Orlando, Fla.The Anglican Journal won six awards, including two awards of excellence (first place awards) at the Associated Church Press (ACP) annual convention here. The awards were presented at a ceremony on April 25.
The newspaper’s culture section – a monthly blend of music, book and film reviews – won the top award for best newspaper department. The judge wrote of the entry, “”Here are provocative, well-crafted reviews that draw attention to cultural products the publication’s audience should be aware of, intelligent pieces that have the potential to make readers think.””
Editor Leanne Larmondin bested 18 other entries to win an award of excellence for the best editorial in a newspaper or news service, for Church’s reputation for transparency takes a hit, her November 2005 editorial that criticized the national church’s bureaucracy for keeping secret a report about the Anglican Book Centre. The judge of the award category commented, “”The writer took an ‘inside baseball’ topic and showed why all should care. She challenged the power structure with skill and reason. This is what editorials are supposed to be.””
The Journal also won an award of merit (second prize) for newspaper feature article, out of a category with 31 entries. Staff writer Marites N. Sison’s October feature about the church in China (entitled Churches work to fill void in social services) featured “”Smooth, competent, clear writing,”” said the judge.
Primates call for breathing space, an April news story about the Anglican Communion’s primates asking the Canadian and United States churches not to send their representatives to the June meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, won an honourable mention for best news story. The story – which was judged in a field of 18 entries – was written by Ms. Sison, with files from fellow staff writer Solange De Santis.
Saskia Rowley, the Journal‘s art director, won two honourable mentions: for best newspaper front page (for the March issue) and for best design of an entire issue (for its November issue). The Anglican, the newspaper of the Anglican diocese of Toronto, won two awards of excellence, for best newspaper front page and for illustration with an article or cutline.
Other Canadian publications that took home awards included the United Church Observer magazine and Glad Tidings, a magazine of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Episcopal Life, the national newspaper of the Episcopal Church in the United States, also won several awards, including honourable mention for best in class in the national or international newspaper category.
The ACP awards, which are given annually, recognize professional excellence among ACP members. The ACP, founded in 1916, is the oldest religious press association in North America and has about 200 member publications, Web sites, news services and individuals. To mark its 90th anniversary, the organization held a birthday party on the opening evening of the convention.
Keynote speakers included Tony Campolo, professor emeritus at Eastern University and founder of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education and author of 30 books, including The Church Enslaved: A Spirituality for Racial Reconciliation, and Mark Pinsky, religion reporter at the Orlando Sentinel newspaper and author of The Gospel According to Disney and The Gospel According to the Simpsons.
The next convention will be held next April in Chicago.
Links:
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Primates call for breathing space; Canada, U.S. asked to bow out of council
– April 2005 news story -
Church’s reputation for transparency takes a hit
– November 2005 editorial -
Churches work to fill void in social services
– October feature article
