PRESS CLUB OF LI: Copquin Takes 1st Prize for Op-ed

06/05/2008

"Newsday honored by Press Club of Long Island"
Newsday.com

by Laura Rivera

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/nassau/ny-liawar0606,0,4891086.story

Several published works by Newsday staff members were honored Thursday night at the annual awards dinner of the Long Island chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Newsday.com clinched the prize for best Web site at the ceremony, hosted by the Press Club of Long Island in Westbury.

Newsday's investigative series, "They Failed to Act," received the Robert Greene Public Service Award, renamed this year to honor the late Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who was a Newsday reporter and editor. Nearly 30 staff members worked on the series, about the Long Island Rail Road's history of problems with station platform gaps.

For best daily newspaper feature stories, Beth Whitehouse took first place for "The Match." That series, which told the story of Katie Trebing, a Long Island girl saved by a bone marrow transplant from her little brother, took first place in the online reporting, feature/multimedia category.

Jennifer Barrios won second place for "After a Fire," and Dave Marcus took third place with "For God and Country."

In the daily newspaper business category, "The Loan Crisis" won first place and "Long Island Development" by Elizabeth Moore got second place.

"Sewage: the Environmental Impact," by Jennifer Smith, took top honors in the daily newspaper environment/science/technology category.

For best daily newspaper arts story, Linda Winer won with "His Delicate Balance."

In sports, "Personal Best," by Liza N. Burby, took first place.

Two op-eds -- "Mortgage Crisis" by Claudia Gryvatz Copquin and "When Prosecutors Lack Human Touch" by David North -- nabbed first and second places, respectively.

Newsday staff photographers received nine awards in the daily newspaper photography category.

For news, Paul J. Bereswill took first place for "Rescued," David L. Pokress won second place for "Parents, Schools and Autism," and Thomas A. Ferrara received third place for "Soaked."

In features, Bill Davis won first place for "The Match," Kathy Kmonicek took second place for "Little Squirt," and Michael E. Ach received third place for "Keeping an Eye on Things."

For sports photography, Kathy Kmonicek took first placed for "Sir, I Respectfully Disagree," Audrey C. Tiernan won second place for "A Stretch for Venus," and David L. Pokress received third place for "Acrobatic Catch."

The Web site also received nods in the online news reporting category for its coverage of the case of Martin Tankleff, who was released from prison and his conviction overturned in December 2007 after serving 17 years for the murder of his parents in Belle Terre. Online reporting of the John White trial coverage received second place in that category.

The Garden Detective blog, by Jessica Damiano, was awarded second place in the online reporting, features/text category, and the Cheap Thrills blog took third place.

"The Urge to Splurge," by Bari J. Cener, won first place in the magazine feature/lifestyle section. Liza M. Burby came in second place with "5 Discipline Dilemmas," and Amanda Rock took third place with "The Mothers and Fathers of Invention."

Anita B. Glick got top honors in the general interest column category for "What Makes Bea Peterson Run."

"Flying High in Smithtown" and "Skiing in the Northeast" also won in the online reporting, feature/multimedia category. Three blogs won in the best news blog category: Election Blog 2007 by Carl Corry, Katie Ehrlich and Jason Squitieri; the Elizabeth Hashagen blog; and the Walt Handelsman blog.

Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.