Journal staffers garner NMPA awards
Ten first-place awards given in Better Newspaper Contest
Albuquerque Journal staffers were honored with 10 first-place awards, taking top spots in such categories as public service, breaking news, columns, editorials, photo series, sports photo and design and typography, as part of the 2017-18 Better Newspaper Contest.
Albuquerque Publishing Co. employees were also recognized for their work with several first- and secondplace awards in the advertising categories.
The New Mexico Press Association recognized the best of the state’s newspaper writing, photography and advertising during the contest banquet at the Albuquerque Marriott on Saturday as part of the NMPA’s annual convention. The contest that included 1,126 entries from 29 newspapers was judged in 38 categories by the Maryland, Delaware and D.C. Press Association, the NMPA said.
The Journal competed in the Daily I division for newspapers with a circulation over 11,000.
And the awards went to:
Journal writers Elise Kaplan, Matthew Reisen and staff won first place in the prestigious daily Public Service category for their coverage of a 7-year-old girl who was allegedly sex-trafficked by her relatives, and how the system let her down.
“The little girl’s story at the center of this story is heartbreaking,” reads the judge’s comment. “Kudos to the reporters for pulling all of the threads and affecting change. It would have been easy to write about the criminal proceedings and leave it at that. But this series gave a voice to the voiceless and hopefully will prevent another child from going through the same ordeal. Bravo.”
That package of stories also garnered Kaplan, Reisen