Providence Journal honored by RI Press Association; Delpoio named photographer of the year
NORTH KINGSTOWN – The Providence Journal took home 38 awards, including 14 first place honors and Photographer of the Year, from the Rhode Island Press Association on Friday in its editorial contest for 2023.
Staff photographer David Delpoio was named Photographer of the Year and also took home two individual awards, including first place in the weather and climate category.
Photographer Kris Craig was honored with six individual awards, including first place for sports photo.
First place in the General Election category
The team of Kathy Gregg, Patrick Anderson, Antonia Noori Farzan and Mark Patinkin won first place in the General Election category for their coverage of last year's congressional race, with judges praising The Journal's "multi-platform approach" that included news stories, videos, columns and even a televised debate.
First place in the investigative category
Farzan and fellow reporter Katie Mulvaney took home first place in the investigative category, for their work covering a massive hotel fire on Block Island. The judge said: "The Providence Journal piece about the Block Island fire is extraordinary – full of detail, suspense, personal experiences, and the overwhelming sense that this huge community effort literally saved the town. And the storytelling by Katie Mulvaney and Antonia Noori Farzan is superb."
In-depth reporting also brings home first place
Farzan received first place in the reporting on the environment category for a story on old growth forests. Mulvaney also received first place honors for in-depth news story for her piece about a potential sentencing scandal, as well as first place in the science/health category.
Rhode Island's top breaking news team brings in first
The team of Jack Perry, Mark Reynolds and Tom Mooney won first place for spot news coverage for their work covering a tornado that hit Rhode Island last fall.
Columnists, features and sports win first place
Journal food editor Gail Ciampa received first place in the arts/niche columnist category. Patinkin took first place in the short feature story category for his piece on dating after age 60.
Katie Landeck was awarded first place in the arts/entertainment category for her piece on a piano art installation in the woods, as well as first place in the religion/spirituality category for her piece on a special church window in Warren.
Sportswriter Eric Rueb won first place for his story about a billionaire's attempt to purchase McCoy Stadium.
And editor Peter Donahue won first place for headline writing.
The association also formally inducted the next three members of its Journalism Hall of Fame: James N. Rhea (posthumous), of The Providence Journal; Barry Fain, of Providence Media; and John Pantalone, founding editor, Newport This Week.
Journal reporter Amy Russo, who nominated Rhea, noted that he was the paper's first Black reporter and was believed to be one of only two Black reporters working at a metropolitan daily at the time. In his 33 years at The Journal, he reported on many facets of racism, both nationally and locally, with award-winning coverage of education, religion, housing and more.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Press Association awards: Projo wins 38, 14 first place
