Herald Wins 10 Press Awards

By Michael F. Flach
Herald Editor
(From the issue of 6/3/04)

The Catholic Press Association’s 2004 convention in Washington, D.C., will be remembered as a "capital classic" for the entire staff of the Arlington Catholic HERALD. The paper received 10 awards for writing, photography and graphic design, including two first place awards for both staff writer Alfonso Aguilar and production coordinator Michelle Hoopes. The HERALD received honorable mention in the category "best editorial section."

Aguilar’s story "Recorte de Programas de la Iglesia" won first place award for "best writing on a national/international event."

"At a time when the Hispanic population is growing," wrote the judges, "services are being cut. What does this mean? Alfonso Aguilar answers. The author is an excellent investigative reporter who looks at all angles of this story."

Aguilar’s article "Mexicanos en Colonial Beach" won first place in the "best feature category." The judge said it was a "wonderful job by Alfonso Aguilar" and "well deserving of first place. The author has a lyrical way of narrating the life story of the Mexican community at Colonial Beach. I truly enjoyed this series. I could smell the earth and see the colorful bounty of their hard work. It was obvious that the author got to know the subject well and that the community trusted him."

Aguilar, who received four awards at the 2003 convention in Atlanta, also received third place this year in the "best personality profile" category for "Un Obispo de Buena Madera" and honorable mention in best general news photo for "Rally for Peace."

Hoopes’ first place award in the category "best use of syndicated or wire-service art or graphics" was for her religious vocations cover design. The judge described it as a "visually prayerful statement. Black and white photo and composition send the message."

Hoopes and the advertising staff shared first place in the "best single color ad" category for their "Gabriel Project-Father’s Day" ad design. "This ad affected our emotions deeply," wrote the judges. "It was tastefully done with a very clean and expressive photo. Color was clear and simple but heart rendering. Design and thought content were very moving."

Hoopes and the staff also shared second place in the "best single ad (black and white)" category for the ad "Gabriel Project-Gospel of Life."

"Even though this ad was not very large, it has a lot going on in the art, the use of different fonts and the creative background used," the judges said.

Graphic artist Gretchen Cugno and staff received second place in the category "best local retail campaign" for their Knights of Columbus ads.

Managing Editor Ann M. Augherton won honorable mention in the category "best reporting on teen-agers" for "Paul VI Seniors Learn Value of an Hour a Week with Hospice."

I am extremely proud of the professional effort that my entire staff puts forth every week in attempting to produce a high-quality product for our readers. The writing, advertising, photography and graphic design need to be synchronized in order to achieve this goal. Some weeks may turn out better than others, but it’s never through lack of effort.

The awards competition is fierce because of the overall quality of Catholic newspapers and magazine. Our pride isn’t based on the number of awards we win, but we are honored that the judges in this year’s competition agreed with our own personal assessment: that 2003 (the year for which we were being judged) was a very good year.

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