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October 26, 2022Times Union Receives Newspaper of Distinction Award, 9 Others, at Journalists Association of New York Banquet
The Times Union in Albany, N.Y., announced on Monday, October 17, that it received the prestigious Newspaper of Distinction award — the top category in its circulation class — at the Journalists Association of New York’s (JANY) banquet honoring the best journalism in the state.
In total, the Times Union took first place in 10 awards. JANY recognized an additional 10 entries as runners-up.
Capitol Bureau chief and managing editor for investigations Brendan Lyons also won the First Amendment award for work that included his coverage of the scandals that brought down Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.
“The Times Union’s newsroom is committed to making a difference through journalism — no matter the role, our professionals take that charge seriously. Every day, without fail, they provide readers with news and features that make an impact,” said Times Union editor-in-chief Casey Seiler, who was on hand to accept the JANY awards Oct. 15 in Saratoga Springs.
JANY judged the Newspaper of Distinction award on three daily editions published during the 2021 calendar year. The Times Union submitted editions from Feb. 21, March 7 and June 6 that included: investigative work such as Lyons’ months-long examination of a potential structural flaw on the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge; Rachel Silberstein‘s coverage of COVID-19 on school campuses; an editorial calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign; and Eduardo Medina and Massarah Mikati’s “A City Divided,” a deep look at the impact of redlining on Albany. The three editions also included special sections devoted to Black History Month and the one-year anniversary of the arrival of coronavirus in New York’s Capital Region.
The Times Union has won Newspaper of Distinction several times previously, most recently in 2017, when the awards program was run by the state Associated Press Association.
“We’re thankful to JANYS for recognizing our work, which wouldn’t be possible without loyal Times Union subscribers,” Seiler said. “And congratulations to my colleagues whose talent and integrity match up with the best in our field.”
Winners (W) and runners-up (RU) from the Times Union included:
Newspaper of Distinction: Times Union (W)
First Amendment Award: Brendan J. Lyons (W)
Arts/Entertainment Reporting: C.J. Lais, “Past, Present and Future all Part of a Locally Booming Film Output” (W)
Digital Presence: timesunion.com (W)
Editorial Writing: Jay Jochnowitz (W), Akum Norder (RU)
Feature Photo: Lori Van Buren, “Hummingbird” (W), Paul Buckowski, “Cow Wash” (RU)
Feature Story: Leigh Hornbeck, “Troy Boudoir Photographer Aims for Self-empowerment” (RU)
Headline Writing: Tim Blydenburgh, “A Message in No Bottles” (W), Gregory Dayton, “Blend of the Day: Incognito Grande” (RU)
News Full Page Design: Gregory Dayton (RU)
Photo Story or Online Gallery: Times Union, “Protestors Removed” (W), Will Waldron, “Solar Eclipse” (RU)
Podcast: Jessica Marshall, “The Eagle” (W)
Sports Column: Joyce Bassett (RU)
Sports Photo: Lori Van Buren, “Crunch Time” (W), Lori Van Buren, “Winners” (RU)
Spot News Coverage: Times Union, “Police Push Back” (RU)
Spot News Photo: Paul Buckowski, “Chauvin Verdict” (RU)
