ARLINGTON, Va. – The Associated Church Press honored The Catholic Review May 8 with four awards for work in the 2009 “Best of the Christian Press” competition.
Annually, the ACP awards three levels of awards in various categories of publishing work: Award of Excellence (first place), Award of Merit (second place) and Honorable Mention (third place).
The Catholic Review received an Award of Excellence for “Convention or Meeting Coverage: Newspaper” for reporting and photos by Matt Palmer of the National Catholic Youth Congress in Kansas City, Mo.
Noting that the newspaper’s mission is to be the official means of communication for the Archdiocese of Baltimore and its archbishop, the judge, Jeff Strickler of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, said, “Everything in this entry meets those goals. The writing was solid.”
Another Award of Excellence, for “Editorial or Opinion Piece: Newspaper/News Service/Newsletter” came for “As violence shatters streets, the church comes to the forefront.” The editorial, by associate publisher/editor Christopher Gunty, detailed archdiocesan efforts to bolster the SafeStreets program and supported the newspaper’s gun turn-in program in association with local Catholic parishes.
The judge for the category, Andrew Hermann, managing editor of the Chicago Sun-Times, called the Review’s piece a “Strong editorial to a great campaign. The issues are laid out in fine order backed by good use of quotes and strong research. A good example of how institutions can use their power to foster change.”
The Catholic Review garnered an Award of Merit for “Newspaper/Newsletter Design, Spread or Story” for the Nov. 5, 2009, layout of the commemorative section for the 50th anniversary of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, especially the center spread detailing the interior of the cathedral.
Judge Kent Travis, graphics editor of The Tennessean in Nashville, admired the “nice overall design. Informative and well-produced art elements combine to give me a peek inside this place. I wanted to spend some time with this page.”
The association also bestowed an Honorable Mention for “Photography, with Article or Cutline: Newspaper” for Owen Sweeney III’s Nov. 5 cover photo “A Sign for All” depicting a sign-language-interpreted Mass.
The ACP is one of the oldest religious press organizations in the country, serving media outlets of all Christian denominations. The awards were given at the conclusion of the organization’s three-day conference in Crystal City May 6-8.