The Vindicator and its staff won 18 awards

Staff report

COLUMBUS

The Vindicator and individual staff members won a total of 18 awards Saturday, including eight first-place awards, in the annual Ohio Associated Press Media Editors newspaper competition.

The awards were announced at a luncheon ceremony in Columbus.

Sixty-four daily newspapers submitted 1,922 entries in the contest, which featured news and sports stories, features, editorials, columns, graphics and photos from 2017.

“It’s phenomenal to earn what the staff earns amid great challenges. The individuals honored work hard at their craft. Alongside them working just as hard are many unnamed co-workers. This is nice for all of them,” said Todd Franko Vindicator editor.

“These awards represent the dedication of many. But the awards also represent all that the community gains from local journalism,” Franko said.

The Vindicator’s graphic artist, Robert McFerren, received first place in three categories: Best Illustration or Informational Graphic; Best Graphics Artist; and Best Full Page Design.

Others receiving first place awards were Bertram de Souza as Best Columnist, who also garnered a second as Best Editorial Writer; Graig Graziosi was first as Best Business Writer; and Amanda Tonoli took first place for Best Investigative Reporting for her “Krish Mohip Coverage”

First-place awards also went to Joe Gorman for Best Spot News Coverage ,“Robert Seman Coverage;” and to Bill Lewis for Best Feature Photo.

The Vindicator took second in the General Excellence Category as well as for Public Service. Reporter Jordyn Grzelewski earned a second-place for Best Explanatory Reporting.

The Vindicator placed third in six categories. They are: Best Sports Photo, Bill Lewis; Best Feature Photo, Nikos Frazier; Best Sports Enterprise, Brian Dzenis; Best Headline Writer, Matthew Arnold; Best Digital Presence, The Vindicator; and Best Enterprise reporting, Kalea Hall and William Alcorn, “40 years after Black Monday.”

Entries for The Vindicator’s division were judged by staff members of the Digital First Media of Troy, Mich.

The Associated Press is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing 1,400 newspapers and 5,000 broadcast stations in the United States.