Journalism excellence in Garden State honored by New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists

PRINCETON, N.J. – More than 80 awards were handed out at the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists 2022 Excellence in Journalism Awards Ceremony.

The ceremony took place Saturday at the Bernard Kilgore Center in Princeton.

“The goal for this contest is to highlight the best in journalism within New Jersey, and the best journalism about the Garden State,” said P. Kenneth Burns, NJ-SPJ president and co-chair of this year’s contest. “I am proud that our contest highlighted great journalists and provided a platform for outlets to compete against each other in a professional, friendly competition.”

This year’s revamped contest received more than 160 entries. More than 50 first place awards and more than 30 second place awards were given to finalists that were announced by NJ-SPJ in October. Entries were divided based on location and platform. The Garden State Division was designed for outlets based in New Jersey. The Metro Division was for outlets based in New York and Philadelphia. Following SPJ tradition, the contest was judged by a panel from out-of-state.

Details for next year’s contest will be announced in early 2023.

2022 NJ-SPJ Excellence in Journalism Award Winners

BEST INVESTIGATIVE STORY

Garden State Division
Print: 1st Place…. Jean Rimbach, Abbott Koloff; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “College Finances in New Jersey.”

Broadcast: 1st Place… Walt Kane, Karin Attonito, Anthony Cocco, Mark DiPietro, Matthew Korley, Jonathan Pearl; News 12, “Justice For All: The Shooting of Jeffrey Sutton”

2nd Place… David Cruz, Buki Elegbede, James Kraft, Patrick Santomauro, Julie Daurio, John Servidio; NJ Spotlight News, “Edna Mahan Inmate Abuse”

Digital: 1st Place…Jay Rahman; Paterson Times, “Paterson quietly gave 20-year property tax breaks to developers”

BEST COVERAGE OF STATE GOVERNMENT

Garden State Division

Print: 1st Place…Brent Johnson, Susan K. Livio; NJ Advance Media, “After charges of toxic 2017 campaign, Murphy tries to turn a page – but new allegations emerge”

2nd Place…Karin Price Mueller; NJ Advance Media, “Unemployment in New Jersey”

Broadcast: 1st Place…David Cruz, Jen Icklan Eckert, Brendan Smyth, Steve Maio, Elvin Badger, James Kraft, Joe Lee; NJ PBS, “Chat Box with David Cruz -What Just Happened? Inside the Gov. Race”

2nd Place…David Cruz, Jen Icklan Eckert, Steve Maio, Brendan Smyth, Elvin Badger, James Kraft, Joe Lee; NJ PBS, “Reporters Roundtable with David Cruz: What Happens Next: Politics After the Gov. Race”

Digital: 1st Place…Dana DiFilippo; New Jersey Monitor, Dana DiFilippo portfolio

2nd Place…Nikita Biryukov; New Jersey Monitor, Nikita Biryukov portfolio

Metro Division
Print: 1st Place…Elise Young, Skylar Woodhouse, Sri Taylor ; Bloomberg News, “NJ’s Governor Race”

BEST COVERAGE OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

Garden State Division

Print: 1st Place…Debra Rubin; Jewish Link of New Jersey, “Clifton BOE Anti-Israel Comments Draw Criticism”

2nd Place…Harry Glazer; Jewish Link of New Jersey, “Teaneck’s Jan Meyer Marks Silver Anniversary on Zoning Board”

Digital: 1st Place…Jay Rahman; Paterson Times, “Paterson was slow to implement police bodycams. It cost taxpayers $44,000.”

2nd Place…Jon “Ferris” Meredith; TAPInto.net, “TAPinto Wayne’s five months of coverage of volatile Wayne Board of Education meetings”

BEST NEWS SERIES

Garden State Division

Print: 1st Place…Staff; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “Saturation Point”

2nd Place…Deena Yellin; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “Leaving Religion, Keeping Faith”

Broadcast: 1st Place…Walt Kane, Karin Attonito, Anthony Cocco, Audrey Gruber, Rocco Marrongelli; News 12, “Failing Foundations”

2nd Place…Walt Kane, Karin Attonito, Anthony Cocco, Steven Larger, Matthew Korley, Audrey Gruber; News 12, “The Wolf Dogs”

Digital: 1st Place…Matt Kadosh; TAPinto.net, “TAPinto Westfield series takes a look at the Pulitzer Prize winning book The Bluest Eye and the controversy it created in Westfield Public Schools”

2nd Place…Jon “Ferris” Meredith; TAPinto.net, “TAPinto Wayne’s five months of coverage of volatile Wayne Board of Education meetings”

Metro Division

Print: 1st Place…Elise Young; Bloomberg News, NJ’s Legal Pot Business

BEST SPORTS FEATURE

Garden State Division

Print: 1st Place…Bill Alden , “PU Grad Student Snyder Headed to Tokyo Paralympics, Moving to Triathlon After Dominating Swimming Event”

2nd Place…Bill Alden; Wirspoon Media Group, “Espousing Values of Kindness, Always Doing Your Best, Beloved Coach DiGregorio Touched Countless Lives”

Broadcast: 1st Place…Doug Doyle; WBGO-FM Radio, “Ken Burns documentary ‘Muhammad Ali’”

Digital: 1st Place…Kimberlee Bongard; Patch.com, “Central Regional Wrestler Continues Family Legacy At Lakewood HS”

2nd Place…Michael Lewis; EDPSoccer.com, “Real Jersey Goalkeeper Creates Not-For-Profit as Boost to Senior Community”

BEST BUSINESS/CONSUMER STORY

Garden State Division

Print: 1st Place…Karin Price Mueller; NJ Advance Media, “Hire at your own risk”

2nd Place…Mary Chaol; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “Real Estate roller coaster”

Digital:1st Place…Matt Kadosh; TAPinto.net, “TAPinto Westfield takes a look at the rollout of the Wonder Trucks in Westfield, including how it created conversations about food and regulation by town leaders.”

Metro Division
Print: 1st Place…Elise Young, Raeedah Wahid; Bloomberg News, “NYC Needs the Commuting Crowds That Have Yet to Fully Return”

BEST BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE

Garden State Division       

Broadcast: 1st Place…Alex Zdan, Alyssa Robbins; News 12, “Derek Chauvin Trial Verdict”

2nd Place…Doug Doyle, Nate Chinen; WBGO-FM Radio, “Jazz Legend Chick Corea dies”

Digital: 1st Place…Dana DiFilippo, Sophie Nieto-Muñoz, Nikita Biryukov; New Jersey Monitor, “Chaotic day in Trenton as Republicans cry ‘tyranny’ over vax rules”

2nd Place…Danielle Santola; TAPinto.net…”TAP into Livingston reports on police officers who risked their lives to save residents, including the Deputy Fire Chief, as Hurricane Ida impacted the area.”

Metro Division

Print: 1st Place…David R.  Baker, Shannon D.  Harrington, Skylar Woodhouse, Elise Young, Emma Kinery, David Voreacos, Josh Saul; Bloomberg News, “Ida Batters the Tri-State Area”

Broadcast: 1st Place…WCBS Newsradio 880 Team; WCBS Newsradio 880, “The Fury of Ida”

2nd Place…Tennyson Donyeá, P. Kenneth Burns; WHYY, “Edward Durr, GOP novice who unseated Sweeney, responds to backlash over Islamophobic tweet”

BEST IN-DEPTH REPORTING    

Garden State Division

Print: 1st Place…Staff; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “The Jersey Four”

2nd Place…Susan Livio; NJ Advance Media, “Racism in N.J.’s child protection system”

Broadcast: 1st Place…Melissa Rose Cooper, Buki Elegbede, James Kraft, Patrick Santomauro, Julie Daurio, Joe Lee; NJ Spotlight News, “Teen Art Project Honors Victims of Violence”

2nd Place…Joanna Gagis, Rob Rowan, Buki Elegbede, James Kraft, Patrick Santomauro, Julie Daurio, John Servidio; NJ Spotlight News, “A Mental Health Crisis for Students”

Digital: 1st Place…Catherine Carrera; Chalkbeat, “In-Depth Reporting: Bus driver shortage leaves some Newark students with disabilities behind”

2nd Place…Sophie Nieto-Muñoz; New Jersey Monitor, “Another door that doesn’t open:’ Hurdles for applicants to N.J. excluded workers fund”

Metro Division

Print: 1st Place…Tracey Tully; New York Times, “Judges Juggle Over 2,700 Cases Each as Families Wait for Day in Court”

2nd Place…Amy S. Rosenberg; Philadelphia Inquirer, “The state shut down the Shamrock bar. Some think Wildwood will never be the same.”

Broadcast: 1st Place…P. Kenneth Burns; WHYY, “Where is the Glassboro-Camden Line? An update on a long-awaited South Jersey project”

BEST CONTINUING COVERAGE          

Garden State Division

Print: 1st Place…Ashley Balcerzak; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “Housing in Crisis”

2nd Place…Jonathan Salant; NJ Advance Media, “Truck safety”

Broadcast: 1st Place…Brenda Flanagan, Melissa Rose Cooper, Leah Mishkin, Buki Elegbede, Rob Rowan, James Kraft, Patrick Santomauro, Julie Daurio, Joe Lee; NJ Spotlight News, “Tropical Storm Ida’s Wrath”

2nd Place…Doug Doyle, P. Kenneth Burns; WBGO-FM Radio, “Jack Ciattarelli nearly upsets Phil Murphy in NJ Governor’s Race”

Digital: 1st Place…Neill Borowski; 70and73.com, “Continuing coverage of Wawa expansion in the suburbs”

2nd Place…Tom Wiedmann, Mark J. Bonamo; TAPinto.net, “When Tropical Storm Ida touched down in Newark with its powerful winds and heavy rains it highlighted a continuing issue the city needed to deal with – flooding. TAPinto Newark dug into the issue.”

Metro Division

Print: 1st Place…Melanie Burney; Philadelphia Inquirer, “A collection of stories about ex-Bordentown Township Police Chief Frank Nucera”

2nd Place…Michelle Kaske, Elise Young, Stacie Sherman; Bloomberg News, “The Saga of the Hudson Rail Tunnel”

SPECIAL CATEGORY: BEST COVID COVERAGE    

Garden State Division

Print:1st Place…Lindy Washburn, Scott Fallon; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “Covid Coverage”

2nd Place…Ricardo Kaulessar; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “Loved and Lost: Series of COVID-19 profiles”

Broadcast:1st Place…Erin Vogt, Sergio Bichao; Townsquare Media Trenton, “Hospital gives wealthy donors access to COVID vaccine”

2nd Place…Alexandra Hill; WBGO-FM Radio, “Newark to Create Housing Out Of Shipping Containers As Homelessness Worsens Amid Pandemic”

Digital: 1st Place…Patrick Wall, Catherine Carrera, Alex Zimmerman; Chalkbeat, “Pandemic 360”

2nd Place…Tom Wiedmann, Mark J. Bonamo; TAPinto.net, “TAPinto Newark reporters continued the year focusing on the devastion COVID-19 had on the community and how Newark was slowly coming back.”

Metro Division

Print: 1st Place…Tracey Tully; New York Times, “The pandemic’s effect on education in New Jersey”

2nd Place…Elise Young, Dina Bass, Angelica Peebles, Stacie Sherman, Nic Querolo, Skylar Woodhouse, Danielle Moran, Shruti Singh, Carey Goldberg; Bloomberg News, “NJ’s Vaccine Rollout”

Broadcast: 1st Place…Karen Yi; WNYC-FM Radio, “COVID-19 Kills Young Latino Men In NJ”

BEST ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE

Garden State Division

Print: 1st Place…Jim Beckerman; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “Jim Beckerman”

2nd Place…Daniel Israel; Bayonne Community News, The Hudson Reporter, “Outsider art gallery hangs in limbo”

Broadcast: 1st Place…Doug Doyle; WBGO-FM Radio, “The Black Church, a WBGO Panel Discussion”

2nd Place…Doug Doyle; WBGO-FM Radio, “Tony Award and Daytime Emmy Award winner Lillias White explores the life, struggles and music of legendary singer Sarah Vaughan with a special concert at NJPAC”

Digital: 1st Place…Bennett Kelly; New Brunswick Today, “Chronicling the New Brunswick, NJ Music Scene”

2nd Place…Kimberlee Bongard; Patch.com, “Ocean City Theatre Company: COVID ‘Knocked The Wind Out Of Us’”

Metro Division
Print: 1st Place…Amy S.  Rosenberg; Philadelphia Inquirer, “A collection of Arts & Entertainment storytelling”

BEST PODCAST    

Garden State Division

Print: 1st Place…Chris Iseman, Ryan Ross, Steve Edelson, Paul Wood; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “The Chop: A Rutgers Football Podcast”

2nd Place…Art Stapleton, Paul Wood, Jr.; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “All-In with Art Stapleton: A NY Giants Podcast”

Broadcast: 1st Place…Doug Doyle; WBGO-FM Radio, “SportsJam with Doug Doyle”

2nd Place…Joey Bloch; FOX Sports New Jersey, “In the Middle with Joey Bloch: Jo-Leo Carney-Waterton and Charlie Kratovil”

Digital: 1st Place…Scott Gurian; Shelter Podcast, “Shelter Podcast: What Shelter Means to Me”

Metro Division

Broadcast: 1st Place…Tim Scheld, Peter Haskell; WCBS Newsradio 880, “880 In Depth: The NJ Vaccine Hunt”

BEST DIGITAL NEWS VIDEO     

Garden State Division

Print: 1st Place…Tariq Zehawi, Scott Fallon; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “The Lower Hackensack: A River on the Rebound”

2nd Place…Danielle Parhizkaran, Tariq Zehawi; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “The Bells of Saint James Church”

BEST NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY   

Garden State Division

Print: 1st Place…Tariq Zehawi; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “Family mourns at funeral for retired firefighter”

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY

Garden State Division

Print: 1st Place…Chris Pedota, Mike Kelly; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “25 Years later: TWA Flight 800”

2nd Place…Michael Karas; The Record/NorthJersey.com, “Former NJ prisoner struggles to find stability”

THE AMIRI BARAKA AWARD FOR BEST COVERAGE OF CITIES AND SUBURBS

Garden State Division

Print: 1st Place…Daysi Calavia-Robertson; NJ Advance Media, “Columns by Daysi Calavia-Robertson”

Digital: 1st Place…Tony Gallotto, April Saul; TAPinto.net, “TAPinto Camden strives to capture snapshots of a colorful city by telling stories, and informing readers, about what’s happening around it and how the city is growing”

BEST PUBLIC AFFAIRS SHOW (TV AND RADIO)     

Garden State Division

Broadcast: 1st Place…Doug Doyle, Alexandra Hill, Joe Hernandez, Harlan Jacobson; WBGO-FM Radio, “WBGO Journal 6/26/2021

2nd Place…David Cruz, Jen Icklan Eckert, Steve Maio, Brendan Smyth, Elvin Badger, James Kraft, Joe Lee; NJ PBS, “Chat Box with David Cruz: America After Trump, Future of the GOP and Budget Reform in NJ”

REPORTER OF THE YEAR

Garden State Division       

Broadcast: Walt Kane, News 12

Digital: Dana DiFilippo, New Jersey Monitor