The Charleston City Paper took home 10 first place awards Friday in the S.C. Press Association’s annual contest of news excellence. It also nabbed 15 second- and third-place awards.
“This recognition by our journalism peers illustrates what readers have experienced in recent years — a continued commitment to excellence in providing community coverage of news on issues of public importance to news about food, music and the arts,” said editor and publisher Andy Brack. “We’re thankful to serve the Charleston area and proud to be recognized for how well we are doing our job.”
Major awards won by the newspaper in competition with the state’s weekly newspapers include best news section or special section for the City Paper’s Best of Charleston 2022 issue, as well as Brack’s story on high bacterial levels in Charleston creeks. Managing editor Samantha Connors won top lifestyle feature writing award for large weekly newspapers and cuisine writer Michael Pham took home the best food writing story among South Carolina large weeklies.
“Receiving the top award for lifestyle feature is an honor, and I’m thrilled to have the chance to share the City Paper’s unique Lowcountry coverage with a wider audience,” Connors said.
In opinion offerings, former editor Sam Spence won first place for an editorial criticizing local police on how they disclose information and Brack won top honors for column writing. Photographer Ruta Smith won two photography first places among medium and large weeklies. The City Paper also won top honors for best use of social media and news video among all weeklies.
In other awards, cartoonists Robert Ariail and Steve Stegelin won second and third place, respectively, for top cartoon among all South Carolina newspapers. Other winners are listed below.
This year’s contest was judged by journalists from the Georgia Press Association.
First place
- News section or special edition* | Staff: Best of Charleston 2022
- Community service* | Andy Brack: “Safe? Bacterial levels generally high at these Charleston creeks, data show”
- Lifestyle feature writing** | Samantha Connors: “Exploring the colorful world of Charleston’s tattooing community”
- Food writing** | Michael Pham: “Neighborhood restaurants become a treasured part of the community”
- Editorial or column supporting Freedom of Information and open government* | Sam Spence: “Charleston-area agencies fall short on law that makes Blotter possible”
- Column writing** | Andy Brack: Three columns on abortion, education and redistricting
- Personality photograph or portrait*** | Ruta Smith: “Maria White, Charleston potter”
- Photo series or photo story*** | Ruta Smith: “Second-chance snaps”
- Newspaper’s use of social media* | Staff
- News video* | Staff
Second place
- Robert Ariail, Cartoon#
- Editorial board, Editorial or column supporting FOI and open government*
- Scott Suchy, Mixed media illustration*
- Scott Suchy, Feature page design**
- Andy Brack, Community service*
- Andy Brack, Profile feature writing or story**
Third place
- Steve Stegelin, Cartoon#
- Andy Brack, Innovation#
- Scott Suchy, Mixed media illustration*
- Samantha Connors and Herb Frazier, Reporting-in-depth**
- Ruta Smith, Personality photograph or portrait **
- Staff, Website
- Andy Brack, Election/political coverage*
- Andy Brack, Editorial or column supporting FOI and open government*
- Andy Brack, Breaking news reporting**
Category key
* Contest among all South Carolina weekly newspapers
** All weeklies over 6,500 circulation
*** All medium and large weeklies
# All S.C. weekly and daily newspapers
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