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Heralds recognized for newspaper excellence

Richner Communications earns 16 state awards

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The Herald Community Newspapers won 11 awards for excellence in reporting, writing and advertising in the New York Press Association’s 2013 Better Newspaper Contest. The awards were presented at NYPA’s annual spring convention in Saratoga Springs on April 4 and 5.

Two other publications owned by Richner Communications, The Riverdale Press and the Jewish Star, were also recognized, bringing the company’s total to 16 awards, which put it among the top five newspaper groups or chains in the state.

A total of 158 newspapers from around New York submitted 2,760 entries. More than a dozen Herald staffers attended the convention, which included workshops and a chance to network with colleagues from across the state.

“The award ceremonies give our staff the opportunity to be recognized for the hard work they do all year,” said co-publisher Stuart Richner. “They also get a chance to see other publications, and the workshops help them to hone their skills when they get back.”

Richner Communications has 30 publications in New York, 20 of which are community newspapers, as well as a combination of community newspapers and shopping guides in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

The Heralds were recognized for their post-Sandy South Shore Rising collaboration with a first-place award in the Best News or Feature Series category. The writers of the series, Scott Brinton, Jeff Bessen, Alex Costello, Mary Malloy, Anthony Rifilato and Alexandra Spychalsky, covered a wide range of storm-related topics including federal funding for the recovery effort, the storm’s effects on area wetlands, and community members’ and businesses’ efforts to come back bigger and better after the storm.

The Riverdale Press also took first place for its in-depth reporting.

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