Promoting the interests of newspapers and other publications and advancing journalism standards and educational opportunities in Rhode Island since 1886.
Photo courtesy of: Paul J. Spetrini Photography
The Rhode Island Press Association presented 139 awards to Rhode Island journalists for writing, design and photography in its editorial contest for 2017. Above are the winners in the Arts Review or Criticism category. From left: Mercury writer Alexander Castro, who took first place in the category, third-place finisher Laurence J. Sasso Jr. of the Smithfield Times Magazine and Providence Journal editor Alan Rosenberg, who accepted the second-place award on behalf of writer Andy Smith.
2018 Rhode Island Press Association Contest Winners
Results for the 2017 Rhode Island Press Association Editorial Award Competition. Presented April 27, 2018
The Rhode Island Press Association is pleased to provide a list of winners and comments from judges for the 2017 Editorial Contest. The contest was judged by the Idaho Press Club. The winners are provided in place order. Due to a technical issue, judges comments are currently unavailable but will be added to this page if/when they become available.
To skip sections, please click one of the links below.
Writing
1. News Story (Short)
* First place: Erin Belknap, East Side Monthly, "Unexpected success for the Atheneu"
* Second place: Jonathan Bissonnette, Pawtucket Times, "First officer"
* Third place: Kathleen Troost-Cramer, Mercury, "Unsupervised Actions"
* Honorable mention: Amanda Milkovits, The Providence Journal, "Murders add up and a feud lives on"
2. NEWS STORY (IN-DEPTH)
* First place: Jacqueline Tempera, The Providence Journal, "The Google bonanza"
* Second place: Eli Sherman, Providence Business News, "Don’t tell me we’re dead"
*Third place: Tom Mooney, The Providence Journal, "‘Independent Men’ score coup in Scituate"
* Honorable mention: Ethan Shorey, The Valley Breeze, "No mercy"
Photo: Paul J. Spetrini
Erin Belknap of East Side Monthly won first place in the News Story (Short) category of the 2018 Rhode Island Press Association contest for "Unexpected success for the Atheneum." Above, members of the organizations nominated in the category accept their awards.
3. SPOT NEWS STORY
* First place: Amanda Milkovits, The Providence Journal, "Held hostage"
* Second place: Katie Mulvaney, Jacqueline Tempera and Amanda Milkovits, The Providence Journal, "A hail of bullets"
* Third place: Tony Pacitti, SO Rhode Island, "A fitting memorial for Station fire victims"
* Honorable mention: Cynthia Drummond, The Westerly Sun, "State kills plan for I-95 welcome center"
4. INVESTIGATIVE/ANALYTICAL NEWS STORY OR SERIES
* First place: Eli Sherman, Providence Business News, "Are we dealing with reality on pensions?"
* Second place: Katherine Gregg, The Providence Journal, "State spending on public relations jumps"
* Third place: Amanda Milkovits, The Providence Journal, "Time runs out"
* Honorable mention: Katie Mulvaney, The Providence Journal, "Overworked & understaffed"
5. SINGLE-TOPIC SERIES
* First place: Tom Mooney and Jennifer Bogdan, The Providence Journal, "Children at risk"
* Second place: Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal, "Danger below"
* Third place: The Westerly Sun, "Superstorm Sandy - 5 years later"
6. BUSINESS STORY
* First place: Lou Papineau and Jamie Coelho, Rhode Island Monthly, "Hi neighbor! We’re back!"
* Second place: Jamie Coelho, Rhode Island Monthly, "Doughnut devotion"
* Third place: Marilyn Busch, The Smithfield Times Magazine, "Great Wolf Lodge"
7. EDUCATION STORY
* First place: Casey Nilsson, Rhode Island Monthly, "Aged out"
* Second place: Kathleen Troost-Cramer, Mercury, "The last days of Cluny School"
* Third place: Linda Borg, The Providence Journal, "Bomb of neglect"
8. RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY STORY
* First place: John Taraborelli, Rhode Island Monthly, "Whose God is it anyway?"
* Second place: Pam Schiff, Cranston Herald, "One family, two beliefs"
* Third place: Joseph Fitzgerald, Woonsocket Call, "Keeping the faith"
* Honorable mention: Harry Anderson, The Smithfield Times Magazine, "Luminous again are the windows of St. Thomas Church"
9. REPORTING ON THE ENVIRONMENT
* First place: Eli Sherman, Providence Business News, "RGGI: Flawed or national model?"
* Second place: Todd McLeish, Rhode Island Monthly, "Creature comforts"
* Third place: Mary Grady, Rhode Island Monthly, "The battle for the mountains under the sea"
10. SCIENCE/HEALTH CARE
STORY
* First place: Grace Kelly, Rhode Island Monthly, "Facing stigma"
* Second place: Eli Sherman, Providence Business News, "Are ‘stars aligned’ for marine tech?"
* Third place: Mark Reynolds, The Providence Journal, "Can EMTs rescue before there’s an emergency?"
* Honorable mention: Ethan Hartley, Warwick Beacon, "Planetary pioneer."
11. PROFILE OR PERSONALITY STORY
* First place: Molly Lederer, East Side Monthly, "The mind of Eugene Lee"
* Second place: Paul Kandarian, Rhode Island Monthly, "A woman of letters"
* Third place: Philip Eil, Rhode Island Monthly, "Sheldon Whitehouse wants everyone to wake up"
* Honorable mention: Joseph Fitzgerald, Woonsocket Call, "The last cobbler"
Photo: Paul J. Spetrini
Grace Kelly, of Rhode Island Monthly, center, won first place in the Science/Health Care Story category for “Facing stigma” during the 2018 Rhode Island Press Association Awards Banquet.
12. FEATURE STORY (SHORT)
* First place: Colin Howarth, South County Life Magazine, "Ready to roll"
* Second place: Joseph B. Nadeau, Woonsocket Call, "Day to remember"
* Third place: Kendra Lolio, Kent County Times, "Cinderella story"
* Honorable mention: Ethan Shorey, The Valley Breeze, "Quite a discovery"
13. FEATURE STORY (IN-DEPTH)
* First place: Casey Nilsson, Rhode Island Monthly, "The Dreamer"
* Second place: Dan McGowan, East Side Monthly, "Is Providence still Crimetown?"
* Third place: Tom Mooney, The Providence Journal, "Unflinching remembrance"
* Honorable mention: Jordan Martin, Mercury, "The what percent?"
14. ARTS REVIEW OR CRITICISM
* First place: Alexander Castro, Mercury, "Salve gallery show probes fragility of home"
* Second place: Andy Smith, The Providence Journal, "Reclaiming her parents"
* Third place: Laurence J. Sasso Jr., The Smithfield Times Magazine, "Like sheep to water"
15. ARTS OR ENTERTAINMENT STORY
* First place: Casey Nilsson, Rhode Island Monthly, "Play Right"
* Second place: Amanda M. Grosvenor, Providence Monthly, "Maker city"
* Third place: Adam Hogue, The Bay Magazine, "Striking the right chord"
16. FOOD & DINING STORY
* First place: Jamie Coelho, Rhode Island Monthly, "Food fighters"
* Second place: Katelyn McSherry, Mercury, "The hot dog days of summer"
* Third place: Grace Kelly, Rhode Island Monthly, "Just peachy"
* Honorable mention: The Valley Breeze, "Now bring us some figgy pudding!"
17. UNIQUE/MOST UNEXPECTED STORY
* First place: Jacqueline Tempera, The Providence Journal, "Missing"
* Second place: Emily Gowdey-Backus,
Photo: Paul J. Spetrini
Ged Carbone of Rhode Island Monthly won first place in the Sports Feature story of the 2018 Rhode Island Press Association Editorial Awards Contest for “Courting Dreams.” Accepting the award for the organization is, at right, Sarah Francis.
Providence Business News, "The price of preserving local history"
* Third place: Matt Sheley, The Newport Daily News, "Guess who’s back in town?"
* Honorable mention: Ethan Shorey, The Valley Breeze, "Bad hare day"
18. SPORTS STORY
* First place: Bill Koch, The Providence Journal, "A program changer"
* Second place: Jon Baker, Woonsocket Call, "Talent and teamwork"
* Third place: Tim Britton, The Providence Journal
* Honorable mention: William Geoghegan, The Independent, Dance party
19. SPORTS FEATURE STORY
* First place: Ged Carbone, Rhode Island Monthly, "Courting dreams"
* Second place: Mark Daniels, The Providence Journal, "A lesson well learned"
* Third place: Bill Koch, The Providence Journal, "Ready to dive into something new"
* Honorable mention: William Geoghegan, The Independent, "Foul tips"
20. SPORTS COLUMNIST
* First place: Kevin McNamara, The Providence Journal.
* Second place: Bill Reynolds, The Providence Journal
* Third place: Brendan McGair, The Woonsocket Call.
* Honorable mention: John Gillooly, The Providence Journal
21. EDITORIAL WRITER
* First place: Randal Edgar, The Providence Journal
* Second place: Edward Achorn, The Providence Journal
* Third place: Bob Laux-Bachand, The Westerly Sun
* Honorable mention: Mark S. Murphy, Providence Business News
22. NEWS/FEATURES COLUMNIST
* First place: Ellen Liberman, Rhode Island Monthly
* Second place: Mark Patinkin, The Providence Journal
* Third place: John Howell, Warwick Beacon
23. ARTS/NICHE COLUMNIST
* First place: Alexander Castro, Mercury
* Second place: Gail Ciampa, The Providence Journal
* Third place: Amanda M. Grosvenor, Providence Monthly
24. HEADLINE WRITING
* First place: Pat Erickson and Tom Ward, The Valley Breeze
* Second place: Evan Crawley, The Newport Daily News.
* Third place: Seth Bromley, The Woonsocket Call.
* Honorable mention: Janine Weisman, Mercury
Photography
25. GENERAL NEWS PHOTO
* First place: Michael Derr, The Independent, "A peaceful community"
* Second place: Sandor Bodo, The Providence Journal, "Awesome! Solar eclipse"
* Third place: Charles Lawrence, The Valley Breeze, "History"
* Honorable mention: Harold Hanka, The Westerly Sun, Young love
26. SPOT NEWS PHOTO
* First place: Robert Emerson, The Valley Breeze, "Tearful farewell”
* Second place: Bob Breidenbach, The Providence Journal, "First snow, then slush"
* Third place: David DelPoio, The Providence Journal, "Residents displaced in blaze"
* Honorable mention: Harold Hanka, The Westerly Sun, "Final goodbye"
27. FEATURE PHOTO
* First place: Mike Braca, Providence Monthly, "Welcome to the dog house"
Photo: Paul J. Spetrini
Mike Braca, of Providence Monthly, center, won first place in the Feature Photo category for "Welcome to the dog house” during the 2018 Rhode Island Press Association Awards Banquet.
* Second place: Glenn Osmundson, The Providence Journal, "Halloween leftover"
* Third place: Mike Braca, Rhode Island Monthly, St. Joseph Church window
28. PERSONALITY PHOTO OR PORTRAIT
* First place: Harold Hanka, The Westerly Sun, "Fighting for life"
* Second place: John Howell, Cranston Herald, "Healing connection"
* Third place: Grace Lentini, The Bay Magazine, "A tip of the hat"
* Honorable mention: Jen Carter, Island Communications, “Bringing it back to life”
29. SPORTS PHOTO
* First place: Jason Evans, Rhode Island Monthly, "Courting dreams"
* Second place: Harold Hanka, The Westerly Sun, "Agony of defeat"
* Third place: Third: Paul J. Spetrini, The Independent, "North Kings"
30. PHOTO SERIES/PICTURE STORY
* First place: Dana Smith, Rhode Island Monthly, "Ballerinas can bench more than you"
* Second place: Alex Gagne, Rhode Island Monthly, "Rhode Islanders of the year"
* Third place: Bob Breidenbach, The Providence Journal, "A hail of bullets"
* Honorable mention: Dave Hansen, The Newport Daily News, Folks get together
31. FOOD PHOTO
* First place: Chris Vaccaro, Rhode Island Monthly, "Rhode Island beer lover’s guide"
* Second place: Kendall Pavan St. Laurent, SO Rhode Island, "A new old-fashioned soda fountain"
* Third place: Nick DelGiudice, SO Rhode Island, "Pumpkin spice up your life"
* Honorable mention: Angel Tucker, Rhode Island Monthly, "Chocolate dreams"
32. ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT PHOTO
* First place: Sandor Bodo, The Providence Journal, "Nuttin' but a word"
* Second place: Ryan Conaty, Rhode Island Monthly, "Play Right"
* Third place: Tony Pacitti, The Bay Magazine, "The Write Place"
Design
33. BEST NEWSPAPER FRONT PAGE
* First place: Staff, The Providence Journal, "A hail of bullets"
* Second place: Anne Ewing, Providence Business News, "Can free service awaken R.I. commuter rail?"
* Third place: Seth Bromley, Woonsocket Call, "Reaching for the sky"
34. BEST COVER
* First place: Shaw Nielson, Rhode Island Monthly, "Planes, trains and automobiles!"
* Second place: Staff, Newport Life Magazine, "It’s summer!"
* Third place: Staff, Mercury, "The music issue"
35. BEST FEATURE
FRONT PAGE
* First place: Staff, The Providence Journal, "Holiday dine in/dine out"
Photo: Paul J. Spetrini
The Providence Journal won first place in the Best Newspaper Front Page category for "A hail of bullets" during the 2018 Rhode Island Press Association Awards Banquet.
* Second place: Danny Crandall, Woonsocket Call, "Looking for a color change?"
* Third place: Staff, South County Life Magazine, "Summer bucket list"
36. BEST SPORTS FRONT PAGE
* First place: William Geoghegan, The Independent; "North Kings"
* Second place: Staff, The Providence Journal, "Tom terrific"
* Third place: Scott Barrett, The Newport Daily News, "Hail to the champs"
Distinction
37. SPECIAL SECTION
* First place: Rhode Island Monthly, Planes, "Trains & Automobiles!"
* Second place: Rhode Island Monthly, "The Ultimate Guide to Newport"
* Third place: The Providence Journal, "The Best Way"
* Honorable mention: Newport Life Magazine, "Top 10 Groundbreakers"
38. PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
* First place: Michael Derr, The Independent
* Second place: Harold Hanka, The Westerly Sun
* Third place: Ernest A. Brown, Woonsocket Call
39. COMMUNITY OUTREACH AWARD
* First place: The Providence Journal, "Public Occurrences/Children in Crisis"
* Second place: Mercury, "Jaws for a Cause"
* Third place: The Valley Breeze, "The Breeze Makes a Difference"
Photo: Paul J. Spetrini
William Geoghegan, of the Independent, left, won first place in the Sports Front Page category for "North Kings" during the 2018 Rhode Island Press Association Awards Banquet.
Photo: Paul J. Spetrini
Joe Baker, a reporter for the Newport Daily News for 33 years, was one of four journalists inducted into the Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame at the 2018 Rhode Island Press Association Awards Banquet, held April 27, 2018 at the Quonset 'O' Club in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. He is pictured here with members of his family.