Northwest Catholic and The Catholic Northwest Progress received several Catholic Press Awards at this year’s Catholic Media Convention in Charlotte, N.C., June 20.
Northwest Catholic won first place for “best magazine or newsletter website,” with the judges citing NWCatholic.org for its “rich variety of stories displayed in an inviting format that compels the reader to dig deeper.”
Multimedia editor Anna Weaver won first place for “best coverage of vocations to priesthood, religious life or diaconate” for her December 2013 Northwest Catholic cover story about Father Jose Bautista, a Navy chaplain. As the judges said, “Very strong photos, combined with vivid imagery in the writing make this a compelling and memorable piece of storytelling.” The photographer for the story was Stephen Brashear.
NWCatholic.org also received an honorable mention for “best online content not published in print.”
The Catholic Northwest Progress, the archdiocesan newspaper that published its last edition in June 2013 after more than 100 years, won third place in the “general excellence” category for diocesan newspapers with circulations of up to 17,000. The judges’ note on the award read, “Excellent section of news briefs with art is but one of the strengths of the Progress. Strong feature stories with art inform about the larger world and local features like the traveling Catholic bookstore.”
Northwest Catholic assistant editor and former Progress reporter Kevin Birnbaum received two honorable mentions for articles published in The Progress. One was for “best local or regional news writing” for a story on how local Catholic schools serve students with special needs.
The other was for “best coverage of vocations to the priesthood, religious life or diaconate” for a story about Father Mark Kiszelewski, who has two grown sons and was ordained last year. “Beautifully written, great photo,” the judges said. “The story proves that the path is never direct and the journey can be amazing.” The photographer for the story was Stephen Brashear.
The Catholic Press Awards are presented by the Catholic Press Association, which has more than 600 member Catholic media organizations in the U.S. and Canada.
June 20, 2014