
Chronicle editor receives RNA Award for Religion Reporting Excellence
LAS VEGAS — Religion journalists from around the world, including…
The Chronicle captured the first-place Award of Excellence in the prestigious “Best in Class” category for national and international newspapers.
“I wouldn’t change a thing,” one judge commented. “Cover photos are thoughtful and exciting. Writing is vivid and descriptive yet provides clarity and excellent content. Overall, it’s the perfect combination of great photography and engaging writing within a beautiful layout.”
The Anglican Journal received the second-place Award of Merit, and the Reporter, which covers the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, claimed honorable mention.
The front page of the April 2015 edition. (PAGE DESIGN BY ERIK TRYGGESTAD)
Winners were announced April 22 at the ACP’s national convention in St. Louis. The meeting coincided with the 100th anniversary of the ACP, the oldest interdenominational religious press association in North America.
In all, the Chronicle — an Oklahoma City-based international newspaper for Churches of Christ with 260,000 monthly print readers — received eight awards for content published in 2015.
Since 2007, the newspaper has won 73 national ACP awards and been recognized in the Best in Class contest for 10 consecutive years. This is the fourth time the Chronicle received first-place honors in the category, winning previously in 2009, 2013 and 2015.
Award of Excellence (First Place)
BEST IN CLASS/PRINT: National/International Newspaper — The Christian Chronicle: Lynn McMillon, president/CEO; Erik Tryggestad, editor; Bobby Ross Jr., chief correspondent; Tonya Patton, advertising manager; Kimberly Mauck, reviews editor; Lynda Sheehan, administrative assistant; Joy McMillon, administrative assistant; Laura Akins, editorial assistant; Matthew Ware, advertising assistant; Katie Jones, editorial intern.
Helen Mulaparthi, a member of the Broadway Church of Christ in Sylacauga, Ala., enjoys a laugh with Rhonda Fernandez, as Frances Zorn watches. (PHOTO BY BOBBY ROSS JR.)
Julie Strakova and fellow Christians — many of them refugees — participate in a singing camp in Irpin, Ukraine. (PHOTO BY ERIK TRYGGESTAD)
The crowd, including the “God Squad,” sings at the Tulsa Workshop in Oklahoma. (PHOTO BY BOBBY ROSS JR.)
Award of Merit (Second Place)
Minister Willie L. Rupert Jr. offers the invitation during a Sunday assembly of the Central Church of Christ, a predominantly black congregation in Baltimore. (PHOTO BY BOBBY ROSS JR.)
FEATURE ARTICLE: “The broken soul of Baltimore” by Bobby Ross Jr. — on church leaders working to bring spiritual and social renewal to a city where riots erupted after 25-year-old Freddie Gray’s death in police custody.
Judges: “Good use of detail (the whiff of smoke from the CVS), impressive use of grassroots sources and introspective quotes from church leaders wondering if they’ve done enough to build credibility in the community.”
At Cazeau Christian Elementary School, on a hilltop overlooking Port-au-Prince, Haitian children pledge allegiance during a Friday morning flag-raising ceremony. (PHOTO BY ERIK TRYGGESTAD)
A note on a glass door overlooking the Zorns’ back deck reminds Frances that she can’t go outside without a relative or caregiver accompanying her. (PHOTO BY BOBBY ROSS JR.)
Honorable Mention
Preschool children at the Christian Home and Bible School in Mount Dora, Fla., spend time each day praying and singing praises to God. Pictured, from left, are Taylor Adams, Christopher Ruggie, Chelsea Drake and Morgan Bradley. The central Florida school has an enrollment of about 800 students, while 41 children live on campus or in foster care directed by the home. (PHOTO BY MALCOLM YAWN)
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