Did our above headlines grab you? How about the graphics?
The Hudson Reporter chain of newspapers recently won three awards in the competitive annual Better Newspaper Contest run by the New Jersey Press Association, and a reporter won several photography awards in a different statewide contest.
Members of the graphics and sales staffs won for ads that appeared in the Secaucus Reporter and Bayonne Community News respectively, while the editor of the chain won for three headlines that appeared in several of the newspapers.
The Reporter newspaper chain, based in Hoboken, publishes nine papers: The Hoboken Reporter, Bayonne Community News, Weehawken Reporter, Jersey City Reporter, Secaucus Reporter, North Bergen Reporter, Union City Reporter, West New York Reporter, and Midweek Reporter. Online versions of the papers appear at www.hudsonreporter.com.
Co-publishers Lucha Malato and Dave Unger were pleased with the recognition accorded the company’s personnel.
“We need a concise way to show readers how the story affects their lives.” – Caren Matzner
____________
Unger said he was proud of the award winners. “Our staff works particularly hard, week in and week out, to produce quality newspapers in a very pressurized environment,” he said. “I congratulate them on their achievements. It is gratifying to see them getting the recognition that they deserve.”
Great ads
In the retail portion of the contest, senior graphic artist Lisa M. Cuthbert and advertising account executive Christine M. Youngclaus won second place statewide in the external special promotion category for an ad for Kinder Connections that appeared in the Secaucus Reporter.
“This is such a competitive profession,” Cuthbert said, “that being recognized by your peers is an honor and an achievement.”
Youngclaus credited the company’s graphics department. “I have been with the Hudson Reporter for 18 and a half years and I am privileged to work with such a wonderful group of people,” she said. “Lisa is an extraordinary graphic artist and I am glad that she is part of our team. She has an exquisite eye for detail and always takes into consideration what the client is looking for to design an ad.”
In addition, senior graphic artist Pasquale Spina and advertising manager Tish Kraszyk won third place for “Best Single Ad, Spot or Process Color” for their ad for BTC Hot Summer Weekend, which appeared in the Bayonne Community News.
“It is an honor and a morale boost, especially when you are being recognized by people in the same line of work outside of your workplace,” Spina said. “I consider myself fortunate to be able to work creatively using my talent and to express myself artistically.”
Kraszyk also had high praise for the graphic artists.
“The advertising department is fortunate to work with an exceptional team of talented artists,” she said. “To me, they are all award winners!”
Art Director Jennifer Martiak was also complimentary. “I am extremely impressed by both designers. It’s not easy to be creative in a high volume and deadline-based environment. But both Lisa and Pat are highly creative and able to shine. It’s an honor to have them recognized by the NJPA.”
Gotcha! It’s headline time
Over on the editorial side, Editor-in-Chief Caren Matzner won third place from the New Jersey Press Association in the headlines category, competing with newspapers all over the state. Entrants had to submit three headlines.
One headline written by Matzner appeared on a story in Jersey City about dogs being banned from a park. A play on Shakespeare, it read, “Out, Damned Spot! (Fido too!)”
A headline for a Frank Sinatra impersonation contest read, “Let’s Be Frank.” And a headline for a story about the controversy at a local animal shelter was “When it rains cats and dogs, it pours.”
“Readers are so busy that if you don’t grab them immediately or tell them why a story affects them, they’re going to move on to something else,” Matzner said. “We need a concise way to show readers how the story has an impact on their lives or their pocketbooks, while being creative at the same time. I’m glad our efforts were recognized.”
She noted that often, reporters write their own headlines, but she sometimes replaces them or “peps them up.”
Photo awards
Senior Staff Writer Al Sullivan picked up a handful of first place photography awards in the Garden State Journalists Association 2011 Competition during its dinner and awards ceremony on Thursday, May 19, at the Chart House in Weehawken.
Sullivan took first place in four categories: Photography Essay/Story, Photography Spot News, Photography News, and Photography Portrait and Personality.
“I started seriously taking photos in the late 1970s,” he said. “I love taking pictures. So as a news reporter, I get to do something I love. Whenever I shoot a picture, I am looking not merely for shape and color, but for the emotion of the moment, the one thing that seems to define what it is I am covering. Most often, this is the face of one of the participants.”
To find out more about the Reporter newspapers, editorial@hudsonreporter.com.e-mail editorial@Hudsonreporter.com.