Education, spirituality and the digital web.
These were the categories for which Islander News won first place recognition in the 2022 Florida Media competition, presented by the Florida Press Association and held at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra on Friday, August 5.
The newspaper won a total of nine awards.
“I could not be prouder of the work by our reporting staff and our community,” said Justo Rey, President of Islander News Media. “These awards are proof of the commitment we have to issues of importance to the Key Biscayne community. Quality, truly objective local journalism is critical to the health and well being of democracy. Islander News has, and always will, be your reliable source of news and information.”
First place awards were received by Susan Dellert, for a profile of the Key Biscayne Children & Education, Chaplain Norris Burkes’ Spirituality Sunday morning columns; and Website Excellence award for the staff for its presentation of news on the newspaper’s dynamic website.
FIRSTS:
Website Excellence: islandernews.com
The judges deemed the Islander News best in the state for mid-size weekly newspapers websites. Judging was based on quality, timeliness and organization of content, ease of navigation and visual design.
Faith and Family Reporting. Chaplain Norris Burkes column “2001: Prayer Odyssey -- Why space exploration deserves our blessing.” Chaplain Burkes Spiritual Contemplations column appears every Sunday morning on our website.
Education: Susan Dellert’s profile of Oscar Sardinas and two other KB parents, Ivette Fernandez-Chaustre and Pierre De Agostini as the force behind the Key Biscayne Children & Education Foundation and its innovative after-school enrichment classes.
SECOND PLACE:
Breaking News: Hillard Grossman’s coverage of November flooding and how it highlights the growing need for resiliency work and improvements to the Village’s aging drainage system.
General News story: Hillard Grossman’s profile of former UM rower and his family in the tragic Surfside Condo collapse
THIRD PLACE:
Sports Feature: Hillard Grossman’s exploration of the rich history of surfing in Miami.
Feature Story, non-profile: “Endless Summer," Hillard Grossman’s look at the popularity of the state’s new “Endless Summer” specialty license plate.
Community Service: “A Year of Covid,” Hillard Grossman, Susan Dellert and Kym Klass, combined an in-depth exploration of the Covid pandemic and its impact on Key Biscayne’s daily life..
In-depth Reporting, Non-investigative: “Year of Transition,” a story that takes a deep dive on how world events, disease, the Village’s 30th birthday and natural disasters impacted the cumulative psyche of Key Biscayne
