Left to right, the Northeaster team after the award ceremony with their awards. From left to right, Marla Khan-Schwartz, Mike Madison, Cynthia Sowden, Al Zdon, Vince Brown, Davis Steen and Katherine Boyce. (Mike Madison)
The Northeaster was once again in the spotlight at the Minnesota Newspaper Association (MNA) awards banquet, held Thursday, Jan. 30, at Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, Brooklyn Center.
The Northeaster competes in the “non-multi-day, greater than 7,000 circulation” division of MNA’s Better Newspaper Contest. Entries were judged by journalists from the Illinois Press Association.
The newspaper finished strong in the arts and entertainment category, taking first, second and third place.
Katherine Boyce received first-place recognition for her story about photographer Marc Norberg, “Inside looking out.” The judge commented, “Wow! What an extraordinary story, not only about the artist but his struggles.”
Karen R. Nelson took second for “The circus life — a Northeast girl flies high.” The judge found the story “unique.”
Photographer Mike Madison was awarded third place for his photo story, “Basilica Block Party rocks Boom Island.” The judge thought using photos to tell an arts story was a “neat idea.”
Davis Steen gathered two first-place awards, one for use of color in advertising, and one for the best ad – a Christmas promotion for Gopher Liquor that made the judge “want to go shopping.” Steen also received second place for his story, “Local economy gets a boost from Timberwolves’ success.” Said the judge, “Interesting story on the impact an NBA team has on a community during the playoffs. The story flowed well.”
Another award winner was Marla Khan-Schwartz for her social issues story on death doula Nina Guertin. “Fascinating look at an unusual life calling to help shepherd people into death,” wrote the judge.
Al Zdon receiving one of his awards. (Mike Madison)
Al Zdon was once again a winner in the breaking news and hard news categories. He received first-place recognition for his article, “Silverwood programming may be eliminated.” Judges noted, “This story felt it would have the biggest impact on the community. Strong comments from community members as well.” His followup story on the same topic took third place in the hard news category. Zdon took second place in government affairs reporting for his series on Kt Jacobs’ fight to remain on the city council in Columbia Heights. “This is solid, consistent reporting on a local political controversy,” the judge said. “The reporter’s dedication to keeping the public in the loop shows why good local journalism matters.”
Publisher Vince Brown and Editor Cynthia Sowden waited for their names to be called for the next award. (Mike Madison)
Cynthia Sowden took first place in the government affairs category for her coverage of St. Anthony’s debate over resuming police service to Falcon Heights. “This is an important story about local policing that’s detailed and includes a range of voices. The reporter clearly followed the story through, asking the right questions and keeping the public informed throughout the ongoing debate. It’s a strong example of journalism that digs deep and gives the community the information it needs to stay engaged,” the judge said.
She also took home first place in the hard news category for “Northeast Senior Services shuts down.” Sowden received second-place honors for a story on the vandalism of the Lizard Lounge at East Side Neighborhood Services, and third place for “Ambassador visits Ukrainian Center, seeks support.” “Is the apartment boom over?” took third place in investigative reporting.
Sowden was also runner-up for the Herman Roe editorial writing award. The award is given in memory of the man who edited the Northfield News for more than 50 years. According to MNA, he was extremely interested in politics and believed newspapers should take strong editorial stands. The Northeaster submitted three editorials about the First Amendment, the dangers of news deserts and the disturbing effects of fentanyl. “This was a strong contender for first place, and is one of those times I wish ties were possible,” said the judge.
In addition to the individual awards, the Northeaster as an entity took home a first-place award for headline writing; second-place awards for typography and design, use of photography as a whole and editorial page as a whole. The paper took third place for advertising excellence.
A general excellence winner in 2022 and 2023, the Northeaster placed third in that category in 2024.
Vince Brown, publisher of the Northeaster, said, “It’s an honor to work with such a talented team and put out a newspaper twice per month that is valued not only by the communities we serve but others in the news business. Our small staff continues to strive for excellence each edition and we’re grateful for the business and community support we receive through advertising and donations. Our thanks to MNA for allowing us to be recognized by our peers as some of the best in the state of Minnesota!”