2015 NJ-SPJ Excellence in Journalism Awards for work completed in 2014 1
Category Name Award Organization Entry Title Credits BLOG Three samples from my blog, The Dancing Egg: "To Be or To Write, That is the Question," "The Color Blog - The Dancing Egg Purple," "Clifford the Independent Blog First Place (https:thedancingegg.wordpress.com) Big Red Dog" Caren Chesler Blog - Newark Schools in Independent Blog Second Place Bob Braun's Ledger Crisis Bob Braun Blog - Special Improvement Independent Blog Third Place Rahway Rising District expansion Mark Hrywna Blog - Media_Affiliated Blog First Place The Record (Bergen County) Meadowlands Matters John Brennan Lee Solomon's class Blog - act // Camden's Media_Affiliated edifice complex // Blog Second Place The Philadelphia Inquirer Running uphill Kevin Riordan Blog - Media_Affiliated Blog Third Place The Record (Bergen County) Bergen Beat John Ensslin
CARTOON- ING The casinos may close CARTOONING First Place Philadelphia Daily News but ... Signe Wilkinson Maybe we should call CARTOONING Second Place Philadelphia Daily News ... Signe Wilkinson 2
DAILY NEWS- PAPER Daily Newspaper - Best Local News First Place The Record (Bergen County) Stuck in a Jam Shawn Boburg Daily Newspaper Edison's Troubled - Best Local News Second Place The Star-Ledger Police Department Mark Mueller Caller told 911 of fire scene at Sheridans’ // Sheridan son held on drug charge day of fire // Sources: Sheridans were both stabbed // Barbara Death of wife of Boyer,Melanie Cooper CEO // Burney,Angelo Daily Newspaper Couple’s deaths still a Fichera,Jonathan - Best Local News Third Place The Philadelphia Inquirer mystery Tamari Daily Newspaper - Business Bamboozled: Towed Reporting First Place The Star-Ledger then fleeced Karin Price Mueller Daily Newspaper - Business GREETINGS FROM Reporting Second Place Philadelphia Daily News MONEY ISLAND Jenny Nark Daily Newspaper Pain of Atlantic City - Business casino closings far- Reporting Third Place The Associated Press reaching Wayne Parry Daily Newspaper Mainland's Poignant - Column Writing First Place The Philadelphia Inquirer Opener Phil Anastasia Daily Newspaper He Swings, and - Column Writing Second Place The Philadelphia Inquirer Connects Mike Sielski Daily Newspaper Burno's Path to - Column Writing Third Place The Record (Bergen County) fulfillment Tara Sullivan Daily Newspaper First Place The Star-Ledger GWB Bombshell Dents Ted Sherman,Steve 3
- Deadline Christie's 2016 Hopes Strunsky,Mark Reporting Mueller,Lisa Rose,Jenna Portnoy,Salvador Rizzo,Mike Frassinelli,Erin O'Neill,Paul Mulshine
Tom Haydon,Sue Daily Newspaper Epstein,Mark Di - Deadline An Arrest 23 Years In Ionno,Kelly Reporting Second Place The Star-Ledger The Making Heyboer,Mark Mueller Daily Newspaper - Deadline Reporting Third Place The Philadelphia Inquirer Revel's Losing Bet Suzette Parmley Daily Newspaper First Place The Record (Bergen County) The editorials of Alfred P. Doblin - Editorial Writing Alfred P. Doblin on The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Daily Newspaper Second Place The Philadelphia Inquirer Untimely and Josh Gohlke - Editorial Writing unexplained // What else are they hiding? // Silent season
Daily Newspaper Third Place The Star-Ledger In Sayreville, justice Julie O'Connor - Editorial Writing for victims and perpetrators
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Daily Newspaper- First Place Burlington County Times Hidden World/Hidden Jeannie O’Sullivan, Crissa Enterprise/Series Victims Shoemaker Debree, Marion /Investigative Callahan Reporting
Daily Newspaper- Second Place The Record Stuck in a Jam Shawn Boburg Enterprise/Series /Investigative Reporting
Daily Newspaper- Third Place The Trentonian Dead in Jail Penny Ray Enterprise/Series /Investigative Reporting
Daily Newspaper - Feature Writing First Place Philadelphia Daily News THE REEL DEAL Jason Nark Daily Newspaper - Feature Writing Second Place Philadelphia Daily News FACE OF THE CITY Jason Nark Daily Newspaper Immigrant families - Feature Writing Third Place The Record (Bergen County) torn by detentions Monsy Alvarado Daily Newspaper - Health- Science- Technology and Environmental Fear for Barnegat Bay Kirk Moore,Todd Reporting First Place Asbury Park Press — can it be saved? Bates,Jeff Colson Daily Newspaper Medical marijuana: - Health- Science- N.J. child improves as Technology and family finds fewer Environmental roadblocks in Reporting Second Place The Star-Ledger Colorado; sidebar: Susan Livio 5
Demands for medical marijuana research grow in N.J., nation driven by hopeful patients, families Daily Newspaper - Health- Science- Technology and Environmental Hospitals' new bottom Reporting Third Place The Record (Bergen County) line Lindy Washburn Daily Newspaper - Page One Design First Place The Record (Bergen County) Stuck in a Jam Robert Townsend Daily Newspaper - Page One Design Second Place Burlington County Times A1 April 16, 2014 Colleen Prendergast Daily Newspaper - Page One Design Third Place Burlington County Times A1 Nov. 21, 2014 Debra Ungerman Man behind the Chris Christie probe: U.S. Daily Newspaper Attorney Paul Fishman - Profile Writing First Place The Star-Ledger leads federal inquiry Jason Grant In bridge scandal, one Daily Newspaper lawyer could topple - Profile Writing Second Place The Star-Ledger Christie Christopher Baxter Daily Newspaper After nightmare, a - Profile Writing Third Place The Philadelphia Inquirer dream season Phil Anastasia Daily Newspaper What killed Kenwin - Public Service First Place The Star-Ledger Garcia? Christopher Baxter Daily Newspaper - Public Service Second Place The Record (Bergen County) Stuck in a Jam Staff Daily Newspaper Vigil held for - Public Service Third Place The Philadelphia Inquirer Moorestown officer // Barbara Boyer 6
Officer’s widow still has questions // Officer’s widow seeks answers in fatal crash STILL SUPERLATIVE: Daily Newspaper Cafe Matisse in - Review Writing First Place The Record (Bergen County) Rutherford Elisa Ung Daily Newspaper - Sports Reporting First Place Burlington County Times The M Pire Tom Rimback Daily Newspaper - Sports Jackson in power Reporting Second Place The Record (Bergen County) struggle with Dolan Steve Popper Chatham Snaps 23- Game Football Losing Daily Newspaper Streak, 33-0, Over - Sports High Point; Happy Reporting Third Place TAPintoChatham.net Birthday Nestler Ed Barmakian Christie plan to return Daily Newspaper disabled to N.J. leads - State or one man to hospitals, Regional News First Place The Star-Ledger jail Susan Livio Daily Newspaper - State or New Jersey Catholic Regional News Second Place The Star-Ledger Dioceses in Crisis Mark Mueller Daily Newspaper - State or Cruncher of the Regional News Third Place The Philadelphia Inquirer election numbers Andrew Seidman Daily Newspaper – Tim O’Brien Who Killed Kenwin Award First Place The Star-Ledger Garcia Christopher Baxter Daily Newspaper – Tim O’Brien Award Second Place The Record Oil Trains Scott Fallon 7
Daily Newspaper - Wilson Barto Rookie of the Portfolio of Minjae Year First Place The Record (Bergen County) Park Minjae Park Daily Newspaper - Wilson Barto Paulboro's booster // Rookie of the Point of pride // In Year Second Place The Philadelphia Inquirer wake of crash Angelo Fichera
MAGAZINE
Magazine - Business Reporting First Place New Jersey Monthly The Sirloin Sisters Eric Levin Wearable Technology Magazine - Can Change Business Relationships With Reporting Second Place The NonProfit Times Donors & Clients Patrick Sullivan Magazine - Feature & Profile Writing: First Place The Pennsylvania Gazette The Lightning Rod Molly Petrilla Magazine - Feature & Profile Writing: Second Place SJ Magazine Moving On Sally Friedman Magazine - Feature & Profile Writing: Third Place New Jersey Monthly Aging Out Leslie Garisto Pfaff Magazine – Opinion First Place The NonProfit Times Protect The Deduction Paul Clolery Magazine – Higher Education's Reporting First Place Inside Jersey Dirty Little Secret Kelly Heyboer Magazine – Second Place New Jersey Monthly The Master of the Anthony DePalma 8
Reporting Game Magazine – Reporting Third Place New Jersey Monthly Cannabis Conundrum Joanna Buffum
NEWS- LETTERS
John Chadwick ,Kara Newsletters – Rutgers University School of Arts and Donaldson,Sherri Overall First Place Sciences ACCESS Somers Newsletters – One Rutgers a World Overall Second Place Rutgers Today of Discovery Rutgers Today Staff Newsletters – Overall Third Place New Jersey Judiciary Judiciary Times Mike Mathis
NON-LOCAL ONLINE Non-Local First Place The Hechinger Report A Promise to Renew Sara Neufeld Online- Enterprise/Series /Investigative Reporting Non-Local Second Place NJ Spotlight What’s Wrong With Mark Magyar Online- Chris Christie’s Enterprise/Series Government /Investigative Reporting Non-Local Third Place NJ Spotlight and WNYC/NJPR Coverage of New Scott Gurian 9
Online- Jersey's Flawed Enterprise/Series Sandy Energy Grant /Investigative Program Reporting
ONLINE
Christie Failing Economy Promise as Online - Business New Jersey Falls Elise Young,Terrence Reporting First Place Bloomberg News Behind U.S. Dopp,Michelle Kaske Christie Rail Kill Misses Online - Business Lowest Rates as N.J. Tom Moroney,Elise Reporting Second Place Bloomberg News Lags U.S. Young Online - Business Third-Party Energy Reporting Third Place NJ Spotlight Suppliers Tom Johnson Online – Commentary First Place NJ Spotlight Water Quality in NJ Daniel Van Abs Online – Commentary Second Place New York Times Well Blog Running as Therapy Jen A. Miller September 11: Let Us Online – Not Lose Sight of the Commentary Third Place Rutgers Today Significance of the Day Greg Trevor Online - Deadline Colleen O'Dea,NJ Reporting First Place NJ Spotlight Election Night 2014 News Commons Online - Feature Writing First Place The Pennsylvania Gazette The Lightning Rod Molly Petrilla
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Springsteen Girls Online - Feature Priced Out as Rich Buy Writing Second Place Bloomberg News Jersey Shore Homes Romy Varghese A TASTE OF VICTORY, FINALLY, AT A Online - Feature NJ Spotlight and The Hechinger STRUGGLING NEWARK Writing Third Place Report SCHOOL Sara Neufeld Online - Health- Is Sandy Debris in Science- Roxbury’s Fenimore Technology and Landfill Poisoning Environmental Town’s Children, Reporting First Place NJ Spotlight Adults? Scott Gurian Online - Health- Science- Technology and How 'Big Data' is Environmental Transforming Today's Reporting Second Place NJ Spotlight Healthcare Sector Meir Rinde Online - Health- Science- Technology and Why can't Apple meet Environmental demand for the Linda Federico- Reporting Third Place CNBC.com iPhone 6? OMurchu,Matt Hunter Online - Independent Online Publication First Place NJ Spotlight NJ Spotlight Staff Online - Independent Greg Trevor,Carla Online Cantor ,Karen Smith Publication Second Place Rutgers Today Rutgers Today ,Andrea Alexander Online - Independent Online Publication Third Place NJMoneyHelp.com NJMoneyHelp.com Karin Price Mueller 11
Christie Faces Need Online - State or for Tax With N.J. Regional News First Place Bloomberg News Roads Fund Empty Elise Young Christie's Old Retread Online - State or Brown Savoring Boom Michael Marois,Elise Regional News Second Place Bloomberg News as New Jersey Slides Young N.J. Lottery Misses Online - State or Cristie Revenue Under Regional News Third Place Bloomberg News Private Manager Elise Young Rutgers Kirkpatrick Online - Web Chapel Organs Thrill Video First Place Rutgers Today Visitors Cameron Bowman Piano Helps Autistic Online - Web Children Find Their Video Second Place Rutgers Today Voices Cameron Bowman SBN video news report featured on NJSpotlight’s Online - Web Affordable Care Act Video Third Place StateBroadcastNews.com microsite Steve Lubetkin ELUSIVE 'SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE' LETTER A STUMBLING BLOCK Online Feature FOR SOME SANDY Reporting First Place NJ Spotlight SURVIVORS Scott Gurian Newark and state-run Online News public schools Reporting First Place NJ Spotlight coverage John Mooney Online News Pre-Election Coverage Reporting Second Place NJ Spotlight 2014 Colleen O'Dea Hunter on rabid Online News coyote attack: 'I'm Reporting Third Place The Star-Ledger really happy I'm the Justin Zaremba 12
last guy he met'
PHOTO- JOURNALISM Photojournalism Feature First Place The Record (Bergen County) So Close! Kevin R. Wexler Photojournalism Lenape Ice Bucket Feature Second Place Elauwit Media Challenge Mike Monostra Photojournalism Meter Maid in the Feature Third Place The Philadelphia Inquirer Making Ed Hille Photojournalism Special Olympian's Sports First Place The Philadelphia Inquirer Celebrate Win Ed Hille Photojournalism Skim Boarding at Sea Sports Second Place The Two River Times Bright Sean Simmons Photojournalism Sports Third Place The Record (Bergen County) Meet the Press Carmine Galasso Photojournalism Spot News First Place The Record (Bergen County) The Children are Safe Tariq Zehawi Photojournalism Spot News Second Place Community News Auto inferno Nick Messina Photojournalism Route 78 truck fire Spot News Third Place North Bergen Reporter photo Joseph Passantino
RADIO
The Risks Parents Take to Get Their Kids Radio Enterprise First Place New Jersey Public Radio Medical Marijuana Sarah Gonzalez Why Hoboken is Radio Enterprise Second Place The Hechinger Report Throwing Away All of Jill Barshay 13
its Student Laptops Spying On Your EZ- Radio Enterprise Third Place WBGO Radio Pass Cindy Redling Doug Doyle,Alexandra Hill,Julie Daurio,David Cruz,Andrew "One Newark" School Meyer,Phil Radio News First Place WBGO Reform Controversy Gregory,Glenn Crespo Why Inmates Can't Afford to Make Calls from Jails in New Radio News Second Place New Jersey Public Radio Jersey Sarah Gonzalez
TV/CABLE Walt Kane,Karin Attonito,Anastasios Stefanidis,Anthony Television/Cable Helmetta Animal Cocco,Kristopher Enterprise First Place News 12 New Jersey Shelter Schoenleber Jeff Simons,Ivy Charmatz,Marisa Brahney,Adam Jenkins,Jessica Television/Cable Choices & Chances: Frech,Randal Enterprise Second Place News 12 New Jersey NJ's Heroin Epidemic Stanley,Ronald Tomaino Jr Television/Cable Walt Kane,Karin Enterprise Third Place News 12 New Jersey JCPD Waste & Abuse Attonito,Anthony Cocco Television-Cable First Place News 12 New Jersey Mayor Insists Vacant Walt Kane, Karin Attonito, News Jail is “Used Every Anthony Cocco Day”
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Television-Cable Second Place New Jersey Now – My9NJ.com New Jersey Now: Jim McQueeny, Joe Silvestri News New Jersey's Only Television Show that puts Political Analysts and Journalists Together
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER / LOCAL WEBSITE
Weekly Newspaper/Local Remembering a Website - Sports Legend: Southern Reporting First Place Shore Sports Network Honors Kathy Snyder Scott Stump Weekly First Place Ridgewood News Decade of RHS Matthew Birchenough Newspaper/Local Dominance Website-Sports Section Weekly Second Place Ridgewood News Grade ‘A’ County Greg Tartaglia Newspaper/Local Finish for RHS Girls Website-Sports Section
Weekly First Place NJBIZ EO13: Is Camden's Andrew George 15
Newspaper/ growth hurting its Local Website - suburbs? State or Regional News Weekly Newspaper/ Local Website - Bankruptcy isn't State or Regional option, but state can News Second Place NJBIZ default Andrew George Weekly Newspaper/Local Website - State Super Bowl Jersey Meghan Grant,James or Regional News Third Place South Bergenite style Hickey Weekly Newspaper/Local Website - Best They don't want you Local News First Place The Jersey City Reporter to fight back Al Sullivan Weekly Series on Local Newspaper/Local Garbage Company Website - Best Disturbing Residents’ Local News Second Place Paterson Times Quality-of-Life Jay Rahman Stories highlight Weekly school district's Newspaper/Local questionable hiring Website - Best and promotion Local News Third Place Paterson Press practices Joe Malinconico Weekly It's their time: Newspaper/Local Understanding the Meg Fry,Brett Website - next generation is the Johnson,Andrew Business key to your future Sheldon,Andrew Reporting First Place NJBIZ success George Weekly New Jersey has Newspaper/Local educated workers, Website - Second Place NJBIZ quality transportation Andrew George 16
Business options, and, of Reporting course, those big- ticket tax incentives, so why are companies leaving? Weekly Newspaper/Local Business owners feel Website - frustration trying to Business set up shop in the Reporting Third Place Community News borough Katherine Milsop Weekly Newspaper/Local Website – Imagine what we can Commentary First Place Town News do with all of this Antoinette Rainone Weekly Newspaper/Local Website – Absent Theater Commentary Second Place The Montclair Times Women Gwen Orel Weekly Newspaper/Local Website – I have bipolar Commentary Third Place Jewish Standard disorder. Deena Croog Getting canned; When Weekly it comes to Newspaper/Local protection, hand it to Website - Ansell; Trolling for Headline Writing First Place NJBIZ dollars; Floor model NJBIZ Staff Weekly Newspaper/Local Website – On a Mission From Feature Writing First Place The Jersey City Reporter God Al Sullivan Weekly Newspaper/Local Buy me some peanuts Website - Second Place Teaneck Suburbanite and healthy snacks Jaime Walters Editor 17
Headline Writing Weekly Newspaper/Local Website - Officials: A few bad Headline Writing Third Place The Ridgewood News apps don't spoil bunch Edward Virgin Editor Weekly Newspaper/Local Website - Page One Design First Place NJBIZ The Interview Issue Robert Russo Weekly Newspaper/Local Website - Page One Design Second Place NJBIZ She's on the fast track Robert Russo Weekly Newspaper/Local Website - Page One Design Third Place The Ridgewood News Oct. 3 edition Edward Virgin Editor Reporting prompts disclosure of mayor's Weekly $217,000 inaugural Newspaper/Local account, which results Website - Public in refund of $18,650 Service First Place (tie) Paterson Press in contributions Joe Malinconico Buchak family hopeful as son starts new program//Funding for day programs not in state budget//Lawyer Weekly offers to help family Newspaper/Local get services//Buchak Website - Public family gets good news Service First Place (tie) Community News about son's care costs Katherine Milsop Weekly Attorney: No major Darius Amos Assistant Newspaper/Local Second Place The Ridgewood News changes allowed // Editor 18
Website - Public Balancing act needed Service for board's decision // Comment portion concludes // Both sides present arguments, closing statements // Board rejects Valley's plan Weekly Newspaper/Local Without notice, NJ Website - Public Transit cuts time light Al Sullivan,Kate Service Third Place The Hoboken Reporter rail ticket is valid Rounds Weekly Newspaper/Local Innocent people were Website - Review prosecuted along with Writing First Place (tie) The Jersey City Reporter the guilty Al Sullivan Weekly Newspaper/Local Website - Review Col. Craddock, in the Writing First Place (tie) The Montclair Times lounge, with a pistol? Gwen Orel Weekly Newspaper/Local Website - Review 'Imagining O': Writing Second Place The Montclair Times Haunting Variations Gwen Orel
Weekly Newspaper/Local Rutherford releases Jaimie Julia Website - Tim transmissions on Winters,Meghan O'Brien Award First Place South Bergenite police shooting Grant School employees Weekly disciplined after meal Newspaper/Local plan Website - Tim investigation//Garfield O'Brien Award Second Place Community News meal probe, few admit Kristie Cattafi 19
mistakes OPRAed documents reveal $144,000 in Weekly secret retro-payments Newspaper/Local to city's animal Website - Tim control officer for O'Brien Award Third Place Paterson Press stand-by time Joe Malinconico Weekly Newspaper/Local Website- After just over two Deadline years, Revel closes its Reporting First Place NJBIZ doors in Atlantic City Andrew George Weekly Newspaper/Local Website- Deadline Reporting Second Place The Jersey City Reporter A city on edge Al Sullivan Weekly Newspaper/Local Website- Deadline Voters reject Faber Richard De Santa Staff Reporting Third Place Glen Rock Gazette referendum Writer Weekly Newspaper/Local Website- Enterprise/Series /Investigative Reporting First Place South Bergenite Lyndhurst Police Joe Phalon Weekly Many roads lead to Newspaper/Local Ridgewood // Positive Website- attitude makes Enterprise/Series change easier // /Investigative Family stays Laura Herzog Staff Reporting Second Place The Ridgewood News connected to Writer 20
Ukranian culture // Village family puts the 'Tea' in tradition Weekly Newspaper/Local Website- Health- Science- China sets tougher Technology and recycling regs/ Town Environmental scrambles after losing Reporting First Place South Bergenite recycling Joe Phalon Weekly Newspaper/Local Website- Health- Science- Technology and Town concerned Environmental about contract for Reporting Second Place The Gazette (Hawthorne) quarry Thomas Nobile Weekly Newspaper/Local Website- Health- Science- Technology and Coalition forms to Adam Uzialko,Greg Environmental oppose Port Ambrose Kennelty Reporting Third Place Independent proposal
Marlton resident, first responders honored for saving life with Weekly CPR / Sean Fischel’s Newspaper/Local love of reading Website- Wilson inspires Barto Rookie of ‘Book Nook’ / the Year First Place (tie) Elauwit Media Library motto lost in Zane Clark 21
translation? Three articles from my first year as a staff writer at The Hoboken Reporter, which is also Weekly my first year as a Newspaper/Local professional Website - Wilson journalist. I started Barto Rookie of work at the Reporter the Year First Place (tie) The Hoboken Reporter on June 16, 2014. Carlo Davis Weekly Newspaper/Local Website- Wilson Town missing $1M/ Barto Rookie of Tragic Murder/ Union the Year Second Place South Bergenite Leader retires Zachary Croce Weekly Newspaper/Local Website- Wilson Barto Rookie of Wilson Barto Rookie the Year Third Place Suburban of the Year Adam Uzialko