The Tablet, Nuestra Voz, and DeSales Media Group were big winners at the annual Catholic Press Awards Banquet, the culmination of the 2018 Catholic Media Conference held June 12-15 in Green Bay, Wisc.

The Tablet was named Newspaper of the Year in its category of diocesan newspapers with a circulation of more than 25,000.

Tablet and DeSales staffers captured 41 awards before the ceremony was over.

Jorge Dominguez, editor of Nuestra Voz, the diocesan Spanish language monthly newspaper of the diocese, was named Spanish Editor of the Year.

The Tablet’s advertising department took top honors for Best Media Kit.

“The Chosen,” a video supporting the diocese’s Year for Vocations, was presented first place for Best Use of Video in Social Media. It was produced by DeSales’ John Mark de Palma and Alexandra Tingos.

In naming The Tablet as the top diocesan newspaper, judges said: “The Tablet is a comprehensive newspaper with an extensive reach. The paper is professionally designed and has a variety of sections, ads, opinion pieces, and youth-focused stories. Great layout and teasers to attract readers to open the newspaper. The reader definitely gets a substantial newspaper here.”

In choosing Dominguez, judges said his work was “sharp,” and featured “very effective phrasing.”

The DeSales Media Kit was designed by graphic artist, Israel Ochoa, who the judges said, “should consider sharing some of his insight and wisdom with fellow dioceses. His model is excellent. He’s been blessed a great deal and has a lot to pass on and teach.” The media kit was praised as “extremely professional,” containing “compelling graphic elements and clearly organized information.”

Former Tablet reporter, Maria Pia Chin, was named Spanish Staff Writer of the Year in her new role with Revista Misioneros, a Maryknoll publication.

Katie (nee Breidenbach) Rutter, former Currents News reporter, was named Videographer of the Year for her work with Catholic News Service and The Criterion, of Indianapolis. Judges said her “versatile collection of videos provides viewers a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith and is made strong by skillful editing and story boarding.”

At the convention, Julie Asher, the national editor for Catholic News Service, was presented the St. Francis de Sales Award, the highest honor to a journalist from The Catholic Press Association.

The other two finalists for the award were Ed Wilkinson, editor of The Tablet, and Steve Landregan, retired editor of Texas Catholic of the Diocese of Dallas.

Other winners included Bishop George F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., who accepted the Catholic Press Association’s 2018 Bishop John England Award.

Presented annually, the award recognizes publishers in the Catholic press for the defense of First Amendment rights, such as freedom of the press and freedom of religion. It is the CPA’s highest award for publishers. Bishop Kicanas retired as head of the Diocese of Tucson last October after 14 years as its shepherd.

GABRIEL AWARD
Community Awareness and/or Public Service Announcements
Honorable Mention “Put Him On Your List” DeSales Media

PRESS AWARD

NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR – Weekly Diocesan Newspaper, Circulation 25,001 or more
First Place The Tablet

BEST MEDIA KIT CREATED IN 2017
First Place The Tablet, “DeSales Media Kit” by Israel Ochoa (attached with updated data for 2018)

BEST USE OF VIDEO IN SOCIAL MEDIA
First Place The Tablet, “The Chosen” by John-Mark de Palma, Alexandra Tingos, NET-TV

SPANISH EDITOR OF THE YEAR
First Place Nuestra Voz, “Puerto Rico El pr imo desastre; El Ar obispo de San uan Sin temor al futuro; Puerto Rico desastre y milagro; Solidaridad y esperanza para Puerto Rico; Un Mes de la Herencia Hispana diferente” by Jorge I. Domínguez López

BEST SINGLE AD ORIGINATING WITH THE PUBLICATION: Color Ad
Second Place – The Tablet, “2017 Catholic High Schools Fair” by Israel Ochoa (attached)

BEST LOCAL RETAIL CAMPAIGN ORIGINATING WITH THE PUBLICATION
Second Place The Tablet, “A&G Pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Rome” by Israel Ochoa (attached)

BEST EDITORIAL PAGE OR EDITORIAL SECTION: Diocesan Newspaper
Second Place The Tablet, “Best Editorial Pages” by Ed Wilkinson and Father John P. Cush

BEST USE OF ART OR GRAPHICS: Best Original Illustration
Second Place The Tablet, “Holy Week and Easter Masses on NET-TV” by Israel Ochoa (attached)

SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR: Social Media Campaign of the Year
Second Place The Tablet, “What’s My Calling?” by Dave Plisky, John-Mark de Palma

BEST REGULAR COLUMN: Scripture
Third Place The Tablet, “Sunday’s Scriptures” by Father Jean-Pierre Ruiz

BEST IN-DEPTH NEWS/SPECIAL REPORTING: Diocesan Newspaper
Third Place The Tablet, “Where Have All the Convents Gone?” by Antonina Zielinska

BEST FACEBOOK POST
Third Place The Tablet, “Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass” by John-Mark de Palma

BEST SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
Third Place The Tablet, “Put Him On Your List” by Dave Plisky, Vito Formica, John-Mark de Palma, Alexandra Tingos, Israel Ochoa, Shartina Thompson, Carolyn Erstad, Theresia Nurtanio

BEST USE OF LIVE VIDEO IN SOCIAL MEDIA
Third Place The Tablet, “Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass” by John-Mark de Palma, Alexandra Tingos

BEST REPORTING ON VOCATIONS TO PRIESTHOOD, RELIGIOUS LIFE OR DIACONATE: Weekly Diocesan Newspaper, Circulation 25,001 or more
Third Place The Tablet, “Priest Pursues Prophets on Periphery of Diocese” by Ed Wilkinson

BEST FEATURE WRITING: Weekly Diocesan Newspaper, Circulation 25,001 or more
Third Place The Tablet, “Cuba’s First Christmas Without Fidel” by Jorge I. Dominguez-Lopez
Honorable Mentions The Tablet, “Priest Pursues Prophets on Periphery of Diocese” by Ed Wilkinson

BEST FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
Honorable Mention “Diocese of Brooklyn” by John-Mark de Palma, Alexandra Tingos

BEST WEB AND PRINT COMBINATION PACKAGE
Honorable Mentions The Tablet, “World Communications Day Catholic Media Conference” by DeSales Media Group

BEST USE OF PHOTOS IN SOCIAL MEDIA
Honorable Mentions  The Tablet, “Catholic Day” by John-Mark de Palma, Alexandra Tingos

BEST COVERAGE OF THE PAPAL TRIPS OVERSEAS
Honorable Mentions The Tablet, “The Pope in Colombia” by Ines San Martin, Antonina Zielinska, Melissa Enaje

BEST HEADLINE
Honorable Mentions The Tablet, “Holy Stuff! They’re Better Known As Sacramentals”

BEST USE OF ART OR GRAPHICS: Best Chart or Information Graphic
Honorable Mention The Tablet, “Generations of Faith – Your Generosity at Work” by Israel Ochoa (attached)

SPANISH 

BEST NEWS WRITING: National/International Event
First Place Nuestra Voz, “Puerto Rico: desastre y milagro” by Jorge I. Domínguez-López
Second Place Nuestra Voz, “Cat licos de Brooklyn ayudan en Houston” by Melissa Enaje

BEST EDITORIAL PAGE
First Place Nuestra Voz, “Un Mes de la Herencia Hispana diferente; Puerto Rico El primo desastre; Vale la pena celebrar la Navidad?” by Jorge I. Domínguez-López (Editor), Israel Ochoa (Art Director)

BEST COVERAGE OF PRO-LIFE ISSUES
First Place Nuestra Voz, “De Brooklyn a Washington: La Marcha por la Vida” by Melissa Enaje, Jorge I. Domínguez-López

BEST INTERVIEW
First Place Nuestra Voz, “Mar a Scaperlanda, bi grafa del padre Rother” by Jorge I. Domínguez
Second Place Nuestra Voz, “El primer abogado ‘DREAMer’ del pas” by Marietha Góngora

BEST ESSAY REFLECTING ON FAITH FORMATION
First Place Nuestra Voz, “ D nde se pide la nulidad de un matrimonio?; Padre, quiero hacer un juramento ; Tras una nulidad matrimonial, los hijos son “bastardos”?” by Mons. Jonas Achacoso
Honorable Mentions Nuestra Voz, “Comien a el A o de las Vocaciones en la Di cesis de Brooklyn; La Oficina de Vocaciones en la Di cesis de Brooklyn; Sesiones de indagaci n para el diaconado” by Darío López Capera

BEST IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS
Second Place Nuestra Voz, “La pol tica de USA hacia Cuba” by Dagoberto Valdés Hernández

BEST REPORTING ON IMMIGRATION
Second Place Nuestra Voz, “Los ni os de las deportaciones” by Cruz-Teresa Rosero

BEST COVERAGE OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES
Second Place Nuestra Voz, ““Me gustar a decirle que lo perdono”, dice la madre Mar a Amador; Agresiones a sacerdotes y religiosas; Misa por la Solidaridad en Brooklyn tras los sucesos de Charlottesville” by Darío López Capera, Marietha Góngora

BEST SPORTS REPORTING
Second Place Nuestra Voz, “Sacerdotes colombianos que predican con el futbol” by Darío López Capera

BEST REGULAR COLUMN: General Commentary
Second Place Nuestra Voz, “Hasta la vista, Columbus; Y ahora qu ? Bye, bye, Catalu a?; Cuando Manhattan no conoc a el mofongo” by Enrisco
Third Place Nuestra Voz, “Silencio, una pel cula profundamente cat lica; Un camino a casa Lion ; The Shack La caba a ” by Gustavo Andújar
Honorable Mentions Nuestra Voz, “ es s le a la Escritura; Formaci n del Pentateuco; Satan s” by Rafael Domingo

BEST REGULAR COLUMN: Spiritual Life
Third Place Nuestra Voz, “Barco, ballena y tierra… Dios es fiel; Suelta la cubeta; Resucit Y hora qu?” by David Bisono

BEST REPORTING ON LATIN AMERICA
Third Place Nuestra Voz, “Venezuela en penumbras; Venezuela una iglesia que se crece en la crisis; Vene uela en la “Hora 0”” by Macky Arenas

Also worth noting, our former reporters did very well:
VIDEOGRAPHER/VIDEO PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
First Place Catholic News Service, The Criterion, ““The Consecration of Virgins” “The Future of the Church” “Missionary Disciples Institute” “Legend of Santa and Life of St. Nick” “Blessing of Restored ‘Miracle’ Shrine”” by Katie Rutter (nee Breidenbach)

SPANISH STAFF WRITER OF THE YEAR
First Place Revista Misioneros, “UNA LUZ DE ESPERANZA, LOS RÍOS SUCIOS, ACOMPAÑANDO A LOS MÁS VULNERABLES, SANANDO AGUAS QUE QUEMAN, UN HOGAR SAGRADO PARA LOS FIELES DE ICHU” by María-Pía Negro Chin