PBN garners business story honors from R.I. press association

TAKING THE TOP TWO PLACES in the Business Story category in the Rhode Island Press Association's annual editorial contest were PBN's Mary MacDonald, second from left, and Eli Sherman, far right. Also shown are Sarah Francis, left, editor of Rhode Island Monthly, which won honorable mention in the category, and Julie Tremaine, creative director for SO Rhode Island, which took third place in the category. / COURTESY PAUL J. SPETRINI, RHODE ISLAND PRESS ASSOCIATION
TAKING THE TOP TWO PLACES in the Business Story category in the Rhode Island Press Association's annual editorial contest were PBN's Mary MacDonald, second from left, and Eli Sherman, far right. Also shown are Sarah Francis, left, editor of Rhode Island Monthly, which won honorable mention in the category, and Julie Tremaine, creative director for SO Rhode Island, which took third place in the category. / COURTESY PAUL J. SPETRINI, RHODE ISLAND PRESS ASSOCIATION

NORTH KINGSTOWN – Providence Business News took home six awards, including one first place, in the Rhode Island Press Association’s 2015 editorial contest celebration, held Friday evening. In addition, the press association inducted three longtime Rhode Island journalists into its Hall of Fame.
Staff writer Mary MacDonald took first place honors in the Business Story category for her piece detailing the difficulty of developing real estate projects in Providence, titled, “City no field of dreams for developers.” Judges for the competition noted that MacDonald’s story was “very deep, layered coverage with wide interest and impact not just in the business community but the entire community.”
Staff writer Eli Sherman took home second place in the Business Story category for his story, “Back from the brink,” which told how one company was nearly put out of business by the effects of the Great Recession and then how it came back. Judges said that it was a “full story with lots of history and background offering lessons and inspiration to other businesses.”
Sherman also earned a second-place finish in the Science/Health Care Story for “Reshaping health care?” an examination of retail medicine and how it might be transforming how health care is delivered. Judges said that the story “enlightened readers about a growing approach to health care and brought out issues readers may never had considered. Good job!”
Third-place honors were awarded to MacDonald for the Food and Dining Story, “Rhody Food: Tasty, but are the portions big enough?” which looked at the food manufacturing sector in Rhode Island. PBN Art Director Lisa Lagreca took third place in the Best Newspaper Front Page category for her Page 1 “New governor. New plan. Different result?” Judges complimented the “eye-catching use of image and graphics.”
Former PBN staff writer Patricia Daddona received honorable mention for her Education Story, “Missing job-training link,” which examined the shortfall of state job training programs compared with the need expressed by local employers.
Ten other Rhode Island newspapers and magazines took first-place honors for work done in 2015, with The Providence Journal leading the way with 19 firsts. Rhode Island Monthly took four firsts, the Woonsocket Call took three and The Independent and SO Rhode Island each earned two first-place wins. Mercury, the Newport Daily News, Newport Life, Providence Monthly and the Westerly Sun each earned first-place honors.
Only one award was given for an individual body of work, when Kris Craig of The Providence Journal was named Photographer of the Year.
Interspersed throughout the awards celebration were the inductions of three new members of the Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame. Receiving the nod were Leonard I. Levin, retired news editor for The Providence Journal, the late James F. Baron, political reporter and columnist for The Pawtucket Times, and Arline A. Fleming, former feature writer for the Journal and other publications.
In a final order of business, the association elected its officers for the next year. Paul J. Spetrini of Independent Newspapers is staying on as president of RIPA. Michael McDermott of The Providence Journal becomes vice president. Sarah Francis of Rhode Island Monthly remains treasurer, and Linda Lotridge Levin, emeritus head of the University of Rhode Island’s journalism program, will stay on as secretary.
The press association also announced the re-launch of its website, ripressassociation.org.
Earlier this year, PBN took first-place honors in the New England Newspaper and Press Association’s 2016 Better Newspaper Competition for Best Mobile Application and best Transportation Reporting, for a MacDonald story about how much surface lot and garage parking there is in Providence.

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