The Evangelist wins national prizes

The Evangelist has been honored with four prizes for excellence in Catholic journalism.

The awards were handed out at the annual convention of the Catholic Press Association, which represents Catholic newspapers and magazines. The convention was held last week in Orlando, Florida.

There are about 200 Catholic newspapers in the U.S., with combined circulations of 6.5 million readers.

The awards, which were judged by journalists from both the religious and secular press, were given for material that appeared during 2004.

The Evangelist won:

* First prize in the category of "best regular special supplement" for its annual teen issue, which appeared Nov. 11. The judges said, "This prize-winning entry begins with an attractive cover and continues inside, for page after page, with imaginative features.

"The local teens who are profiled do interesting things and aren't hesitant at all in speaking about their faith. Many stories were written by the teens themselves, and staff members provided the rest. Strong photos and eye-catching design hold the package together."

Since it began nearly 20 years ago, The Evangelist's annual teen issue has been cited repeatedly in the national awards contest.

* Second prize for "best reporting on teenagers" went to the same issue. The judges said the special issue "covered a broad spectrum of teens and their views, with material both from teens and from staff. This is lively and informative."

* Third prize for "best one-shot special section" for The Evangelist's July 1 coverage of the total exoneration of Bishop Howard J. Hubbard from false charges of sexual misconduct. The judges said that the special issue covered "a tough topic, but The Evangelist editor and staff deserve this recognition for their professional coverage of a highly personal story.

"The photographs and layout underscore copy that captures a family -- Bishop Hubbard and the Catholics of Albany -- emerging from a time of trial. Bravo!"

* Honorable mention in the combined newspaper-magazine category of "individual excellence" was given to editor James Breig for his overall handling of the false charges against the Bishop during the four months between the allegations being made and the Bishop's being totally cleared by an independent investigation.

(6/2/05)