NORTH KINGSTOWN – Nine pieces of Providence Business News’ work in 2018 were recognized in the annual Rhode Island Press Association journalism contest, held Friday at the Quonset O Club. For the year: one story took home-first-place honors; three earned second-place distinction, as did a portfolio of work; one story won third-place honors as did one design effort and a special section; and finally, one story earned an honorable mention prize.
Last year PBN earned a total of seven awards in RIPA’s annual competition to recognize the best journalism produced by publications in the Ocean State. The event also included the annual Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Former staff writer Eli Sherman took home PBN’s single first-place award, in the Investigative/Analytical News Story category. His story, “How much debt is too much for R.I.?” looked at the balancing act the state must maintain to support public infrastructure investments (in this case for schools) with a severely constrained ability to take on more public debt.
PBN staff writer Mary MacDonald was awarded second place in the Distinguished Journalist category, awarded for a portfolio of work over the year. Stories that made up her portfolio included: “Getting the lead out;” and “Does city have too many TSAs?”; “Raimondo: ‘I’m doing my job’;” “After PawSox: What’s” next for Rhode Island?”; “Can city speed development?”
Also recognized with second-place honors was MacDonald for were individual stories and multi-part packages for a collection of work in the General Election Coverage category: “Fung’s back! Do voters share his despair;” “Time for an ‘activist governor’?”; “Raimondo: ‘I’m doing my job’;” “Morgan eyes new lesson plan for R.I;” and “A blockchain vision for R.I.”
Former PBN staff writer Emily Gowdey-Backus was recognized as well with a second-place finish in the Business Story category for her examination of hiring and employment practices in the construction industry entitled “Diversity elusive in construction.” Judges noted that the story was “thoroughly reported.”
PBN freelance contributor Susan Shalhoub also took second-place honors in the Unique/Most Unexpected Story category for “Providence’s forgotten Chinatown.” Judges said, “This story is a well-delivered look at an important piece of Providence’s history, perhaps not well-known to readers. … The reporter didn’t shy away from important racial themes and conveyed the importance of preserving the memory of Chinatown pioneers.”
Taking home third place for Best Newspaper Front Page was PBN Production Director Anne Ewing.
Also taking third-place recognition was MacDonald in the Reporting on the Environment category for her piece that exposed the prevalence of lead pipes in the drinking water supply in Providence and surrounding communities, in a story titled “Getting the lead out.”
The special section, “Stuff Made and Built in Rhode Island,” took third place honors as well. Judges for the contest said the publication was “comprehensive, with wonderful vignettes that help personalize the bigger-picture trends.”
The single honorable mention win for PBN was in the News Story (in-depth) by MacDonald, for her look at the future of Pawtucket after the Pawtucket Red Sox leave the town for Worcester, Mass. Competition judges said that “The reporter painted a detailed picture of the plight of these business owners, and the hardship for this community in losing the ballpark.”
The Providence Journal took home the most first-place awards, with 18, followed by Rhode Island Monthly, which won 10. The Valley Breeze Observer took two first places, with the following publications winning one each: The Independent, the Newport Daily News, the Smithfield Times, the Pawtucket Times/Woonsocket Call, The Bay Magazine, Hey Rhody, Providence Monthly and Newport Life magazine.
Two journalists were inducted into the Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame: James Rosenthal, retired deputy managing editor of the Providence Journal; and Tom Ward, founder and publisher of The Valley Breeze Observer. Also recognized by RIPA with the 2019 Goddard Award was University of Rhode Island journalism professor emeritus, president of ACCESS/RI and former reporter for the Providence Journal Linda Lotridge Levin.
James Bessette, researcher at Providence Business News, was re-elected president of RIPA. Michael McDermott of The Providence Journal, Sarah Francis of Rhode Island Monthly and Levin will remain in their currents positions as well, vice president, treasurer and secretary, respectively.
Earlier in the year, PBN was named the best specialty newspaper in New England for the second consecutive year by the New England Newspaper and Press Association.
In the same competition, Sherman took home first-place honors for “Keeping PawSox: Where’s the risk?” Gowdey-Backus earned first-place honors or “R.I’s untapped native resource.” Freelance writer Mary Lhowe won first-place honors or her story, “R.I. divided on immigrants?”
