Our Town and West Side Spirit Win NYPA Awards
New York Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest honors Straus Media publications for reporting and design
| 13 Apr 2021 | 11:31
Stories in Our Town by Emily Higginbotham and Michael Oreskes won first place for coverage of Election and Politics.
Christina Scotti’s cover design for this special report on “The Future of Education” won second place in the Best Special Section Cover category.
“Share Gratitude” special report cover designed by Michael Guillen received third place honors in the Best Special Section Cover category.
Our Town and its sister publications were recognized for excellence in reporting and design at the New York Press Association Better Newspaper Contest Awards ceremony held virtually April 8 and 9.
Our Town won first place for its coverage of Election and Politics in 2020. The judges said about Emily Higginbotham and Michael Oreskes’ reporting on the East Side Assembly race: “Excellent in-depth coverage of local political election.”
Michael Oreskes’ reporting for The West Side Spirit on the Lucerne Hotel controversy won honorable mention in the News Series category.
And Straus Media’s design department won first place in the Best Small Space Ad category. The judges said: “The ad for Gary Null Whole Foods is an all-around success. Bright colors full of images that tell the whole story are a great start, and their uneven edges that frame the text are a very nice touch. The copy is to the point, the logo is obvious, and all the necessary contact info is included. To top it off, the various special deals as a call to action polish it off. Kudos to the winner!”
Our Town and The West Side Spirit won second place, third place and honorable mention in the Best Special Section Cover category.
Commenting on the awards, Publisher Jeanne Straus said: “We know our team has been doing important and impactful work over the past year. We’re incredibly gratified that our colleagues are getting the recognition they deserve.”