The reporters and graphic artists for the Hudson Reporter newspapers recently accepted 13 writing, 11 photography, and six layout awards in the prestigious 2016 Memorial Journalism Awards run annually by the Garden State Journalists Association (GSJA).
The company’s reporters also recently won eight writing awards in the Excellence in Journalism awards sponsored annually by the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists.
The Garden State award winners were honored May 25 at the awards dinner at The Chart House in Weehawken. The SPJ winners will be honored on Saturday, June 11, at the Maize Restaurant at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark.
The staff had also won a slew of state awards back in February in the most competitive statewide journalism contest, the New Jersey Press Association contest.
The newspaper chain, founded in 1983 in Hoboken, publishes eight newspapers: The Hoboken Reporter, Bayonne Community News, Weehawken Reporter, Jersey City Reporter, Secaucus Reporter, North Bergen Reporter, Union City Reporter, and the West New York Reporter.
The company also publishes the life-style magazines Hoboken 07030, Jersey City Magazine, and Bayonne – Life on the Peninsula.
The chain recently moved its main office from Hoboken to Bayonne.
In the GSJA awards, multiple honors went to Senior Staff Writer Al Sullivan and staff writers Joseph Passantino, Steven Rodas, and Art Schwartz. Senior Graphics Artist Terri Saulino Bish also won multiple awards in the categories for Magazine Story Layout and Magazine Front Cover, a category in which Senior Staff Artist Lisa M Cuthbert and Graphic Artist Maxim Ryazansky won Honorable Mention.
The winners
The winning news stories covered a range of topics. Steve Rodas and Joe Passantino won a first place award by looking at people who suffered the ill effects of the Sept. 11 attacks (including depression) years later.
Al Sullivan won for an article about public housing changes in Jersey City, a story about the controversy around Liberty State Park, and in Hoboken, a legal controversy involving the Housing Authority director and the mayor’s husband, coverage for which he also won an award earlier this year from the New Jersey Press Association.
Among the photography and design awards, Terriann Saulino Bish won for her cover of 07030 Hoboken Magazine, “Sinatra’s Hoboken. Celebrating 100 Years”
“I’m extremely proud of all our writers and editors for the work they do every week,” said Co-Publisher Lucha Malato.
Co-Publisher Dave Unger added, “Our writers work with a high level of creativity and energy to produce the most detailed and informative journalism in Hudson County.”
Editor-in-Chief Caren Matzner said, “These awards show hard work, dedication to the community, especially the investigative stories, and a lot of creativity. The awards cover everything from magazine layout to political coverage to an award for a new reporter. The public can pick up any of our publications and get an education on what’s going on in their community.”
Sullivan, who was awarded seven GSJA honors, credited the awards to a teamwork effort. “None of the stories that won were written in a vacuum,” he said. “Even though individuals have the bylines, the stories are a product of editors and writers discussing issues and inspiring each other. My awards are also their awards.”
Rodas, who is in his first year as a full-time working journalist, said: “In 2014, I was the Maureen Roscelli Memorial Scholarship winner while attending New Jersey City University. I remembered attending the Chart House dinner and being surrounded by such talented journalists from the area. As an award-winner this year, I’m happy to call them my colleagues.”
Former Bayonne staff writer Joseph Passantino shared the award with Rodas for the story about 9/11 survivors. “As a journalist, I feel it important to look beyond the obvious and dig deeper,” he said.
He also won photography awards. “Good photographs can show the emotions of people or evoke emotions from those who see them,” he said. “Every time I click the shutter on my camera I hope to elicit at least one of those results, and if possible, both.”
The stories and photos appear on www.hudsonreporter.com.
SIDEBAR:
Garden State Journalists Association 2016 Memorial Journalism Award Winners
Print/Digital Spot News
1st Place, Al Sullivan, Jersey City Reporter, “A Change in the Air.” The demolition of an aged housing project highlights issues with the ongoing gentrification of Jersey City that is displacing poor residents.
Print/Digital General News
3rd Place, Al Sullivan, Jersey City Reporter, “In the Eyes of the Beholder?” The use of anti-litter grant money to hire graffiti artists causes controversy.
Print/Digital Feature
1st Place, Steven Rodas & Joseph Passantino, The Hudson Reporter, “The Belated Victims of 9/11: Suicide & Cancer Still Claiming Lives of Those Who Weren’t in the Building.” Years after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, victims are still dying.
3rd Place, Art Schwartz, North Bergen Reporter, “Farewell to a Century-Old Tradition?” After 141 years, the 2015 German festival at Schuetzen Park may be the last.
Education
1st Place, Al Sullivan, Jersey City Reporter, “A School for Future Business Leaders.” The ribbon cutting at New Jersey City University’s Business Center at 2 Harborside in Jersey City signals how, after years of decline, the waterfront again has emerged as an economic engine for the region.
Science/Health
1st Place, Al Sullivan, Jersey City Reporter, “Buzzing in Jersey City.” Jersey City, beekeeper Joseph Lelinho tends to his hives on the roof of the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
2nd Place, Art Schwartz, North Bergen Reporter, “Nine-Year-Old Special-Needs Resident Meets Pope.” A young boy with a frightening array of serious health issues receives a personal blessing from Pope Francis during his U.S. tour.
Reviews
1st Place, Al Sullivan, Jersey City Reporter, “Searching for the Real Winnie.” Author Lindsay Mattick teams up with artist Sophie Blackall to create a new children’s book that tells the tale of what inspired the original “Winnie The Pooh” books.
Personality Interview
1st Place, Art Schwartz, North Bergen Reporter, “Guttenberg Resident Named Braille Student of the Year.” Guttenberg resident Myra Brodsky is named Braille Student of the Year by the Hadley School for the Blind.
Sports Feature
2nd Place, Al Sullivan, Jersey City Reporter, “From Greenville to the NFL and Back.” A former NFL player returns to his Jersey City neighborhood as a redeveloper of homes.
Investigative
1st Place, Art Schwartz, North Bergen Reporter, “What Constitutes Residency?” candidates in North Bergen and West New York have their eligibility questioned because they own property and possibly second homes in other towns.
3rd Place, Steven Rodas, The Hoboken Reporter, “City Lost Most People in one Zip Code, But … Still No 9/11 Memorial.” Residents of Hoboken, which lost 57 residents during the September 11 terrorist attacks, voice their anger over the city’s lack of a proper municipal memorial after 14 years.
Print/Digital Publication Series
1st Place, Al Sullivan, Jersey City Reporter, “Liberty State Park Battle.” Development proposals to help Liberty State Park pay for its upkeep and reduce its $35 million debt come under fire.
Photography News
1st Place, Joseph Passantino, Bayonne Community News, “Evening to Honor”
Photography Sports Action
1st Place, Art Schwartz, North Bergen Reporter, “Wet and Wild: NB Kids Enjoy Day of ‘Fun with a Cop’”
3rd Place, Joseph Passantino, The Union City Reporter, “Flying High”
Photography Feature
1st Place, Joseph Passantino, Bayonne Community News, “Morning in Manhattan”
2nd Place, Joseph Passantino, Bayonne Community News, “Snow Covered”
3rd Place, Joseph Passantino, Bayonne Community News, “Spring Has Sprung”
Photography Portrait
1st Place, Joseph Passantino, Bayonne Community News, “Blowing a Kiss”
2nd Place, Art Schwartz, North Bergen Reporter, “Gutt Purchases New Bikes and Cars to Augment Patrols”
3rd Place, Joseph Passantino, Bayonne Community News, “Love at First Sight”
Photography Essay
1st Place, Art Schwartz, Secaucus Reporter, “Dogs Have Their Day: Annual Event at the Pool Raises Money for Animal Shelter”
2nd Place, Art Schwartz, Secaucus Reporter, “Human Rainbows”
Magazine Front Cover
1st Place, Terriann Saulino Bish, 07030 Hoboken Magazine, “Issa Sow’s Composed Chaos”
2nd Place, Terriann Saulino Bish, 07030 Hoboken Magazine, “Sinatra’s Hoboken. Celebrating 100 Years”
Honorable Mention, Lisa M. Cuthbert and Maxim Ryazansky, Bayonne – Life on the Peninsula, “Blazing a Trail”
Magazine Feature Story Layout
1st Place, Terriann Saulino Bish, 07030 Hoboken Magazine, “Issa Sow’s Composed Chaos”
2nd Place, Terriann Saulino Bish, 07030 Hoboken Magazine, “Sinatra & Hoboken – Unrequited Love”
3rd Place, Terriann Saulino Bish, 07030 Hoboken Magazine, “Maxwell’s Remastered”
New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists Awards
Weekly Newspaper/Local Website – Headline Writing
2nd Place, Steven Rodas, The Hoboken Reporter, “Better Safe than ‘Sandy’: Are we ready for future storms now?” An update on Hoboken’s efforts to prevent another devastating storm surge and flood.
Weekly Newspaper/Local Website- Enterprise/Series/Investigative Reporting
3rd Place, Al Sullivan, The Hoboken Reporter, “Garcia may modify lawsuit/Who’s the boss/Citizen Grossbard.” An examination of the role the mayor’s husband plays behind the scenes in Hoboken politics.
Weekly Newspaper/Local Website- Wilson Barto Rookie of the Year
3rd Place, Steven Rodas The Hoboken Reporter, “City lost most people in one zip code, but…:Still no 911 memorial in Hoboken”/” Thrown out of council meeting, resident files lawsuit: Was ejected after talking about legal matter involving mayor’s husband”/ “Better safe than ‘Sandy’ ”. Local ire over the lack of a 9/11 memorial, fallout over the role the mayor’s husband plays in behind-the-scenes politics, and an update on Hoboken’s efforts to prevent another devastating storm surge and flood.
Weekly Newspaper/Local or Statewide Website – State or Regional News
1st Place, Al Sullivan The Jersey City Reporter, “Battle for Liberty State Park”/”LSP changes hands”/Battle for LSP continues.” A series of stories about proposals to help Liberty State Park pay for its upkeep and reduce its $35 million debt come under fire.
Weekly Newspaper/Local Website – Feature Writing
1st Place, Art Schwartz, North Bergen Reporter, “Part of suicide missions in WWII.” North Bergen resident Paul Novembre is awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for valor during World War 11.
Weekly Newspaper/Local Website – Feature Writing
2nd Place, Steven Rodas, Joseph Passantino The Hoboken Reporter, “The belated victims of 9/11: How suicide and cancer are still claiming lives of those who weren’t in the buildings.” Years after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, victims are still dying.
Weekly Newspaper/Local Website- Health- ScienceTechnology and Environmental Reporting
3rd Place, Art Schwartz, North Bergen Reporter, “Crying Fowl.” North Bergen bans chicken coops.
Weekly Newspaper/Local Website Best Local News
3rd Place, Art Schwartz North Bergen Reporter, “80-year-old man survives Pontiac Plunge.” A senior citizen survives after his car plunges seven stories down a parking garage.