From staff reports

The Monitor, newspaper of the Diocese of Trenton, received one of the Catholic Press Association’s highest journalism awards for diocesan newspapers – that of First Place, General Excellence.  The award was one of four presented to The Monitor during the 2012 Catholic Media Conference, held June 20-22 in Indianapolis.  The newspaper also received several awards for writing submissions by its staff.

In the competition for General Excellence, The Monitor competed with diocesan newspapers across the United States and Canada in the 1-17,000 circulation category.  It was the first time in more than 50 years that The Monitor received the top spot, coming close in 2010 when the newspaper earned the third place ranking. In selecting the winners for General Excellence, the judges assess many aspects of the paper, including the quality of the stories; the subject matter; the layout, and the editing. 

The entry submitted by The Monitor in the General Excellence category was made up of three consecutive issues – March 17, March 31 and April 14, 2011 – which covered such subjects as the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, the diocese’s first Catholic Schools Mass, the RE:IMAGE Film Festival, the Rite of Election, and Holy Week and Easter. 

Approximately 150 publication and freelance members of the Catholic Press Association entered the contest, submitting for one or more categories. There were nearly 1,500 entries in newspaper categories alone and approximately 2,400 entries for newspapers, magazines, and all members categories. The judges included individuals outside the Catholic press who are either working in the field or working in a journalism school; people who are familiar with journalism and the Catholic faith.

The Monitor’s other awards included Best News Writing (second place, diocesan newspaper, 1-17,000 circulation) to Lois Rogers, features editor, for her coverage of the funeral of slain Lakewood patrolman Christopher Matlosz (Feb. 3, 2011 issue);  Best Editorial on a National or International Subject (second place, diocesan newspaper, 1-17,000 circulation) to Rayanne Bennett, associate publisher, for her commentary piece on the DREAM Act, entitled, “No moral standing for denying the DREAM,” and Best Regular Column on Spiritual Life (third place, diocesan newspaper, 1-17,000 circulation) to Mary Morrell, managing editor, for her column “Things My Father Taught Me.”  Morrell’s column, which she first began to write 16 years ago, appears in several other diocesan newspapers as well. 

The Monitor was also noted in an award presented to its former managing editor, Scott Alessi, who was recognized with a third place in the Father Michael McGivney Award bestowed by the Knights of Columbus.  The Knights honored Alessi for his article “Agents of Transformation,” about the work of the Center for FaithJustice in Lawrenceville, which appeared in The Monitor last May.

In acknowledging the General Excellence award, Bennett commended the talent and dedication of both The Monitor staff and freelance corps.  She said, “We’re very grateful for our hard-working staff, for whom The Monitor is as much a mission as it is their job.

“At the same time, it is important to recognize the often unsung heroes of our newspaper – our freelance writers and photographers.  We cannot overstate their contribution to the quality of this newspaper.  In any given issue, the majority of our local editorial report comes from a complement of freelance contributors
with a particular emphasis on the images provided by our extraordinarily talented photographers. It is indeed a blessing when a diocesan newspaper has even one stand-out photographer, and we are blessed to have several!”

Bennett also cited the support of The Monitor’s business unit, advertising, circulation, general operations, saying, “They help to make what we do possible. “  She extended a word of thanks to all of the newspaper’s local partners, for their strong support of the newspaper and cooperation with the newspaper’s editorial work.

In bestowing The Monitor’s awards, the Catholic Press Association conveyed the following comments from the judges:

General Excellence, First Place -- Beautifully laid out, rich in well-written staff pieces, The Monitor covers numerous parts of the diocese and includes special emphasis on the youth programs and concerns.  The Monitor also excels in the amount and variety of national and world news with strong combinations of photos and text.  Simply a rich news portrait and excellently edited.

Best News Writing, Second Place – “Thousands attend funeral Mass” by Lois Rogers; Solid reporting that conveyed the emotion and sorrow of this tragedy.

Best Editorial, Second Place -- “No moral standing for denying the DREAM” by Rayanne Bennett; Writer gives a good explanation of the DREAM Act and makes a compelling case that passing it is the morally right course for Congress.  In bringing the reader face-to-face with the ignoble motives for opposing the act, the editorial’s fifth paragraph is particularly effective.

Best Regular Column, Spiritual Life, Third Place --  “Things My Father Taught Me” by Mary Morrell; Morrell writes engagingly with an ecumenical spirit.  Her openness to the religious sensibilities of others teaches her readers truths they might not hear.  She tells a story well and the stories portray the deeper meanings of faith.