The Peace Arch News and its staff members were honoured Saturday night by the BC & Yukon Community News Media Association.
At the BCYCNA’s annual Ma Murray Awards – held at Richmond’s River Rock Casino – PAN won silver for general excellence in its circulation class.
Judges said the paper “covers hard-hitting local stories that go far beyond the light-hearted. They skillfully cover local news, sports, arts and opinion, and have a consistent quality in their design, photography and bring production.
The judges also noted PAN‘s “strong front pages… and headlines that stand out.”
Reporter Aaron Hinks won gold in the ‘Feature Photo’ category for papers with circulation over 25,000 for his photo of a group of teens gathered at Crescent Beach to mourn the death of their friend Jack Stroud, who was killed after being struck by a train.
Judges said Hinks’ entry took first place “because of the time invested in a respectful, heartfelt image.” The photo, judges continued, was noteworthy because of “the range of emotions in the subjects.”
Hinks also won silver in two other photography categories – for best sports photo and best ‘spot news’ photo. The sports entry – of rugby player Hera Sfikas – was praised by judges for its “great emotion.”
“There is a good balance of action and expression that strikes a chord with the viewer,” judges noted, while also calling the photo “one of the top in the field.”
Hinks’ spot news photo – of the dramatic rescue of a man from the broken White Rock Pier – was praised for its drama and timing, with judges noting that it captured “the moment a man’s life was literally saved.”
Hinks and fellow PAN reporter Tracy Holmes were also nominated in the ‘multimedia breaking news’ competition, where they earned bronze for their multi-platform coverage of the Dec. 20 storm that destroyed the pier.
The pair combined photos, video, social-media updates and writing in their coverage of the event, with judges noting it “was well-covered from all angles.”
Also Saturday, longtime Peace Arch News ad controller Maureen Ross was one of 27 people from across the province to be awarded a ‘Silver Quill’ award recognizing 25 years in the industry.
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