the irrepressible Dolly Curtis; Easton Courier; Jane Paley, Richard Falco
Second Place
Cultivating wellbeing, belonging, curiosity, and empathy through art; East Haven Courier; Pem McNerney
Third Place
Darien group uses art to paint picture of equality; Darien Times; Susan Shultz

Regional A
First Place
Styx = grilled cheese; Waterbury Republican-American; Michael Chaiken
Second Place
Youth performance of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ aiming to teach conflict resolution; New Haven Register; Ben Lambert

Regional B
First Place
After BLM silencing, choral censorship battle reaches national stage; Arts Paper; Lucy Gellman
Second Place
Local artist remembered for making ‘community beautiful’; Record-Journal; Devin Leith-Yessian

Magazine
First Place
An artist out of Aesop; WAG Magazine; Phil Hall
Second Place
The Remains look back; Connecticut Magazine; Michael Catarevas

Broadcast
First Place
Ballet is for everyone; News 12; Annalisa Klebers,Christopher Wood

Audio Storytelling

Hyperlocal
First Place
Navel gazing podcast: The Valley Indy’s post-election autopsy; Valley Independent Sentinel; Eugene Driscoll
Second Place
Navel gazing podcast: Lauretti, DOT Boss, VCOG Rick talk multi-million dollar train station grant; Valley Independent Sentinel; Eugene Driscoll

Regional A
First Place
Looking for the Todt family; The Day; Taylor Hartz, Sten Spinella, Peter Huoppi, Carlos Virgen
Second Place
We spoke to residents whose lives have been forever changed by COVID-19. These are their stories.; Hartford Courant; Michael Hamad, Timothy Reck

Magazine
First Place
Author Dan Crowley & SCSU President Dr. Joe Bertolino; Connecticut Voice; Christopher Byrne

Broadcast
First Place
Juveniles, joyrides, & justice; WNPR; Walter Smith Randolph, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Jim Haddadin
Second Place
31st July 2021 Edition; Connecticut East This Week; Brian Scott-Smith
Third Place
2nd January 2021 Edition; Connecticut East This Week; Brian Scott-Smith

Breaking News

Hyperlocal
First Place
Ansonia police investigate shooting; city researching surveillance system; Valley Independent Sentinel; Eugene Driscoll, Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
Second Place
Derby police officer shoots person on Division Street; Valley Independent Sentinel; Eugene Driscoll

Regional A
First Place
Former Hartford police sergeant keeps teen from jumping off Founders Bridge; Hartford Courant; Christine Dempsey
Second Place
Opponents of mandatory vaccinations for public school dominate hearing; Hearst CT Media; Ken Dixon

Regional B
First Place
Flooding; New Britain Herald; Justin Muszynski
Second Place
‘It’s really unreal:’ Wilbur Cross students rattled after lockdown; Arts Paper; Lucy Gellman

Broadcast
First Place
Eviction orders spiked in Connecticut when federal moratorium lapsed; WNPR; Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Jim Haddadin, Walter Smith Randolph
Second Place
A small jet crashes into a bulding in Farmington; WTIC-AM; John Silva
Third Place
Hurricane Ida cleanup; News 12; John Craven, Mark Sogofsky

Business

Hyperlocal
First Place
Darien man’s cereal company gets nationwide attention; Darien Times; Susan Shultz
Second Place
DeLauro visits downtown Branford merchants to gauge recovery efforts; The Sound; Pam Johnson

Regional A
First Place
‘There’s no one easy explanation’ why restaurant workers left industry; The Day; Erica Moser
Second Place
The fourth estate’s future; Waterbury Republican-American; Michael Puffer
Third Place
Connecticut diners could expect to pay more for menu items; Hartford Courant; Susan Dunne

Regional B
First Place
Newtown diner; News-Times; Rob Ryser
Second Place
Flip enriches middleman, burns tenants; New Haven Independent; Tom Breen
Third Place
Increased demand for bicycles, repairs fueled by pandemic; Journal Inquirer; Matthew P. Knox

Magazine
First Place
Stopping embezzlement: How to protect your business from the thief within; New Haven Biz; Michelle Tuccitto Sullo
Second Place
In the black; Today Magazine; Bruce Deckert
Third Place
New Haven-area manufacturers anticipate long-term impacts — some positive — from supply chain crisis; New Haven Biz; Liese Klein

Broadcast
First Place
Cannabis billboards; NBC 30; Katherine Loy, Garett Allison, Jonathan Wardle
Second Place
The Porch; News 12; Mark Sudol, Mark Sogofsky
Third Place
Rein’s Deli dealing with kosher meat, worker shortage; NBC 30; Caitlin Burchill, David Mulligan

Continuing Coverage

Hyperlocal
First Place
Water company controversy; Fairfield Citizen; Katrina Koerting
Second Place
Police, fire officials sex assault case; Shelton Herald; Donald Eng, Brian Gioiele
Third Place
Coverage of controversy over proposed chicken slaughterhouse approved in residential neighborhood; Easton Courier; Ann Marie Somma, Kelly Wendt

Regional A
First Place
State lawmaker arrest; Connecticut Post; Brian Lockhart
Second Place
CNN staffer charged; Hearst CT Media; Tara O’Neill, Liz Hardaway, Peter Yankowski
Third Place
Covid and group homes; Hearst CT Media; Julia Bergman

Regional B
First Place
Inappropriate conduct in schools investigation; Middletown Press; Cassandra Day, Adam Hushin
Second Place
Heat shut off; New Britain Herald; Erica Drzewiecki
Third Place
Grand Cafe occupation; Arts Paper; Lucy Gellman

Magazine
First Place
Delicious; Seasons Magazine; Amy S. White

Broadcast
First Place
State trooper sentenced, resigns after 2019 drunk driving crash in cruiser; NBC 30; Caitlin Burchill

Courts/Crime

Regional A
First Place
Hamden homicide victim was new father excited for his upcoming high school graduation; New Haven Register; Meghan Friedmann
Second Place
How the FBI ID’d a CT man in the U.S. Capitol mob; Hearst CT Media; Dan Brechlin, Lidia Ryan, Bryan Haeffele

Regional B
First Place
She needs to come home; The Hour; Rich Chumney
Second Place
Middletown mother of six fatally stabbed showed strength in final moments, daughter says; Middletown Press; Cassandra Day

Magazine
First Place
On the trail of a killer; Connecticut Magazine; Erik Ofgang
Second Place
From Cuba to Connecticut; Today Magazine; Odalys Bekanich

Broadcast
First Place
Car crime 2.0; NBC 30; Len Besthoff, Jonathan Wardle, Jose Gomez
Second Place
Justice for Mari; News 12; Lauren Fabrizi, Keith Sunthorn

COVID-Investigative

Regional A
First Place
A cancer patient was sent to prison for DUI. Two months later, he was dead from COVID.; Connecticut Mirror; Dave Altimari, Kelan Lyons
Second Place
COVID and Trump towns; Hearst CT Media; Jordan Fenster
Third Place
Griffin Health’s lucrative COVID testing contracts; Connecticut Mirror; Dave Altimari

Regional B
First Place
After $2,774 COVID test, Dunner persists; New Haven Independent; Tom Breen
Second Place
Are Danbury area political candidates vaccinated?; News-Times; Currie Engel
Third Place
Effort to expand vaccine access continues in Meriden amid challenges; Record-Journal; Michael Gagne

Magazine
First Place
Business, interrupted: Insurance claims often denied for pandemic-related business closures; New Haven Biz; Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

Broadcast
First Place
Blue Hills FD PPP; NBC 30; Len Besthoff, Jonathan Wardle

COVID-News

Hyperlocal
First Place
Ethics and responsibility — the social contract of contact tracing after WHS outbreak; Good Morning Wilton; Heather Borden Herve
Second Place
One year later–video interview with Wilton’s (and CT’s) first COVID-19 patient, Chris Tillett; Good Morning Wilton; Heather Borden Herve
Third Place
Darien nurse beats COVID-19, returns to treating pandemic patients; Darien Times; Susan Shultz

Regional A
First Place
COVID-19 long-haulers struggle with persistent mental health issues; Hartford Courant; Eliza Fawcett
Second Place
‘Barely a Band-Aid’: Experts say $600 stimulus could be too little too late for struggling workers; New Haven Register; Brian Zahn
Third Place
Hill Health Center nurses make steep climb to vaccinate seafarers; Connecticut Health I-Team; Kate Farrish

Regional B
First Place
Local seniors struggle to schedule vaccinations, face long wait times; Record-Journal; Mary Ellen Godin
Second Place
Hunt for vaccines; News-Times; Currie Engel
Third Place
Contact tracing — could it be telling us more?; Record-Journal; Lauren Takores

Magazine
First Place
COVID shutdown; Today Magazine; Katherine Napier
Second Place
Sense of loss; Connecticut Magazine; Meg Weisberg

Broadcast
First Place
One year later: CT’s ‘patient zero’ reflects; NBC 30; Heidi Voight
Second Place
Therapy dog helps kids heal from pandemic; NBC 30; Heidi Voight, Gregg Monte
Third Place
Governor’s new COVID strategy; NBC 30; Nicholas Doscher, Jamie Ratliff

COVID-Photo

Hyperlocal
First Place
A distanced show of support; Harbor News; Kelley Fryer

Regional A
First Place
Getting vaccinated; New Haven Register; Arnold Gold
Second Place
Closing day; Hartford Courant; Mark Mirko
Third Place
Friendly hands; Hartford Courant; Mark Mirko

COVID-Series

Hyperlocal
First Place
COVID creativity; The Sound; Pem McNerney and Kelley Fryer

Regional A
First Place
The lost year; The Day; Staff
Second Place
Connecticut’s uneven recovery; Connecticut Mirror; Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Kasturi Pananjady
Third Place
Reflect/rebuild; Hearst CT Media; Staff

Regional B
First Place
COVID-19 vaccine project; Record-Journal; Jareliz Diaz, Mary Ellen Godin, Jesse Buchanan, Lauren Takores

Broadcast
First Place
The new normal; News 12; Chris Vaccaro, Kelly Drossel, Doug Geed, Erin Colton, Phil Dowling, Kevin Benjamin, Henry Salmaggi, Christine Amante, Sandrina Rodrigues, Christine McGrath, Shawn Brown, Elizabeth Hashagen

Second Place
The next normal CT; News 12; Mark Sudol, Mark Sogofsky

Data

Hyperlocal
First Place
Wiltons changing demographics: Census 2020 reveals more diversity, fewer children and lasting impact; Good Morning Wilton; Kathy Bonnist

Regional A
First Place
Women of color overrepresented in domestic violence arrests, data show; Connecticut Health I-Team; Lisa Backus
Second Place
Data show decrease in prison sex abuse reports, survivor advocates say fear and ambivalence persist; Connecticut Health I-Team; W. Tanner Bryant, Jodie Mozdzer Gil
Third Place
COVID-19 risk level differs from town to town based on how many people have been vaccinated; Hartford Courant; Tim Reck

Regional B
First Place
The highest-paid workers in north central Connecticut towns do it with overtime; Journal Inquirer; Eric Bedner

Broadcast
First Place
Failing foundations; News 12; News 12 Networks
Second Place
5 things to know about juvenile crime in Connecticut; WNPR; Jim Haddadin

Diversity Coverage

Hyperlocal
First Place
Superintendent Harrison details difficult decision to leave ER9 schools; Easton Courier; Nancy Doniger, Richard Falco
Second Place
Sister, don’t give up; Trumbull Times; Don Eng
Third Place
Fairfield group rebukes racist antagonists: ‘Never let them win’; Fairfield Patch; Anna Bybee-Schier

Regional A
First Place
Deep roots drive Newhallville stakeholders to advance neighborhood equity; Connecticut Health I-Team; Sujata Srinivasan, Melanie Stengel
Second Place
Targeting disparities in colorectal cancer screening; Connecticut Health I-Team; Elizabeth Heubeck
Third Place
UConn group, Connecticut photographer take on anti-Asian violence and the fight against invisibility; Hartford Courant; Susan Dunne

Regional B
First Place
Danbury’s Hispanic population; News-Times; Julia Perkins
Second Place
Fewer Black and Hispanic residents are getting vaccines; Stamford Advocate; Verónica Del Valle
Third Place
From Jim Crow south to Connecticut, Meriden man has spent lifetime battling racism; Record-Journal; Jeffery Kurz

Magazine
First Place
MLK memorial; Today Magazine; Katherine Napier
Second Place
The secret lives of doctors: Dr. Marja Hurley, the mentor; Connecticut Magazine; Theresa Sullivan Barger

Broadcast
First Place
Justice for all: Mental health in PD; News 12; Shosh Bedrosian, John Dempsey, Frank Bruce
Second Place
1619 Project emails; NBC 30; Len Besthoff, Jonathan Wardle

Editorial

Hyperlocal
First Place
GMW’s holiday message from the editor; Good Morning Wilton; Heather Borden Herve

Regional A
First Place
The history lessons taught on Jan. 6, 2021; Hearst CT Media; John Breunig

Regional B
First Place
An insurrection that failed at the nation’s Capitol; Record-Journal; Jeffery Kurz
Second Place
Connecticut Supreme Court takes a step backward; Record-Journal; Glenn Richter

Editorial Cartoon

Regional A
First Place
Vaccine zeros; The Day; Jacinta Meyers

Regional B
First Place
COVID holidays; Record-Journal; Kevin Markowski
Second Place
Mill rate and pickleball; Record-Journal; Kevin Markowski
Third Place
Community chest; Record-Journal; Justin Piccirillo

Education

Hyperlocal
First Place
Living the American dream, with help from SAE; The Sound; Pam Johnson
Second Place
Wilton keeps Warriors name; Wilton Bulletin; J.D. Freda
Third Place
ER9 boards of education approve DEI surveys; Easton Courier; Ann Marie Somma and Nancy Doniger

Regional A
First Place
Critical race theory has proved divisive. What is it?; The Day; Erica Moser
Second Place
English learners and pandemic; Connecticut Post; Cayla Bamberger
Third Place
Like you ‘lost a piece of you’: Pandemic forces CT students to apply to college with leaner resumes; New Haven Register; Brian Zahn

Regional B
First Place
You go into a panic; The Hour; Emily Morgan
Second Place
Co-op gets into its back-to-school rhythm; Arts Paper; Lucy Gellman
Third Place
I lived through hell; Stamford Advocate; Ignacio Laguarda

Magazine
First Place
Simple as ABC; Today Magazine; Bruce Deckert
Second Place
Back to school out and proud; Connecticut Voice; Dawn Ennis
Third Place
Yale’s $7B capital campaign reflects shifts in nonprofit fundraising focus; New Haven Biz; Liese Klein

Broadcast
First Place
As new school year begins, some immunocompromised families feel left behind; WNPR; Walter Smith Randolph
Second Place
Girls future firefighter camp; NBC 30; Nicholas Doscher, Jamie Ratliff
Third Place
Remote learning: The student perspective; NBC 30; Len Besthoff, Jonathan Wardle, Sarah Willson

Feature Photo

Hyperlocal
First Place
Snow day; The Source; Kelley Fryer
Second Place
Children enjoying ride at Easton Fireman’s Carnival; Easton Courier; Richard Falco
Third Place
A grand finale in Guilford; Guilford Courier; Wesley Bunnell

Regional A
First Place
Bird conservation; New Haven Register; Arnold Gold
Second Place
Whale yoga; The Day; Sarah Gordon
Third Place
Spaw treatment; The Day; Sean D. Elliot

Regional B
First Place
Tropical Storm Elsa leaves flooding, hazards on local roads; Record-Journal; Aaron Flaum
Second Place
Beyond the branches; Record-Journal; Dave Zajac
Third Place
Fall foliage in the park; Record-Journal; Aaron Flaum

Magazine
First Place
Ghostly glitterati; Seasons Magazine; Stan Godlewski
Second Place
Still-life dancer; Connecticut Voice; Stan Godlewski
Third Place
Paddle on; Seasons Magazine; Stan Godlewski

Feature Story

Hyperlocal
First Place
After 70 years in limbo, Seymour soldier accounted for; Valley Independent Sentinel; Eugene Driscoll
Second Place
Megan Leubner: Crisis hero award winner; North Haven Courier; Jason J. Marchi
Third Place
Sign of spring: Darien roadside tradition takes on added meaning this year; Darien Times; Susan Shultz

Regional A
First Place
Escapes from Afghanistan, coordinated from a home office in Connecticut; Connecticut Mirror; Mark Pazniokas
Second Place
Alzheimer’s wedding; Hearst CT Media; Andrew DaRosa
Third Place
Good times and bad at the Lighthouse Inn; The Day; John Ruddy

Regional B
First Place
A rare glimpse of redemption; CTNewsJunkie; Lisa Backus
Second Place
7 years later; News-Times; Rob Ryser
Third Place
Everything she did in the community was light: Activist Maia Leonardo passes on at 28; Arts Paper; Lucy Gellman

Magazine
First Place
The last of the Connecticut River watermen; Estuary Magazine; David Holahan
Second Place
The founder; Connecticut Magazine; Rand Richards Cooper
Third Place
The fabulous ’70s decade of after dark magazine; Connecticut Voice; Frank Rizzo

Broadcast
First Place
Girl whisperer; News 12; Suzanne Goldklang, Frank Bruce
Second Place
From prison to Trinity College; WFSB; Audrey Russo
Third Place
One more chat with dad; News 12; Sean McCabe

General Column

Hyperlocal
First Place
Buy Nothing Facebook groups build connection during trying times; Valley Independent Sentinel; Jodie Mozdzer Gil
Second Place
Winter weather report: Hot with a chance of boiling over; Easton Courier; Richard Lechtenberg

Regional A
First Place
Enriching the rich; Connecticut Mirror; David Holahan
Second Place
MLK in CT and the continuing story of segregation; Hearst CT Media; Hugh Bailey
Third Place
Let freedom ring?; Connecticut Mirror; David Holahan

Regional B
First Place
Critical race theory is our modern-day ‘Crucible’; CTNewsJunkie; Barth Keck
Second Place
Trump threw away his legacy on human trafficking; Norwich Bulletin; Chandra Bozelko
Third Place
Is my son OK?; News-Times; Sandra Diamond Fox

Magazine
First Place
War torn; Connecticut Magazine; Ron Farina
Second Place
Our storied collections; Connecticut Magazine; Albie Yuravich
Third Place
Running for my life; Connecticut Magazine; Joseph M. Korzon

Government

Hyperlocal
First Place
Citizen complaint sparks heated debate about police records in Old Saybrook; Harbor News; Eric O’Connell
Second Place
Easton to increase security at the polls following breach; Easton Courier; Nancy Doniger, Ann Marie Somma
Third Place
Proposed zoning bills reveal political divide in Darien; Darien Times; Susan Shultz

Regional A
First Place
Ned Lamont’s year in the shadow of COVID; Connecticut Mirror; Mark Pazniokas
Second Place
Old Saybrook releases $190,000 settlement records days before FOI hearing; New Haven Register; Meghan Friedmann
Third Place
Trump supporters missing from State Capitol as anticipated protest fizzles; Hearst CT Media; Ken Dixon

Regional B
First Place
Latest clash in Stamford mayoral race; Stamford Advocate; Brianna Gurciullo
Second Place
State reps get personal as CROWN Act passes house; Arts Paper; Lucy Gellman
Third Place
Anti-mask disruption; News-Times; Currie Engel

Broadcast
First Place
Sedition hunters; NBC 30; Len Besthoff, Jonathan Wardle, Lorraine Roe
Second Place
Helping firefighters with cancer; News 12; John Craven, MarkSogofsky

Headline

Hyperlocal
First Place
Headllines from the sound; The Sound; Pam Johnson

Regional A
First Place
Hot dog days of summer; red zone blues; vaccine boost; New Haven Register; Susan Nusbaum
Second Place
Ruddy headlines; The Day; John Ruddy
Third Place
Water logged; hail to the Yalies; open bar; New Haven Register; Susan Nusbaum

Regional B
First Place
Haze, companies, spirit; News-Times; Lynn Schnier
Second Place
Organ tranplant / Sweet dreams satisfied / Full STEAM ahead; Greenwich Time; Ashley Winchester
Third Place
Prayer, fishing, noise; News-Times; Lynn Schnier

Magazine
First Place
War torn; The dark of light; The mother of all voices; Connecticut Magazine; Albie Yuravich
Second Place
Down south for the count; Off the beaten paths; Goose is cooking; Connecticut Magazine; Greg Moody

Health

Regional A
First Place
Medical providers are taking nature therapy seriously; Connecticut Health I-Team; Jenifer Frank
Second Place
For some transgender people, pandemic paves path to transition; Connecticut Health I-Team; Carol Leonetti Dannhauser
Third Place
Yale Study links housing instability and risky sexual behaviors; Connecticut Health I-Team; Kate Farrish

Regional B
First Place
Undercounted; News-Times; Currie Engel, Shayla Colon
Second Place
Artists team up to “vacúnate Fair Haven”; Arts Paper; Lucy Gellman
Third Place
Officials: In Northwest CT, ‘There aren’t a lot of resources’ to address rural health care needs; Register Citizen; Emily M. Olson

Magazine
First Place
Since the lockdown, drinking among women is a growing health problem; Connecticut Magazine; Theresa Sullivan Barger
Second Place
Concussion symptoms can be devastating. But what happpens when they won’t go away?; Connecticut Magazine; Theresa Sullivan Barger
Third Place
Helping teens find their authentic selves; Connecticut Voice; Jane Latus

Broadcast
First Place
Help coming for undocumented immigrants trapped in Connecticut hospitals; WNPR; Jacqueline Rabe Thomas
Second Place
Therapy dog helps kids heal from pandemic; NBC 30; Heidi Voight, Gregg Monte
Third Place
Bringing mommy home to die; News 12; Frank Recchia, Lori Golias

Humorous Column

Hyperlocal
First Place
The great silverware caper of 1908; Easton Courier; Bruce Nelson
Second Place
It’s weird to be normal; Guilford Courier; Julianna Gribbins

Regional A
First Place
Happy to be taken for a ride; Hearst CT Media; John Breunig
Second Place
Miss Misinformation pageant; Connecticut Mirror; David Holahan
Third Place
The secret language of autism; Hearst CT Media; John Breunig

Regional B
First Place
My beef with Mr. Harding; Record-Journal; Glenn Richter
Second Place
Is it me, or is it … ? Oh, it’s me; Record-Journal; Glenn Richter

Magazine
First Place
Final thoughts; Seasons Magazine; Matthew Dicks
Second Place
Adventures with the weed; Connecticut Magazine; A. H. Saxon

In-Depth

Hyperlocal
First Place
Superintendent Harrison details difficult decision to leave ER9 schools; Easton Courier; Nancy Doniger, Richard Falco
Second Place
They helped us, now we can help them; North Haven Courier; Pem McNerney

Regional A
First Place
From Kabul to New Haven: 30 hours to freedom; The Day; Taylor Hartz
Second Place
‘A record of rejection.’ State batting away one group’s onslaught of election fraud claims; Hearst CT Media; Ken Dixon

Regional B
First Place
Stop pointing fingers, we all lost Afghanistan; Greenwich Time; David Rafferty
Second Place
Train station passes; The Hour; Abigail Brone

Magazine
First Place
Submarine down!; Connecticut Magazine; Michael J. Bielawa
Second Place
Invisible empire: The history of the KKK in Connecticut; Connecticut Magazine; Christopher Hoffman
Third Place
From Vietnam to snow patrol; Today Magazine; Bruce Deckert

Broadcast
First Place
East Windsor officer goes over the line; NBC 30; Len Besthoff, Jonathan Wardle
Second Place
Connecticut remembers 9/11, 20 years later; NBC 30; Heidi Voight, Lorraine Roe, Jon Wardle, Thea DiGiammerino, Keisha Grant, Kevin Nathan, Len Besthoff, Dan Corcoran, Dominique Moody, Katherine Loy
Third Place
Book sales and borrowing rise during COVID; NBC 30; Nicholas Doscher, Jamie Ratliff

Infographic Design

Regional A
First Place
Chaos at the Capitol; Hearst CT Media; Bryan Haeffele, Ian Murren
Second Place
Winds of change; The Day; Scott Ritter
Third Place
How much water do we use?; Hearst CT Media; Bryan Haeffele

Regional B
First Place
UConn women in the Final Four; Journal Inquirer; Hollister Breslin

Infographic Reporting

Regional A
First Place
The language of the pandemic; The Day; Maria Reagan, Timothy Cotter
Second Place
2021 Connecticut town-by-town municipal election results; Hartford Courant; Tim Reck

Investigative

Hyperlocal
First Place
Fairfield PD captain resigns after internal affairs probe: report; Fairfield Patch; Anna Bybee-Schier

Regional A
First Place
‘This will all be underwater’: As climate change arrives in CT; Hartford Courant; Eliza Fawcett, Alex Putterman
Second Place
Rising seas; Hearst CT Media; Jordan Fenster

Regional B
First Place
Emails reveal debate over LGBTQ video in Southington; Record-Journal; Jesse Buchanan
Second Place
How $100M+ flowed to megalandlords; New Haven Independent; Tom Breen

Magazine
First Place
Face to face with the greatest generation; Today Magazine; Bruce Deckert

Broadcast
First Place
Failing foundations- crumbling conditions; News 12; Shosh Bedrosian, Christopher Wood, Frank Bruce
Second Place
Brewery surveillance video shows trooper’s actions before drunk driving crash in Southbury; NBC 30; Caitlin Burchill
Third Place
As sperm donation demand increases, some seek donors on social media; NBC 30; Caitlin Burchill, David Mulligan

Leisure

Hyperlocal
First Place
Sunday nature walk: Summer’s end; Easton Courier; Tomas Koeck

Regional A
First Place
C’est magnifique!; The Day; Kristina Dorsey
Second Place
They can chicken out; Connecticut Post; Ashley Winchester
Third Place
Ultimate New Haven pizza guide; Hearst CT Media; Leeanne Griffin

Regional B
First Place
Christmas Eve tradition declines; Feast of the Seven Fishes less important for Italian-Americans; Journal Inquirer; Tim Leininger
Second Place
Returning to movie theaters; New Britain Herald; Erica Drzewiecki
Third Place
Who has the best fast-food chicken sandwich? JI reporters rate seven of them; Journal Inquirer; Tim Leininger

Magazine
First Place
Chef Danilo Mongillo reopens Strega, bringing his across-the-Atlantic delights to Milford; Connecticut Magazine; James Gribbon
Second Place
The taste of home: the surprising vineyards of the Connecticut River Valley; Estuary Magazine; Eric D. Lehman, Amy Nawrocki
Third Place
The incredible shrinking lawn: How to create a nature-friendly yard; Connecticut Magazine; Theresa Sullivan Barger

Broadcast
First Place
Homegrown cannabis in CT; NBC 30; Len Besthoff, Jonathan Wardle
Second Place
Road trip Norfolk; News 12; Lori Golias
Third Place
Lasagna with love; News 12; Suzanne Goldklang, Christina Alaio

Local Reporting

Hyperlocal
First Place
Still seeking justice for family lost on 9/11; Easton Courier; Nancy Doniger
Second Place
A difficult day for Branford; The Sound; Pam Johnson, Kelley Fryer
Third Place
He could have died; New Canaan Advertiser; Grace Duffield

Regional A
First Place
In Hamden and New Haven, ex-offenders fight violence on the front lines; New Haven Register; Meghan Friedmann
Second Place
Homemade guns are showing up more at Connecticut crime scenes, police say; Hartford Courant; Christine Dempsey
Third Place
CT town at forefront of national debate over facial recognition tech; New Haven Register; Meghan Friedmann

Regional B
First Place
Everything she did in the community was light: Activist Maia Leonardo passes on at 28; Arts Paper; Lucy Gellman
Second Place
Local residents denounce riots; The Chronicle; Michelle Warren

Magazine
First Place
Peace, comfort dogs, and joy; Seasons Magazine; Renee DiNino
Second Place
Coyotes calling; Today Magazine; Samantha Lewis

Broadcast
First Place
History is worth saving; News 12; Shosh Bedrosian, Christopher Wood, John Dempsey, Christina Alaio
Second Place
‘Every kid deserves a chance to play’: Windsor honors coach lost to COVID-19; NBC 30; Heidi Voight, Gregg Monte
Third Place
Same spot at the table; News 12; Lauren Fabrizi, Frank Bruce

News Photo

Hyperlocal
First Place
A day to remember: Guilford observes 20th anniversary of 9/11; Guilford Courier; Wesley Bunnell
Second Place
Girl with flag at Memorial Day Parade; Easton Courier; Richard Falco

Regional A
First Place
Tree lighting; New Haven Register; Arnold Gold
Second Place
Standing for liberty; The Day; Sean D. Elliot
Third Place
Visiting firebrand; The Day; Sean D. Elliot

Regional B
First Place
Funeral of Officer Benjamin Lovett; Journal Inquirer; Jim Michaud

Non-Page 1 Layout

Regional A
First Place
9/11; Hearst CT Media; Bryan Haeffele
Second Place
From beyond the grave; Waterbury Republican-American; Bill O’Brien
Third Place
The 14th Regiment, Connecticut; Waterbury Republican-American; Jim Flynn

Regional B
First Place
UConn basketball preview; Journal Inquirer; Hollister Breslin
Second Place
Celebrating 150 years; New Britain Herald; James Drzewiecki

Magazine
First Place
Off the beaten paths; Connecticut Magazine; Greg Moody
Second Place
Home & design guide; Connecticut Magazine; Alyson Moschcovich
Third Place
The Remains look back; Connecticut Magazine; Greg Moody

Page 1 Layout

Regional A
First Place
Pandemic deaths leave an irreplaceable void; The Day; Scott Ritter
Second Place
When the dream came to CT; Hearst CT Media; Sue Nusbaum
Third Place
Big blaze, big loss, big art; Waterbury Republican-American; Jim Flynn

Regional B
First Place
Funky, diverse; Greenwich Time; Susan Nusbaum
Second Place
Bonded by tragedy; News-Times; Lynn Schnier

Magazine
First Place
River’s realty enriches valley; Today Magazine; Bruce Deckert
Second Place
Connecticut Magazine 50th anniversary cover; Connecticut Magazine; Ryan Olbrysh
Third Place
Fame and the Forrest Gump effect; Today Magazine; Bruce Deckert

Photo Essay

Hyperlocal
First Place
The Easton Fireman’s Carnival is in town!; Easton Courier; Richard Falco
Second Place
Easton celebrates Memorial Day; Easton Courier; Richard Falco and Kelly Wendt

Regional A
First Place
Tropical Storm Henri in CT; Hearst CT Media; Staff
Second Place
Bone finder; Hearst CT Media; Patrick Sikes
Third Place
Danbury Mall shooting; Hearst CT Media; Liz Hardaway, Peter Yankowski, Tara O’Neill, Sandra Diamond Fox, H. John Voorhees III, Patrick Sikes, Nicole Funaro, Lidia Ryan

Regional B
First Place
Mad science; Greenwich Time; Susan Nusbaum, Christian Abraham
Second Place
Wadin’ and shadin’; Stamford Advocate; Susan Nusbaum, Christian Abraham
Third Place
Independence through art; Stamford Advocate; Susan Nusbaum,Christian Abraham

Magazine
First Place
Between two worlds; Seasons Magazine; Stan Godlewski
Second Place
Pilobolus dance; Connecticut Voice; Stan Godlewski
Third Place
The egg & I; Seasons Magazine; Mary Quinn

Religion

Hyperlocal
First Place
In search of grace; Easton Courier; Jane Paley
Second Place
What it takes to get through the darkest of dark times; The Sound; Pem McNerney

Regional A
First Place
Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Guadalupe; Waterbury Republican-American; Jay Dunn
Second Place
Farewell, Father Joe; Waterbury Republican-American; Tracey O’Shaughnessy
Third Place
For Old Lyme minister, it’s social justice and more; The Day; Elizabeth Regan

Regional B
First Place
Kapelye conjures Hanukkah miracles on Tower Lane; Arts Paper; Lucy Gellman
Second Place
Queer And Christian: Children of God find the light; Arts Paper; Leah Andelsmith
Third Place
A tinge of racial or religious fear; The Hour; Abigail Brone

Magazine
First Place
Have faith: How LGBTQ+ clergy are welcoming us home for the holidays; Connecticut Voice; Dawn Ennis
Second Place
Going where the spirit leads; WAG Magazine; Phil Hall

Broadcast
First Place
Exorcism in Stamford; News 12; Sean McCabe, John Dempsey

Reporting Series

Hyperlocal
First Place
Students help beloved counselor find kidney donor — right in town; Good Morning Wilton; Kathy Bonnist, Heather Borden Herve
Second Place
Making music; Valley Courier; Rita Christopher

Regional A
First Place
Lost to abuse; Connecticut Post; Clare Dignan, Verónica Del Valle
Second Place
Planning for a changing climate; Connecticut Mirror; Jan Ellen Spiegel
Third Place
Fish tales: Life on the sea; The Day; Joe Wojtas, Greg Smith, Erica Moser

Magazine
First Place
MLK’s vision; Today Magazine; Bruce Deckert, Naviah Barrow, Katherine Napier, Lisa G. Samia, Sarah Thompson, Terri Wilson

Broadcast
First Place
Back to in-person school: How the pandemic is affecting Connecticut education; WNPR; Walter Smith Randolph, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Jim Haddadin
Second Place
Connecticut remembers 9/11, 20 years later; NBC 30; Heidi Voight, Lorraine Roe, Jon Wardle, Thea DiGiammerino, Keisha Grant, Kevin Nathan, Len Besthoff, Dan Corcoran, Dominique Moody, Katherine Loy

Sports Column

Regional A
First Place
A daughter’s promise; Hearst CT Media; Jeff Jacobs
Second Place
Baylor coach Kim Mulkey’s COVID comments ignorant and dangerous; Hearst CT Media; Jeff Jacobs
Third Place
Like father, like son, both knew UConn football was a challenge Jim Mora couldn’t resist; Hartford Courant; Dom Amore

Regional B
First Place
Gildea, Strand shared a special bond; The Chronicle; Mike Sypher
Second Place
Rich kids sports offer road to Ivies; Greenwich Time; David Rafferty
Third Place
When it comes to sports gambling, the game is rigged; Greenwich Time; David Rafferty

Sports Feature

Hyperlocal
First Place
She just wanted to play; Valley Courier; Pem McNerney
Second Place
Remembering Newington co-op’s historic 5 OT win; CollinsvillePress.com; Gerry deSimas, Jr.
Third Place
Being grateful a key for Helstein during pandemic; Greenwich Sentinel; Paul Silverfarb

Regional A
First Place
NFA senior Valeria Yraita-Zevallos draws strength from the women who raised her; The Day; Vickie Fulkerson
Second Place
UConn’s top 5; Hearst CT Media; David Borges
Third Place
The Equus Effect, an experiential equine program; Hartford Courant; Lori Riley

Regional B
First Place
‘Big Guy’ leaves a lasting legacy; The Chronicle; Mike Sypher
Second Place
Preparation, practice have helped Nick Grosso get to the NCAA tournament; Connecticut Wrestling Online; Gerry deSimas, Jr.
Third Place
A guardian over all of us; Record-Journal; Bryant Carpenter

Magazine
First Place
Okwandu relishes recollection of UConn title; Today Magazine; Nishant Gopalachar
Second Place
Raising the game; Seasons Magazine; Andrew Kelsey
Third Place
The beloved Hartford Whalers: A team that continues to inspire to this day; Seasons Magazine; Dennis House

Broadcast
First Place
Adaptive blind baseball; NBC 30; Matt Finkel
Second Place
Grandma Marge; News 12; Marissa Alter, Jim Mennino
Third Place
A perfect game; NBC 30; Matt Finkel

Hyperlocal
First Place
Avon stops Lewis Mills to win CCC Tier 4 title and secure a playoff berth; CollinsvillePress.com; Gerry deSimas, Jr.
Second Place
Avon beats Wallingford to win first American Legion baseball state championship; CollinsvillePress.com; Gerry deSimas, Jr.
Third Place
Hand defeats Guilford 43-18, qualifies for playoffs; The Source; Dean Bibens

Sports News

Regional A
First Place
Bueckers will get paid; Hearst CT Media; Paul Doyle
Second Place
Covid lab at UConn; Hearst CT Media; Mike Anthony
Third Place
UConn pitcher Justin Willis, family survived harrowing escape from collapsed condos in Surfside, FL; Hartford Courant; Dom Amore

Regional B
First Place
Coventry’s Prior has plenty in reserve; Journal Inquirer; Adam Betz
Second Place
UConn offer serves as motivation for Windsor football senior Samuels; Journal Inquirer; Kyle Maher

Broadcast
First Place
Play like Danni; News 12; Marissa Alter, Jim Mennino
Second Place
UHart moves to Division III; NBC 30; Matt Finkel

Sports Photo

Hyperlocal
First Place
A flat out; The Sound; Kelley Fryer

Regional A
First Place
Out of the box; The Day; Sean D. Elliot
Second Place
Sweet leap; Hartford Courant; Mark Mirko
Third Place
Pass defended; The Day; Sean D. Elliot

Regional B
First Place
Interference; Record-Journal; Dave Zajac
Second Place
Manchester beats Peabody; Journal Inquirer; Jim Michaud
Third Place
Endzone elation; Record-Journal; Dave Zajac

Video Storytelling

Hyperlocal
First Place
‘Modified and totally not normal’ Barlow Palooza; Easton Courier; Nancy Doniger, Richard Falco, Tomas Koeck
Second Place
Mr. Pompa’s surprise: Days before kidney transplant, more GOOD news for beloved WHS counselor; Good Morning Wilton; Heather Borden Herve

Regional A
First Place
Died in Salisbury Prison; Waterbury Republican-American; Lee Lewis, Martin Begnal
Second Place
Dog delivers paper in Mystic; The Day; Peter Huoppi
Third Place
The secret to finding a parking spot in Mystic; The Day; Peter Huoppi, Rick Koster

Broadcast
First Place
Adaptive blind baseball; NBC 30; Matt Finkel
Second Place
In my heart; News 12; Mark Sogofsky

Connecticut SPJ 2021 Excellence in Journalism Contest now accepting entries

December 30, 2021
by Connecticut SPJ
in Contest
No comments yet

The 2021 Excellence in Journalism contest is open for entries. The deadline is ~~Friday, Feb. 11~~ Tuesday, Feb. 15! You can enter the contest here. The contest is open for items published or broadcast in 2021. We are keeping four COVID categories for content related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Entry fees are $10 for members (with valid SPJ member number) and $25 for non-members or entries paid for by a news organization. Please contact log into your membership account on the national SPJ website if you do not know your membership number.

For questions about the Connecticut contest, please contact contest clerk Kathleen Farmer at kathleenctspj@gmail.com.

Categories

All media outlets compete against each other in the top three special awards categories. For the rest of the categories (below), media outlets will compete in one of five circulation classes.

Stephen A. Collins Public Service Award

Theodore Driscoll Award for Investigative Reporting

This is a special award open to all media for a single story or formal series containing information, obtained through reporter initiative not readily available to the news media or public.

First Amendment Award

This is a special award open to all media for a single story, column or series which increases public understanding of the role of the press in a free society.

MAIN CONTEST CATEGORIES

COVID News | A single story that highlights the impact the pandemic has had on our lives and our society.

COVID Investigative | A single story containing pandemic-related information obtained through reporter initiative that was not readily available to the public.

COVID Series | Three to 10 stories in a formal series that highlight the impact of the pandemic on our lives and society.

COVID Photo | A single photo that highlights the impact of the pandemic on our current socially distance status.

Editorial Cartoon | A single cartoon online or in print

Single Editorial | Represents the opinion of the publication, station or news website as an organization

General Column | A single (other than sports or humorous) that expresses an opinion or point of view on an issues or event

Humorous Column | A single column on any topic with the purpose to entertain

In-Depth | A single story that helps audience understand situation beyond information provided in a normal news story

Investigative | A single story containing information obtained through reporter initiative that was not readily available to the news media or the public

Feature | Any story written for a reason other than timeliness. (Please note, this was omitted from an earlier list in error)

Religion | A story dealing with religious topics

Government | A story dealing with government topics

Courts/Crime | Any story dealing with issues of the criminal justice system, except for breaking news

Arts & Entertainment | A single story dealing with the arts

Business | A single story dealing with business

Leisure | A story dealing with travel, food, gardening, or other leisure topics

Continuing Coverage | No more than 10 articles that follow the same topic over time

Diversity Coverage | Single story on a diversity issue

Education | A single story on an education issue

Reporting Series | A formal series of no more than 10 articles, including investigative, in-depth or feature series

Local Reporting | A story that shines light on an issue important to a single town or region. This category is meant for those stories that fulfill the mission of community journalism.

Breaking News | A single story or package of stories and social media updates that involves coverage of a spot news event written under an immediate deadline.

Sports News | A single story on a sports news topic

Sports Feature | A single story on a sports topic, written for a factor other than timeliness

Sports Column | A single column on a sports topic

Sports Photo | A single sports photo

Feature Photo | A single feature photo

News Photo | A single news photo

Photo Essay | A collection of photos, either in print or online, that together tell one story.

Page 1 Layout | A category for the person who arranged the text and images, not for the writers or photographers of the materials on the page.

Non-Page 1 Layout | Any single page design that was not on page 1

Headline | A single entry is made up of three headlines, all the work on a single individual

Infographic Design | The design of a single static or interactive graphic

Infographic Reporting | The reporting of a single static or interactive graphic

Video Storytelling | Use of video to tell a story alone or bolster written reporting

Audio Storytelling | Use of audio to tell a story alone or bolster written reporting

Data | Effective use of data for reporting a single story or graphic

Health | A single story or broadcast regarding health issues, either local or statewide

CIRCULATION CATEGORIES FOR THE 2020 CONTEST

These categories are based, in part, on media outlets’ advertised coverage areas and staffing levels. To petition for a change in circulation class, please contact CTSPJ President Viktoria Sundqvist at vickansundqvist(at)gmail.com. The CTSPJ Board of Directors will consider all requests, and any approved changes will take effect in the next year’s contest season.

Regional A

Connecticut Health Investigative Team
Connecticut Mirror
Connecticut Post
Hartford Courant
New Haven Register
Waterbury Republican American
The Day (New London)
Any Hearst Connecticut collaboration, including smaller circulation outlets

Regional B

Connecticut Law Tribune
CT News Junkie
Danbury News-Times
Manchester Journal-Inquirer
Meriden Record Journal
Norwich Bulletin
Stamford Advocate
Greenwich Time
CT Latino News
Greater New Milford Spectrum
Litchfield County Times
The Middletown Press
New Britain Herald
The Bristol Press
The Register Citizen
The Chronicle
The Hour
Fairfield County Business Journal
Hartford Business Journal
The Connecticut Times
Inquiring News
Neighbors Paper

Regional C (Magazines)

AAA Journeys and AAA Horizons
Catholic Transcript
Connecticut Magazine
Connecticut Parent Magazine
Connecticut Voice
Hartford Magazine
New Haven Biz
Seasons magazines
Stamford Magazine
Today Magazine
WAG Magazine
Wilton Magazine

Regional D (Broadcast)

WTNH
WFSB
WTIC
WNPR
WSHU
News12
NBC30

Hyperlocal

Citizens News
CollinsvillePress.com
Shore Publishing weeklies
TurleyCT publications
New Britain City Journal
NewCanaanite.com
Online Journalism Project publications
Hearst Connecticut weeklies
Branford Eagle
Glastonbury Citizen/Rivereast News Bulletin
Nancy on Norwalk
Greenwich Sentinel
Fairfield Patch
New Haven Independent
WestportNow.com
Town Times
Glastonbury Life
Guilford Curier
The Source
Harbor News

* Note: Any item that appeared in a higher circulation publication should be entered in that circulation class.

CTSPJ inducts Jon Lender to Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame

Jon Lender worked 48 years at the Hartford Courant. He started as a young correspondent just out of UCONN at the old Willimantic Bureau. He was full time a year later covering Bristol, Southington and Middletown. He moved to the main office in Hartford in 1981 and was assigned to reporting on government agencies and politicians with an emphasis on investigations.

Lender covered the administration of Gov. John Rowland for 8 years. Then he came upon information the governor had taken valuable favors from state contractors. With fellow reporters, Dave Altimari and Edmund H. Mahony, he spent months investigating. The result of those stories led to a 2004 impeachment inquiry of the governor in the legislature. Rowland resigned and was convicted on corruption charges and served time in federal prison.

The governor was not the only politician whose behavior was revealed by Lender’s diligence. From 2008 to 2021 he wrote the “Government Watch” column for the Courant. Some in public life who came under his scrutiny began to use his name as a verb. It was said they had been “Lendered.”

He believes deeply in Freedom of Information. He said:

“The FOI Act was always as basic and useful a tool as a hammer or saw. Submitting a written FOI request not only had legal force — making an official produce documents or be accused of violating the law — but it also showed simply that you meant business and would insist on getting answers.”

Why did he choose journalism? His father, as he grew up in New Jersey, brought home two newspapers a day and he started reading the sports pages every day before he was a teenager. He admired New York columnists like Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill. That first reporting job covering small CT towns paid 25-cents an inch. He says he figured he’d report until he thought of something better to do. It is the reader’s fortune he never did.

His former editor, Rick Green, says, “Jon is a methodical and persistent journalist who over a long career never lost sight of his mission to shine a light in dark places. He represents a diminishing and proud newspaper tradition of columnists who investigate and let their reporting tell the story.”

A young reporter said, Russel Blair said,

“Beyond his investigative reporting, Jon served as a key mentor to scores of young journalists during his four-plus decades at The Courant. Whether speaking to a college class or a group of Courant interns, Jon patiently gave important, practical real world advice on how to approach difficult interviews and other challenges on the job, life lessons that in many cases transcended journalism.”

He won many journalism awards. One judge wrote: “ …Lender
is from the old ‘I Smell a Rat’ school of investigative journalism. Reading one of his columns is like reading a thoroughly involving short story. The narrative is one of corruption’…”

Lender has had a remarkable career giving life to the journalistic idea of public service. His career clearly meets the standard of a “significant and enduring” contribution to Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame.

Hartford Courant, Hearst, New Haven Independent honored at SPJ awards ceremony

The Connecticut SPJ hosted an in-person awards ceremony on July 17 at the Ansonia Nature Center and honored winners of the 2020 Excellence in Journalism contest.

First Amendment Award

FOI commission: Schools can’t use students as shield; New Haven Independent; Christopher Peak

Stephen A. Collins Public Service Award

From deaths to lost jobs to health care, the coronavirus has changed our way of life in Connecticut; Hartford Courant; Hartford Courant staff

Theodore Driscoll Award for Investigative Reporting

Death by gun; Connecticut Post/Hearst Connecticut; Bill Cummings, Ed Stannard, Ethan Fry, Tara O’Neill, Brian Lockhart, Clare Dignan, Ben Lambert, Mark Zaretsky

Click here to see full list of winners.

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