A hurricane, a hostage taking, a seal cull and a political expense scandal all led to gold for several news organizations on Saturday at the Atlantic Canadian Journalism Awards. Newsrooms in Newfoundland and Labrador scooped up the bulk of the hardware at the gala event held at the Halifax Mariott Harbourfront Hotel. The Packet, out of Clarenville, was awarded top prize for community reporting in any medium for coverage of hurricane Igor and its immediate aftermath.
The St. John's Telegram had six nominations winning gold in two, for hurricane coverage and sports reporting for a feature on hockey legend Howie Meeker. CBC St. John's also won several awards for radio, television and online coverage of the destruction caused by Igor and subsequent recovery efforts.
Here are the gold winners:
Spot News Print — Brent Mazerolle, Moncton Times and Transcript
Spot News Radio — CBC News, St. John's
Spot News Television — CBC News, St. John's
Enterprise Print _ Linda Pannozzo/Bruce Wark The Coast, Halifax
Enterprise Radio — Vanessa Blanch, CBC Moncton
Enterprise Television — David Cochrane/Paul Pickett, CBC News, St. John's.
Continuing Coverage Print — The St. John's Telegram newsroom
Continuing Coverage Radio — CBC News, St. John's
Continuing Coverage Television — CBC News, Halifax.
Feature Writing Print — Stephen Kimber, The Coast, Halifax.
Feature Writing Radio — Mary Lynk, CBC Radio Maritime Magazine.
Feature Writing Television — Catherine Harrop, CBC Fredericton.
Online News Reporting — CBC News, St. John's.
Business Reporting — Judy Myrden, Halifax Chronicle Herald.
Sports Reporting — Robin Short, St. John's Telegram
Arts and Entertainment — Marty Klinkenberg, Saint John Telegraph-Journal.
Commentary — Alec Bruce, Atlantic Business Magazine.
Best TV News Broadcast — CBC Nova Scotia
Photojournalism Spot News Newspaper — Viktor Pivovarov, Moncton Times and Transcript.
Photojournalism Feature Newspaper — Ron Ward, Moncton Times and Transcript.
Video Journalist Television — Peter Cowan, CBC News, St. John's.
Editorial Cartooning — Bruce MacKinnon, Halifax Chronicle Herald.
Atlantic Magazine Article — Alec Bruce, Atlantic Business Magazine.
Atlantic Magazine Best Cover — Progress Magazine, Halifax.
Atlantic Magazine Best Profile Article — Sandra Phinney, Saltscapes.
Best Page Presentation Newspapers — Michael Landry/Angie Kippers, Saint John Telegraph-Journal.
Community Reporting — The Packet, Clarenville, N.L.
The Jim MacNeill New Journalist Award — James McLeod, St. John's Telegram.
Lifetime Achievement Award — Doug McGee, former associate editor at the Cape Breton Post.