2012 Ippies Awards: Winners

The CUNY Graduate School of Journalism is pleased to announce the winners of the 2012 ippies journalism awards. This year, a record 46 publications (plus a few freelancers) submitted more than 240 entries for the ten categories in which prizes are given.  This is the tenth anniversary of the awards, and the first time the CUNY Journalism School has been their host.

Photos by Thomas Chan

Best investigative/in-depth story: Investigates an issue overlooked by mainstream media or one that has great community impact

• 1^st place: Meng Fang, Tu Yichen and Law Wai Ki for “Aftermath of September 11: New York’s Chinatown Ten Years On (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3),”  World Journal (Translation)
• 2^nd place: Jacky Tik Wong for “Private Danny Chen Allegedly Subjected to Physical Abuse and Racial Taunting before Death,” Sing Tao Daily New York (Translation)
• 3^rd place: Megan Finnegan (Our Town) and Stephon Johnson for “Elite Racism,” New York Amsterdam News 

Best article on immigration or social justice: Critical look at economic, political or social issues that affect disenfranchised communities

• 1^st place: Dan Coughlin and Kim Ives for “Washington Backed Famous Brand-Name Contractors in Fight Against Haiti’s Minimum Wage Increase,” Haïti Liberté
• 2^nd place: Yuwei Zhang for “Talent hunters mean business,” China Daily USA  
• 3^rd place: Neil deMause for “One Woman’s Plan to Beat Poverty,” City Limits

Best editorial/commentary: Presents a convincing and compelling perspective

• 1^st place: Marco Salazar for “Scam U,” YCteen
• 2^nd place: Cristina Pastor for “Looking Back at the Scandal of 2011: The Seductive Frenchman and a Feisty Hotel Maid,” Feet in 2 Worlds
• 3^rd place: Kung Li­ for “A History of Georgia’s 1%: Why You Must Face Race to Occupy Atlanta,” Colorlines

Best overall design of print publication: Use of typography, art, images and layout in conveying a publication’s editorial message

• 1^st place: Kurt Hoffman, The Forward
• 2^nd place: Nick Sadowski, Nowy Dziennik
• 3^rd place: Anthony Smyrski, City Limits

Best overall design of an online publication: Use of typography, art, images and layout in conveying a publication’s editorial message

• 1^st place: Nick Sadowski, Nowy Dziennik
• 2^nd place: Gabrielle Birkner, The Forward
• 3^rd place: Phong Bui and Walter Chiu, The Brooklyn Rail

Best photo essay or online slideshow: Photographic series that best conveys a storyline or concept

• 1^st place: A. Jesse Jiryu Davis for “The LD Presents ‘Strangers,’” The Lo-Down
• 2^nd place: Peter Yan and Rick Ho for “911: The 10th Anniversary – At Ground Zero: Then and Now,” Sing Tao Daily
• 3^rd place: Elizabeth Borda, Amelia Holowaty Krales, Ashley Marinaccio and Julie Turkewitz for “We Contain Multitudes,” The Indypendent

Best photograph: Goes beyond headshots or posed formal shots

• 1^st place: Karsten Moran for his photo accompanying the story “Albany Votes to Approve Same-Sex Marriage,” The Riverdale Press
• 2^nd place: Carl Glassman for his photo accompanying,  “Parting Shots: A Beloved Tribeca Ping Pong Club Shuts Down,” The Tribeca Trib   
• 3^rd place: Andrew Stern for his photo accompanying “Taking it to the Street,” The Indypendent

Best video: Best use of visual storytelling to highlight an issue of importance to a local community

• 1^st place: Nate Lavey for “Living Apart in Crown Heights,” The Forward
• 2^nd place: Nate Lavey for “Naming Mushky,” The Forward 
• 3^rd place: Lan Trinh for “Immigrants and Native-Born Seek Chinese Language Instruction in NYC Public Schools,” Feet in 2 Worlds 

Best audio: Best use of audio storytelling to highlight an issue of importance to a local community

• 1^st place: Monica Miller for “Newark Roll Call,” WBGO 88.3FM  
• 2^nd place: Von Diaz for “LGBT Immigrant Youth Struggle in New York,” Feet in 2 Worlds
• 3^rd place: Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, with help from Mohsin Zaheer, for “With an Eye on the Sky, Immigrants Revive Practice of Pigeon Tending in New York,” Feet in 2 Worlds

Best multimedia package: One that integrates multiple elements

• 1^st place: DNAinfo.com staff for “Crime and Safety Analysis Delivers Surprises Across the Five Boroughs,”  DNAinfo.com
• 2^nd place: Gal Beckerman for “Crown Heights 20 Years Later,” The Forward
• 3^rd place: El Diario team for “Sept. 11 – the Latino experience,” El Diario/La Prensa

Click here to read a media round-up of Ippies coverage by the ethnic and community press.