Vindicator staff wins nine awards from AP

Staff report

COLUMBUS

The Associated Press Society of Ohio honored The Vindicator on Sunday with nine awards for the quality of its coverage throughout 2009.

The Vindicator received the honors in an annual statewide newspaper competition for its writing, photography and general excellence.

The awards were presented at a lunch in Columbus.

“The entire Vindicator staff works hard seven days a week. It’s great that the work of some was honored by The Associated Press,” said Todd Franko, editor of The Vindicator.

“The General Excellence honor is especially rewarding. It’s testament to the total staff performance,” he added.

Vindicator recipients of second-place plaques were:

Robert K. Yosay, for best photographer and for best feature photo, “Sled.”

William D. Lewis, best online photojournalist.

Bertram de Souza, best columnist.

Richard P. Logan, best headline writer.

Capturing third-place honors were:

The Vindicator sports staff for best daily sports section and for best sports event coverage, “Ghost’s Town.”

Robert K. Yosay, best online photojournalist.

The Vindicator also took third place in the prestigious General Excellence category, which measures the overall quality of the newspaper.

The Columbus Dispatch won the First Amendment Award for outstanding accomplishment in pursuing freedom of information with its series “Secrecy 101.”

David Marburger, a partner in the Cleveland office of Baker Hostetler, earned the APSO Special Recognition Award for exemplary service to print journalism.

Sixty-five daily newspapers submitted 2,794 entries in the contest, which featured news and sports stories, features, editorials, columns, graphics and photos from 2009.

The Vindicator competed in Division IV, comprising newspapers with circulations of 25,000 to 75,000. The division was judged by staff of The Huntsville [Ala.] Times.

The Associated Press is a nonprofit news cooperative representing 1,500 newspapers and 5,000 broadcast stations in the United States. Members of AP include 88 daily newspapers in Ohio.