The Harvard Press proved itself the “little newspaper that could” last week, winning awards for its reporting, photography, and special features in six categories of the 2022 Better Newspaper Competition of the New England Newspaper & Press Association.
The paper won first place among small weeklies—those with circulations less than 5,000—in the Event Special Section category for its 2021 Town Meeting “Warrant in Plain English,” a regular feature assembled by the Harvard Press staff ahead of annual and special town meetings. The judges praised the work as “an invaluable resource and service for the community.”
The paper’s year-long series on racial and ethnic bias in Harvard schools—and efforts by the administration and students to counter it—won second place in the newly established Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Issues category.
The series was new territory for the paper, and a challenge for everyone on the diversity, equity, and inclusion team that reported it, said editor John Osborn. Team members included principal writer and UMass senior Lily Robinson, education reporter Marty Green, Bromfield junior Olivia Ren, editor Osborn, and a former executive editor of a regional paper who volunteered to mentor the team. The project led to publication of four articles in the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021.
The Press placed third in the combined Community/Audience Involvement category for its feature, “In this time of pandemic, what did you learn?” The feature combined personal reflections from Press staff and readers. Unlike other categories, competitors in this one included both large circulation websites and dailies, like The Day of New London, Connecticut, as well as small weeklies.
Jen Manell’s photograph won a second-place award. It shows the Voute family standing in silent vigil Sept. 19, 2020, to honor the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. From left to right: Emma, Sarah, Michael, and Sue Voute. (Photo by Jen Manell)
Press photographers Jen Manell and Tim Clark were also recognized for their work, bringing home silver and bronze awards in two highly competitive categories. Manell placed second in the Spot News category for her photo of a candlelight ceremony at the Common to mark the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Clark won third place in the Photo Story category for his full-page account of a live training event for area firefighters (shown below).
Finally, Osborn won second place in the Government Reporting category for his story on the fiscal 2022 budget in the paper’s 2021 Spring Town Meeting issue. “This can be deadly boring subject matter,” wrote the judges, “but Osborn rescues it from being a snooze fest. Every town would benefit from this type of reporting at town meeting time.”
The six awards were the most won by the paper in its 15-year history. Reporter Joan Eliyesil, Green, and Osborn were honored in 2018 with a first-place award in government reporting for the paper’s coverage of the debate over whether to build a new elementary school. Last year Press UMass intern Lily Robinson won third place in the then-new Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Issues category for her story about the painting of a clenched fist on the rock next to the Bromfield School. And photographer and co-owner Lisa Aciukewicz has won twice for her Press photography.
NENPA reported that this year’s competition drew more than 2,000 entries from throughout New England. For a complete list of awards and judges’ commentary, see the NENPA Better Newspaper Competition Awards booklet at https://bit.ly/3FfqAOU.
Tim Clark won third place in the Photo Story category for his full-page account of a live training event for area firefighters.
