NEWARK‚ NJ --- Journalists from all over the state celebrated the outstanding work of their profession at the annual awards luncheon sponsored by the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Held on Saturday‚ June 22 at the Theatre Square Grill at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)‚ Newark‚ NJ‚ the event honored over 150 journalists in 34 award categories covering daily and weekly newspapers‚ radio and television stations‚ magazine‚ newsletters and online publication. To be eligible‚ entries must have been published or broadcast during the calendar year of January 1 to December 31‚ 2007.
“This year we received one of the largest number of entries ever‚” said Michelle Maskaly‚ NJSPJ chapter president‚ “so our contest winners are truly the best of the best in the Garden State.”
She added: “We thank the winners for the great work they have done here in New Jersey. I would also like those who worked on the contest and luncheon. Without them‚ it would not have been the great success it was.”
Mark S. Porter‚ editor of The Montclair Times and winner of two awards this year observed‚ “NJPAC is a geographically decent location that is reachable for most folks in New Jersey. It’s a wonderful opportunity each year for journalists to meet new people and reestablish ties with former colleagues.”
This year’s Stuart and Beverly Awbrey Award for civic journalism went to Jack Fichter of The Cape May Herald for his fund-raising efforts and accompanying stories on behalf of the Forgotten Warriors Vietnam Museum in Erma‚ N.J. The judges noted that Fichter was being recognized because he conceived of the idea for a unique project and persuaded the Herald management to publicize it. While the project was relatively small in scope‚ the judges felt Fichter’s actions exemplified what the award honors — that is‚ civic journalism that provides tangible benefits for the community.
The Awbrey award is named for the husband and wife team whose decades-long ownership and operation of the Cranford Chronicle made the 100-year old weekly a model for how local newspapers can make a unique contribution to the civic life of a community.

Jack Fichter (right) of the Cape May Herald receives the Stuart and Beverly Awbrey Award for civic journalism from Joe Tyrrell.
The 2007 Tim O’ Brien Award for best investigative reporting using the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA) went to the Newark Star-Ledger team of Bev McCarron‚ Joe Tyrrell and Jeanette Rundquist for their reporting on the Somerset County Park Commission.
After a law firm hired by the Somerset County freeholders issued a report detailing questionable spending by the park commission‚ the Star-Ledger team doggedly followed up on the findings. Using the report as a guide‚ the team used OPRA to document the waste of taxpayer’s money on sweetheart rents‚ car allowances‚ parties and more.
The team’s relentless reporting resulted in four resignations from the park commission board and dramatic changes in Somerset County’s policies and practices. The county substantially cut the number of vehicles assigned to county employees and raised the low rents some park employees were paying to live in park buildings.

Receiving the 2007 Tim O’Brien Award for best investigative reporting utilizing the state’s open records act are (left to right) Joe Tyrrell‚ Bev McCarron‚ and Jeanette Rundquist of the Newark Star-Ledger.
The Wilson Barto Awards for first-year journalists is names for the NJSPJ’s first chapter president. As a long-time editor working for newspapers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey‚ including The Trentonian and The Trenton Times‚ Barto took a special interest in nurturing new members of his staff.

The 2007 Wilson Barto Award for first year reporters working for daily newspapers went to three young hard-working journalists: (left to right) Denisa Superville of The Herald News‚ West Paterson; Michael Feeney of The Record‚ Hackensack‚ and Brandon Lausch of The Courier News‚ Bridgewater.

The 2007 Wilson Barto Award for first-year reporters working for weekly newspapers went to (left to right) Helen Walters of The Clifton Journal‚ Clifton‚ and Madeline Friedman of The Hudson Reporter‚ Hoboken. Not pictured: Vincent Cavalier of the North Jersey Media Group.
For the rest of this year’s winners in daily and weekly newspaper‚ design‚ photography‚ broadcast‚ magazine‚ newsletter and online categories‚ click here. |