By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic

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GREEN BAY, Wisconsin | The Florida Catholic Miami edition and its sister newspaper, La Voz Católica, were honored with 22 awards — 11 each — by the Catholic Press Association of the U.S. and Canada, for journalistic and multimedia work done during 2017.

The awards were announced at the annual Catholic Media Conference, held June 13-15 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and included an honorable mention for La Voz as Spanish Publication of the Year.

“We don’t do this to win awards,” said Ana Rodriguez-Soto, editor of the Miami edition and executive editor of La Voz. “But it’s nice to be recognized by our peers as we strive to inform, form and inspire Catholics in South Florida to live out their faith in the world. I am especially proud of all the freelancers who contribute so much to our newspapers. We couldn’t do this without them.”

The Miami newspapers won five first place honors for:

• Best Multimedia Package: “Archbishop ordains nine to priesthood,” coverage of last year’s ordination which appeared in the May print edition as well as on the archdiocesan website and Facebook. The package featured text and photos by editor Ana Rodriguez-Soto, photos by freelancers Tom Tracy and Marlene Quaroni, and videos by Juan Di Prado, formerly of the Communications Office, and freelancer Javier Carrion. The judges wrote: “There are a lot of photos here, and the quality is very very high throughout. A lot of joy captured. The writing is excellent… The short video for each priest (in his own voice) is just the cherry on top. Miami, the future is bright. Fantastic work.”
• Best Use of Live Video in Social Media: “A visit to UM Catholic Campus Ministry with Father Phillip Tran,” by freelancer Cristina Cabrera Jarro. The coverage appeared on Facebook Live and was the basis for her story in the September print edition. The judges wrote: “Good voice over. Great blend of new and old school broadcast journalism.”
• Best Use of Video — Ongoing Series: “Get to know your new priests,” video interviews with the soon-to-be-ordained. Conducted by Di Prado and Carrion, they were published on the archdiocese’s You Tube channel and Facebook page. The judges wrote: “A simple and effective use of Facebook video to introduce new priests. The analytics on these posts show that they are working with the target audience.”
• Best In-Depth Analysis: “Lo que construyeron los huracanes” (What the hurricanes restored), a reflection on Hurricane Maria’s passage through Puerto Rico by freelancer Brenda T. Torres, which appeared in the October edition of La Voz. The judges called it a “phenomenal column, which succeeds in looking at issues like solidarity and brotherhood, while also analyzing political ramifications.”
• Best Sports Reporting: Freelancer Daniel Shoer Roth’s “Evangelizar con un balón de voleibol” (Evangelizing via volleyball), which appeared in La Voz’s July edition. The story looks at how youth ministries in several South Florida parishes are attracting young people to the Church through sports. The judges wrote: “The quotes from participants help tell the story, which discusses sports, religion and the spirit of competition.”

 

Miami also won six second places for:

• Best News Writing on a Local or Regional Event: “Hurricane Irma,” published in the September Florida Catholic with stories and photos by Rodriguez-Soto, freelancers Tracy, Cabrera Jarro, Quaroni, and Jim Davis, and the column by Archbishop Thomas Wenski. The judges wrote: “Great coverage. Bravo on pivoting under difficult circumstances. And the chainsaw-wielding nun story was a gem. Congrats on great work. Very competitive category.”
• Best Reporting of Social Justice Issues — Option for the Poor and Vulnerable: “Going out to the peripheries,” a feature on Camillus House’s Lazarus Project by Rodriguez-Soto which appeared in the December Florida Catholic. The judges wrote: “This story allows readers to walk the streets of Miami with team members of the Lazarus Project, who work with homeless residents who have severe mental illness, addiction and other problems. The story focuses on relationships, portraying the interactions between Lazarus Project members and the homeless people they encounter. It ends poignantly with one case manager telling a man she has worked with previously, ‘You did it before. You can do it again.’”
• Best Facebook Post: “Hurricane season prayer” by Maria Alejandra Rivas, media coordinator and digital media specialist for the archdiocesan Communications Office.
• Best Photograph: Quaroni’s “Pueri Cantores,” which appeared on the front page of the March edition of La Voz. The judges wrote: “The girl’s face is everything. A lovely photograph that brings a smile to your face.”
• Best Reporting of Social Justice Issues — Dignity and Rights of Workers: La Voz reporter Rocío Granados’ July story on domestic workers, “Sin las trabajadoras del hogar, ningún otro trabajo sería possible”(Without domestic workers, no other work would be possible), which appeared in the July edition. The judges praised it as a “well-crafted article, which looks at faith and service and comes alive with quotes.”
• Best Reporting on Latin America: Rodriguez-Soto’s reporting in the September La Voz of Vice President Mike Pence’s visit with the Venezuelan community in Doral. “This is a solid story,” the judges wrote. “It is well reported, with excellent use of quotes, and written fluidly and with authority. The pictures enhance the presentation.”

Six third places went to:

• Rodriguez-Soto and freelancers Tracy and Quaroni for their May coverage of the priesthood ordination, in the category of Best Reporting on Vocations to Priesthood, Religious Life or Diaconate. The judges wrote: “This lavishly illustrated section provides insight into why and how nine men chose the priesthood. The strength of this section is in the varied background of those nine so each story stands alone, from jet setter to investment banker to those who felt they were going nowhere until discerning that the priesthood was for them. Outstanding presentation and writing.”
• Quaroni for pictures of Good Friday services at St. Mary Cathedral, in the category of Best Online Content Not Published in Print — Photos. The judges wrote: “Interesting perspective and versatile work make this selection difficult to beat. Wonderful and emotionally-compelling imagery.”
• La Voz freelancer Grace Piney for “Advocaciones marianas: la herencia hispana” (Marian devotions: the Hispanic heritage), which appeared in the October edition. The judges wrote, “Good information and a great job presenting the graphic components of the story.”
• Piney also won third place for “La modista de la Virgen,” in the August La Voz,  which the judges called “an engaging story about a seamstress who makes the capes for the Virgin of Charity. The reader gets a good sense of the woman’s personality, and the photos offer details that cannot be fully explained in words.”
• La Voz won third place for its coverage of Hurricane Irma, “Despues del huracán” (After the hurricane), with articles and photos by reporter Rocío Granados, executive editor Rodriguez-Soto, and freelancers Tracy, Quaroni and Torres. “Great collection of stories of hope and renewal, aided by carefully selected photographs,” the judges wrote.
• La Voz designer Manolo Villaverde also won third place for Best Front Page. The judges praised the newspaper’s use of “a nice variety of illustrations on its cover. The photo of the singing children, in particular, is a real charmer and makes the page stand out. The promos on the left column are efficient in enticing the reader to look for the stories inside.”

Five honorable mentions went to:

• Freelancer Jonathan Martinez for pictures of Palm Sunday at the cathedral, also in the category of Best Online Content Not Published in Print — Photos.
• Freelancer Davis for his coverage of events surrounding the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, in the category of Best Reporting on Ecumenical and Interfaith Issues. The stories appeared online and in print in April, October and November.
• Rodriguez-Soto in Best In-Depth News/Special Reporting, for “Farewell to Curley-Notre Dame,” her coverage of the merger of ACND and Msgr. Edward Pace High School, which appeared in June.
• La Voz columnist and Let’s Talk blogger Rogelio Zelada for Best Regular Column: Spirituality.

The Florida Catholic editions of Venice, Palm Beach and Orlando also received nine awards.

Jean Gonzalez, editorial/online director in the statewide office, garnered two first-place honors for her story, “Prisoner works to ‘be the example.’” Her story focused on Earl Hinson Jr., an inmate from Martin County Correctional Institution who was spared the death penalty and is serving a life sentence. He serves as a volunteer to fellow inmates in a variety of programs, including post-abortion healing. The story won the Knights of Columbus’ Father Michael J. McGivney Award for Distinguished Journalism and first place from the Catholic Press Association for best personality profile.

Gonzalez also won honorable mentions for her coverage of President Trump’s visit to an Orlando Catholic school, and an honorable mention as Editor of the Year.

The Florida Catholic Orlando edition won second place for Best Print Circulation Promotion Campaign and its Scripture columnist, Father Ben Berinti, won first place for Best Regular Column — Scripture.

Linda Reeves, editor of the Palm Beach edition, won first place for Best Photograph: Share the Journey, that accompanied her story, “AIM retreatants harvest fruits of the Holy Spirit beyond limits.” She also won honorable mention for another story, "Mothers build new life at Mary's shelter," which competed in the category of Best Reporting on Social Justice Issues: Life and Dignity of the Human Person.

The Venice edition, led by editor Bob Reddy, won honorable mention for Newspaper of the Year among non-weekly diocesan newspapers with a circulation of 25,000 or less.

NEXT YEAR IN ST. PETERSBURG

The 2019 Catholic Media Conference will be hosted by the St. Petersburg Diocese of Florida, and take place June 18-21. Plans call for a special track of workshops for parish and school communicators. Look for more information in a few months on the Catholic Press Association's website, www.catholicpress.org.