The wins keep coming: SCN honored with three national awards

by Agnes Geiger

After winning top honors in at-large competitions, the Stockbridge Community News earned three awards in the 2018 National Communications Contest of the National Federation of Press Women.

To win the national honors, SCN competed against dozens of entries that had received first-place awards in state or at-large contests. SCN, a monthly nonprofit newspaper in only its second year, had nine entries qualify for the national contest.

NFPW President Marianne Wolf-Astrauskas, of Tinley Park, Ill., announced the national winners.

Patrice Johnson, SCN editor-in-chief and board president, credited hard work and the entire SCN team for the national recognition. “We have a talented and enthusiastic group of volunteers, and I think that shines through in our projects.”

Several articles about veterans were part of an entry that took a first-place award in the Special Series category. The articles were “Veteran-Alumni-Teacher Bob Richards, Leading by Example”; “Homeless Veteran Takes Shelter in Munith Park Dedicated to Veterans”; “Lee Byerly: Lessons from Vietnam War Combat Veteran”; “Dorene White: A Military Wife and Life Well Lived”; and “Elwin Breniser:  Proud to Have Served His Country.” The articles were written by Johnson, Roberta Ludtke and Judy Williams.

“Stockbridge Community News Celebrates One-Year Anniversary” received a second-place award for Marketing Program or Campaign for a new or existing service or product. Contributors to the project were Johnson, Williams, Ludtke, Rose Collison, Molly Howlett, Debbie Nogle, Diane Rockall, Hope Salyer, and Nancy Wisman.

Caption: The board of the Stockbridge Community News gathered last fall to celebrate its one-year anniversary. The story of SCN’s creation received a second-place award for Marketing Program or Campaign for a new or existing service or product. Contributors to the project were (L-R): Bev Glynn, Nancy Wisman, Rose Collison, Roberta Ludtke, Diane Rockall, Judy Williams, Hope Salyer, and Patrice Johnson. Not pictured: Molly Howlett and Debbie Nogle.

In the Photographer-Writer category, “North Star Reach Touches Lives and Hearts” won a third-place award with contributors Johnson and Wisman.

Johnson earns another award

In addition to the newspaper’s awards, Editor-in-Chief Patrice Johnson also received an honorable mention award for her book about her son “The Fall and Rise of Tyler Johnson: Based on the Journals of a Young Man Turned Fugitive.” The book was entered in the non-fiction book for adult readers, biography or autobiography category.

National winners will be honored and recognized by their peers at an awards dinner Sept. 8 in Bethlehem, Pa.

NFPW is a nationwide organization of women and men pursuing careers across the communications spectrum, including print and electronic journalism, freelancing, new media, books, public relations, marketing, graphic design, photography, advertising, radio and television.