Standard journalists win four distinct awards
Ontario Newspaper Awards recognize work amid pandemic
Analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic and photos in three categories have earned two St. Catharines Standard multimedia journalists provincewide recognition.
The Ontario Newspaper Awards announced Friday that Bob Tymczyszyn won three awards for his photography, and Grant LaFleche won for his reporting in 2020.
“I am extremely proud to see the work of these two outstanding members of the Niagara Dailies news team given this recognition,” said Niagara Dailies editor-in-chief Angus Scott.
“Our journalists and photographers have had to overcome extremely difficult obstacles to continue their reporting, but they have done so and, at the same time, maintained their commitment to excellence, integrity, hard work and the basic goal of the news person: to tell readers what is happening in their communities.”
LaFleche won the new category of COVID-19 Opinion/Analysis writing for his pieces on an unscientific plan to build a COVID-19 lab in Niagara, a breakdown of anti-mask conspiracy theorists’ claims, and his own creation and production of a daily COVID-19 curve graph to help readers understand the pandemic data.
Judges said LaFleche’s piece on the multimillion-dollar COVID testing proposal is to “understand how real-time pandemic analysis is done.”
“LaFleche fact-checked the proposal’s fine-print, finding errors, misrepresentations and scant science, while his savvy analysis-driven coverage of an anti-mask protest deftly turned the piece into explanatory journalism on the spread of disinformation,” judges said.
“In addition, he pulled together data from a range of local institutions to produce a daily COVID curve graph months before public health did so. Incredible work.”
Bob Tymczyszyn won the new COVID-19 Photography category for an image of two tour boats passing at Niagara Falls in July— the Maid of the Mist packed with passengers on the U.S. side, and the Hornblower with only a handful of passengers on the Canadian side. The judges said it captured the vast disparity of responses to COVID-19 in Canada and the U.S. at the time.
He also won the Feature Photography (under 25,000 circulation) category for an image at the Black Lives Matter rally in downtown St. Catharines in June.
“This simple yet powerful image expertly sums up the passion, defiance and purpose of the Black Lives Matter movement, with the single fist in close-up contrasting nicely with the mass of supporters in the background,” judges said.
Tymczyszyn won the hat trick with his Spot News Photography (under 25,000 circulation) prize for the rescue of a man who fell while rock climbing in the area of the Niagara Glen in July.
Judges said, “Tymczyszyn shot a captivating, well-composed photo that was the most memorable of the entrants this year. It tells the story of increased hiking injuries in the region during the pandemic — and, in an unexpected way, highlights the fact that no area of life has gone untouched by COVID-19.”
Journalists across Ontario outside of Toronto were honoured in 18 categories.
Hamilton Spectator reporters won four awards, the London Free Press won three and the Windsor Star won two. Reporters for the Sudbury Star, Waterloo Region Record, Owen Sound Sun-Times, Stratford Beacon Herald and Chatham Daily News also won categories.
“It’s always an honour to have your work recognized, especially in 2020, by all means a difficult year for all of us,” Tymczyszyn said. “It’s never lost on me, the opportunity to record Niagara for so many years. The support of those close at home and work has been instrumental in the images created.”
LaFleche said being recognized by ONA was a ray of sunshine in what was otherwise the most trying of years for everyone, including journalists.
“A big part of my work over the last year has been to help readers navigate the sometimes baffling COVID-19 data, and fact-check those, especially regional politicians pushing disinformation or hatch fact-free schemes during a public health crisis,” LaFleche said.
“It’s important to point out the recognition Bob and I are receiving is a reflection of the whole Niagara Dailies news team. I am really proud of our team.”