The staff of The Record has been honored by both regional and national journalism organizations for work produced in 2011.
The staff won more than a half-dozen awards from the Louisville Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and was also presented with two awards in the Catholic Press Association’s national contest.
Assistant Editor Marnie McAllister won two first place awards from the local SPJ chapter. They were for “minority/women’s affairs reporting” and “enterprise reporting.” In the latter category, her first-place story on the lives of monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani was said by judges to be “colorful, informative and succinct.”
“It takes the reader into the secluded grounds of the monastery. Well done!” the judges said.
Her first-place award-winning story for “minority/women’s affairs reporting” dealt with the lives of four west Louisville women who’ve had to deal with losing a relative to violence. Despite their losses, the women were united in their opposition to the death penalty. Judges said McAllister’s writing “was clear and the stories of each of the women were told in their own words. Good job.”
McAllister was also presented a third place award in “feature writing” for a story she produced about a new chef at St. Joseph Children’s Home.
The Record’s Jessica Able won both second- and third-place honors in “minority/women’s affairs” reporting category for stories she produced about a refugee family that was able to purchase its first home, and a local non-profit organization that assists women in India.
Able also won a second-place award in the category of “health care reporting” for a story about a local clinic that offers care to the uninsured.
Record Editor Glenn Rutherford won first place in the SPJ contest for “editorial writing.” His entry included three examples, and judges took special note of an editorial entitled “The immigration issue.”
“This editorial uses local history to illustrate how the hot-button issue of immigration affects Louisville residents,” they said, “and then cites research that refutes commonly-held notions about the public cost of undocumented immigrants. It is a straightforward, well-crafted piece that advances a solution that is especially appropriate for readers of The Record.”
In the Catholic Press Association national contest, Rutherford received a second place award in editorial writing. Judges in this contest said the editorial on immigration used “the historical example when immigrant European Catholics were the butt of the sort of prejudice aimed at today’s Hispanics. The writer packs the editorial with persuasive punch. Quoting Jesus on welcoming strangers adds to the
persuasiveness.”
In the national contest, McAllister was given an honorable mention award in the category “Best Coverage of the New Roman Missal.” Her story was about how the Archdiocese of Louisville was helping the deaf community prepare for implementation of the missal.
