The Savannah Morning News, savannahnow.com and Savannah magazine picked up 23 awards Friday when the results of the Georgia Press Association’s 2013 Better Newspaper Contest were revealed.
Chief among those was the Freedom of Information award bestowed for coverage of the tenure of former Savannah City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney and the Chatham County Commission.
The News also won second place in the General Excellence category.
Reporters Jenel Few and Adam Van Brimmer won first-place awards for their coverage of education and business. Van Brimmer also won first place in the Serious Column category for his column on the HOPE scholarship, and Few won first place in Hard News Writing for her story on a police standoff on Goebel Avenue.
Savannah resident and freelancer Jane Kahn received the first-place award for Religious Coverage.
The entire staff won a first-place award in the Best Online News Project category for its coverage of St. Patrick’s Day.
“We are pleased to be honored for the reporting that is essential to our free and democratic society,” said Savannah Morning News Publisher Michael C. Traynor. “The Freedom of Information award is an acknowledgement that our journalists are holding our public officials accountable and fighting for the transparency we all deserve and expect.”
The News competed in the category comprised of the largest news organizations in the state of Georgia.
Work entered in the competition was published in 2012. The awards ceremony took place at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.
SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS RECEIVES AWARDS
Here are the awards given Friday by the Georgia Press Association:
FIRST PLACE
Business Coverage: Adam Van Brimmer
Education Coverage: Jenel Few
Hard News Writing: Jenel Few
Religion Coverage: Jane Kahn
Serious Column: Adam Van Brimmer
Best Online News Project: Staff for St. Patrick’s Day coverage
Editorial Writing
Lifestyle Coverage
Magazine Product: Savannah magazine’s July/August issue
SECOND PLACE
Feature Writing: Mary Landers
Investigative Reporting: Lesley Conn
Photo Essay: Richard Burkhart
Editorial Page
Layout and Design
Sports Section or Pages
Magazine Product: Savannah magazine’s Savannah Weddings
THIRD PLACE
Editorial Cartoonist: Mark Streeter
Business Coverage: Mary Carr Mayle
Sports Column: Adam Van Brimmer
Headline Writing
Community Service: Savannah city manager coverage