With spot-on news coverage and editorials, as well as stunning photography and design, The Villager took home honors in a wide range of categories in the New York Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.
All told, The Villager won seven awards — including two for first place — in the competition, which covered work done during 2018. The paper shares content with Chelsea Now, Downtown Express and Manhattan Express.
The winners were announced this past weekend at NYPA’s annual spring convention in Albany.
The Villager’s Tequila Minsky won first place for Best News or Feature Series for her ongoing coverage of immigrant-rights activist Ravi Ragbir and the struggle, in general, to protect immigrants from deportation. Ragbir, who is fighting his own deportation, is a leader of the New Sanctuary Coalition, which is based out of the Village’s Judson Church. Minsky, a “two-way” reporter, also took the photos for the series. The series also covered protests against the immigration jail and court at 201 Varick St.
“The topic is pertinent to what is happening in our country,” the judge for this category wrote in his or her comments. “It was a good way of taking a national topic and making it local, even though it was clearly a big story for the local community and beyond. The photos add a lot of emotion to the story and they’re fantastic.”
Bob Krasner took first place for Picture Story for his photos of the Tompkins Square Riots Anniversary Concert. One of the shots was of young punks gleefully burning an American flag with a cigarette lighter.
“The photographer captures the energy of the event and doesn’t shy away from controversial subject matter,” the judge for this category wrote. “The viewer feels they are getting a front row experience to the event. The photographer had 3 submissions in this category, he has a distinctive style that is recognizable in each. This one was my favorite of his submissions.”
The layout for Krasner’s photos was done by Marcos Ramos, one of The Villager’s graphic designers.
Veteran scribe Mary Reinholz snagged second place for News Story for her article about TV news icon Tom Brokaw making an unwanted sexual advance on her when they were young reporters in Los Angeles in the 1960s. The married Brokaw, after helping Reinholz obtain a hard-to-get police report, suddenly made a move on her at her Laurel Canyon cottage, Reinholz wrote. With the publication of The Villager article, Reinholz became known as the “third woman” to accuse Brokaw of unwanted sexual advances. The article went viral. She said she only wrote her piece because she was irked by Brokaw casting aspersions on his first accuser, newswoman Linda Vester.
“The first-person account was told almost dispassionately, in fine journalistic style, but still created the proper disgust at the subject matter,” the judge for these entries commented. “The story came in support of those who needed it and contributed to a national narrative.”
In a bread-and-butter category for community newspapers, The Villager took second place for Coverage of Local Government. Articles for this entry included four by the paper’s editor in chief, Lincoln Anderson, including one on the flap over senior activist Tom Connor’s abrupt removal from the Community Board 2 State Liquor Authority Committee after complaining he was allegedly “threatened” by the committee’s chairperson, another on the de Blasio administration’s push to term-limit community board members, and two articles about the City Council considering the Small Business Jobs Survival Act, plus a piece by Villager reporter Sydney Pereira on new “Nightlife Mayor” Ariel Palitz.
The judge for this category particularly liked Anderson’s in-depth report on what could be called “Connorgate,” headlined, “Alcohol problem: C.B. 2 committee in ‘bar brawl.’”
“Extremely well done coverage of what appears to be a soap opera in the local government,” this judge wrote. “[The writer was] not afraid to add length to get all the facts to the reader.”
In another staple category for community news, The Villager won honorable mention for Coverage of Education. Articles for this entry included two by Anderson, on a mass protest by Asian-American parents and activists over the de Blasio administration’s plan to scrap the Specialized High School Admission Test, plus the ribbon-cutting for the new middle school at 75 Morton St.; an article by Pereira on the special-education school that shares the 75 Morton St. building; one by Villager reporter Gabe Herman on accusations that L.R.E.I. segregated middle-school students of color for some classes; and another by reporter Colin Mixson on the fight to delay P.S. 150 from vacating its Tribeca building for several years.
The judge in this category, however, seemed a bit fixated on the S.H.S.A.T. article starting out by quoting parents chanting, “Keep the test! Vote them out!”
“Quotes should only be used as ledes if the quote is, ‘ “I’m back,’ said Jesus.’ … Reporting is strong, great topics chosen,” the judge wrote.
Anderson also won third place for Editorials. The entry included three editorials, including one blasting state Senate Republicans for letting the school speed-cameras program lapse, another urging voters to reject the ballot proposal to term-limit community board members, and a third editorial, calling for the new chairperson of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission to be someone with a solid preservation background who would not roll over for developers.
The Editorials judge commented, approvingly, “Strong writer and stronger arguments.”
Finally, The Villager also won an honorable mention for Best Front Page. The three front pages submitted were designed by Ramos. On two of them the main photo was by Krasner and on one it was by Milo Hess.
“Front page photos are amazing,” the judge enthused, “love how the artwork pops,” though adding, “but maybe a bit more white space around headers.”
A total of 163 newspapers submitted 2,743 entries for NYPA’s 2018 Better Newspaper Contest. The entries were judged this time by members of the Wisconsin Press Association.
The Villager finished with a total of 67 points in editorial categories, good enough to rank 12th among newspapers in New York State.
Over all, Schneps Media, The Villager’s parent company, won eight first-place awards and scored the most editorial points of any New York City-based chain, with 265 points. Among other Schneps publications, Gay City News won first place for Best Front Page, Obituaries and Best Column; Queens Courier won first place for Spot News Coverage; Long Island Press won first place for Coverage of Community Government; and Bay News and Brooklyn Graphic won First Place for Best News or Feature Story (Division 2);
The winner of this year’s Stuart C. Dorman Award for Editorial Excellence — scoring the most editorial points — was the Suffolk Times. Long Island papers have come on strong in recent years, having won the Dorman Award 12 of the last 13 years.
For a slideshow presentation of all the contest winners, click here.
Correction: The original version of this article said The Villager finished in the top 10 of New York State newspapers, when in fact it finished in 12th place.
