Morning Call wins six first-place awards at journalism conference
Morning Call reporters received six first-place awards this weekend at the Pennsylvania Press Conference in Harrisburg, including top Keystone and Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors awards for coverage of former Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski’s political corruption trial.
The conference — held annually by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Society of News Editors, Pennsylvania Associated Press Media Editors, Pennsylvania Women’s Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists — brings together reporters, editors and broadcasters across the state.
Five of The Morning Call’s first-place awards came from PAPME: best general news reporting to the staff for Pawlowski coverage, which was led by senior reporters Emily Opilo and Peter Hall; best investigative reporting for “Acres of Tax Breaks,” a special report by senior reporters Steve Esack and Riley Yates on the state’s Acts 319 and 515 laws; best business writing for a Jon Harris and Anthony Salamone story on the closing of the Schutts Sports helmet plant in Palmer Township; best sports story for Mark Wogenrich’s account of Super Bowl champion and Whitehall High School alumnus Mark Millen’s quest for a heart transplant; and best sports/outdoors column to Eagles beat writer Nick Fierro.
“I’m delighted to see our journalism and journalists get this well-deserved recognition,” said Terry Rang, The Morning Call’s editor-in-chief. “These awards are a testament to their talent and dedication in serving our readers in the Lehigh Valley. It’s an honor to work with them every day.”
In the Keystone contest, the newspaper won four awards in addition to the first-place prize for ongoing news coverage. Senior reporter Laurie Mason Schroeder took second place in personality profile for her story about Marcus and Scott Lingenfelter, adopted brothers in search of their biological families. Honorable mentions went to senior reporter Andrew Wagaman in investigative reporting for stories about the state’s permitting process for medical marijuana; visual journalist April Gamiz for a colorful shot of the season’s first snowfall in November; and Jesse Musto, senior journalist of interactives, for his design of an Eagles collectible poster at the start of the football season.
In the national Press Women’s contest, digital journalist Kayla Dwyer earned second place for producing and hosting The Morning Call Podcast. She came in first place in the state contest.
Wogenrich’s Millen story also won a Top-10 award for feature writing at the national Associated Press Sports Editors competition in Florida in February.