We are happy to announce that America Media is the recipient of 26 awards for journalistic excellence from the Catholic Press Association. Six books written by America editors and columnists also were honored this year. The winners were announced on Friday evening at a dinner to mark the conclusion of the 2015 Catholic Media Conference, hosted by the C.P.A. this year in Buffalo, N.Y. The annual event gathers the top Catholic journalists from across the country and Canada to acknowledge excellence in Catholic reporting and to share best practices with its members.
Among its 2014 accolades, America Media was honored for its video coverage of the Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. America was also honored for its coverage of racism, marriage and family, and the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. The magazine’s “Books and Culture” section won first place in its category, as did “(Un)Conventional Wisdom,” America’s politics blog by Robert David Sullivan. The full list of awards is as follows:
Magazine Awards
First Place
Best Individual Blog: “(Un)Conventional Wisdom” by Robert David Sullivan
Best freestanding video: “Jesuit and Lakota: Graduation at Red Cloud” by Jeremy Zipple
Best Essay: “Revisiting Racism” by M. Shawn Copeland
Best Editorial: “When the Law is a Crime” by The Editors
Best Review Section: “Fall Books I” by Jon M. Sweeney, Perry Petrich, Sidney Callahan, Franklin Freeman, M. Ross Romero
Best In-Depth Writing: “Morality and Morale” by Luke Hansen
Second Place
Best group or association blog: “The Good Word” by Staff
Best Original Poetry: “Paul on the Adriatic” by Dan MacIsaac
Best Essay: “Dignity for All” by Joe Kennedy
Best Interview: “Defending the Worst” by Luke Hansen
Best Explanation of Church's Position on Marriage: Coverage by Michael Heintz, Walter Kasper, Helen Alvare
Best coverage of vocations: "Changed, Not Ended” by Julia Walsh
Best Feature Article: “Separation Anxiety” by Anna Nussbaum Keating
General Excellence
Third Place
Best Essay: “Suffering Children” by Brian Doyle
Best Editorial: “Remarriage, Mercy and Law” by The Editors
Best Review: “Acts of Contrition” by Ronan McCoy
Best Review Section: “Fall Books II” by Raymond A. Schroth, Hank Stuever, Paul Lakeland, James R. Kelly
Best Analysis Writing: “Allowed to Hope” by Kevin Clarke
Best Online Presentation of Multi-Media Visuals: “The Restoration of St. Patrick's Cathedral” by Ashley McKinless
Best Group Blog: “Dispatches” by Staff
Honorable Mention
Best Regular Column – General Commentary: by James T. Keane
Best Personality Profile: “What Martyrdom Means” by Patrick Gilger
Best Review: “Life Itself” by John Anderson
Best Analysis Writing: “Watergate S.J.” by Raymond A. Schroth
Advertising Awards
First Place - Best Media Kit
Book Awards
First Place
First-time author: Mercy in the City: How to Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned, and Keep Your Day Job by Kerry Weber, Loyola Press
Popular Presentation of the Catholic Faith: The Jesuit Post by Patrick Gilger, S.J., Orbis Books
Family Life: Mortal Blessings by Angela Alaimo O'Donnell, Ave Maria Press
Third Place
Spirituality – Hardcover: Jesus: A Pilgrimage by James Martin, HarperOne
Biography: The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton by Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., Ave Maria Press
Honorable Mention
Biography: Oscar Romero by Kevin Clarke, Liturgical Press
