Miami Herald, el Nuevo Herald and Bradenton Herald’s ‘spectacular showing’ at FSNE awards

Howard Cohen

The Florida Society of News Editors’ mission “to advance the cause of responsible journalism” led to several awards for McClatchy’s Florida newsrooms. On Thursday, the organization honored exceptional reporting at its Florida Media Conference in Ponte Vedra where its members presented the FSNE 2022 Journalism Awards.

The three Florida Heralds — the Miami Herald, el Nuevo Herald and Bradenton Herald — “had a spectacular showing” in the FSNE’s contest, said Monica Richardson, the executive editor of these newsrooms and McClatchy’s Florida Regional Editor, in an email to staff.

The three newsrooms brought home the top two awards — the Gold Medal and the Paul Hansell award — along with 10 first places, 11 second places and four third place honors.

The Miami Herald’s coverage of the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside in the early morning hours of June 24, 2021, which killed 98 people, dominated the awards with eight mentions, including the Gold Medal award to its staff for its feature, The Collapse of Champlain Towers South.

For its breaking news coverage of the Surfside tragedy coverage, the Miami Herald staff won the Pulitzer Prize in May.

Linda Robertson, who can trace her career with the daily to 1983 as a staff writer and sports columnist for the Miami Herald, was recognized by the FSNE for her distinguished work.

“For those of us who grew up in Miami, the Surfside tragedy really hit us hard as journalists. The articles I wrote — and continue to write — have been the most challenging of my career and are only possible thanks to the survivors and loved ones who shared their heartbreaking stories with grace and courage,” Robertson said after receiving the FSNE honor.

Miami Herald reporter Linda Robertson won the Florida Society of News Editors’ Paul Hansell Award for distinguished achievement in Florida journalism at its 2022 Journalism Contest. The award was announced at a luncheon in Ponte Vedra, Florida, on Aug. 4, 2022.
Miami Herald reporter Linda Robertson won the Florida Society of News Editors’ Paul Hansell Award for distinguished achievement in Florida journalism at its 2022 Journalism Contest. The award was announced at a luncheon in Ponte Vedra, Florida, on Aug. 4, 2022.

“These awards reflect the depth of the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald’s dedication to top quality coverage of the issues that are so important to our community,” said Dana Banker, the Miami Herald’s senior managing editor. “From the newsroom’s aggressive and enterprising public service coverage of the Surfside condo collapse to its creative multimedia storytelling, these awards also reflect the incredible range of talent in this very special newsroom.”

Banker is president of the Florida Society of News Editors, but she had no involvement in deciding the awards.

The Heralds’ 2022 FSNE awards

▪ Gold Medal: Miami Herald Staff, The Collapse of Champlain Towers South

▪ Paul Hansell Award for Distinguished Achievement in Florida Journalism: Linda Robertson of the Miami Herald

‘I’m a mess.’ Surfside survivors struggle to reclaim their lives after tower collapsed

▪ Breaking News, Division A:

First Place: Miami Herald Staff, The Collapse of Champlain Towers South

Second Place: Miami Herald Staff, Deadly Day for the FBI

▪ Enterprise Stories, Division A:

First Place: Miami Herald Staff, In Surfside: The Unthinkable

Second Place: Carol Marbin Miller, Daniel Chang and Emily Michot, Birth & Betrayal, MIami Herald

▪ Enterprise Stories, Division C:

Second Place: Ryan Callihan and Jessica De Leon, Manatee County official’s exclusive vaccine event sparks controversy, Bradenton Herald

▪ Features and Enterprise Writing, Spanish Language:

Third Place: Sonia Osorio, 1 de cada 3 Venezolanos en EEUU padece de secuelas psicológicas, el Nuevo Herald

▪ Investigative Reporting, Division C:

First Place: Ryan Callihan, A breach at Piney Point puts area in environmental peril, Bradenton Herald

04/06/21--Piney Point’s leaking New Gypsum Stack South pond previously held 480 million gallons of water. As of April 6, 2021, the pond holds less than 300 million gallons of water after an emergency final order allowed site operators to begin a controlled release of water into Tampa Bay. Fearing a complete collapse of the pond, engineers said they needed to drain the water as quickly as possible.

Second Place: Giuseppe Sabella, Jessica De Leon and Tiffany Tompkins, 12-year-old girl arrested at Manatee school, Bradenton Herald

▪ Investigative Reporting, Division A:

Second Place: Miami Herald Staff, Surfside: Anatomy of a tragedy

Third Place: Carol Marbin Miller, Daniel Chang and Emily Michot, Birth & Betrayal, MIami Herald

▪ Community Leadership, Division C:

Third Place: Bradenton Herald Staff, Piney Point environmental disaster

▪ Sports, Division A:

First Place: Miami Herald Staff, Jose Fernandez Anniversary

Maritza Gomez Fernandez poses next to mounted pictures of her son, Jose Fernandez, former Marlins ace pitcher and MLB All-Star, at the Fernandez residence in Miami on Sept. 15, 2021. She reflects on the past five years as the anniversary of her son’s death in a boat crash on Sept. 25, 2016, draws near.
Maritza Gomez Fernandez poses next to mounted pictures of her son, Jose Fernandez, former Marlins ace pitcher and MLB All-Star, at the Fernandez residence in Miami on Sept. 15, 2021. She reflects on the past five years as the anniversary of her son’s death in a boat crash on Sept. 25, 2016, draws near.

▪ Sports, Spanish Language:

First Place: Jorge Ebro, Latino players, Bradenton Herald

▪ Editorials, Division A:

Second Place: Miami Herald Staff, Surfside Condo Collapse

▪ Spot News Photography:

Second Place: David Santiago, Matias J. Ocner, Tragedy in Surfside: First day, Miami Herald

▪ Sports Photography:

Second Place: Al Diaz, What the heck happened on this wild non-touchdown for Robert Hunt and the Dolphins?, Miami Herald

Miami Dolphins guard Robert Hunt (68) dives to the goal line in the fourth quarter but the officials ruled against Miami during game age against the Baltimore Ravens at Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday, November 11, 2021
Miami Dolphins guard Robert Hunt (68) dives to the goal line in the fourth quarter but the officials ruled against Miami during game age against the Baltimore Ravens at Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday, November 11, 2021

▪ Photo Story, Division A:

Second Place: Miami Herald Staff, Lessons Amid the Ruins

▪ Photo Story, Division C:

Third Place: Tiffany Tompkins, Hundreds protest proposed abortion ban, Bradenton Herald

▪ Breaking News Video, Division A:

First Place: José A. Iglesias and Jacqueline Charles, Aftermath of earthquake in Haiti, Miami Herald

Second Place: Al Diaz, Cuba protest rally in Miami, Miami Herald

▪ Breaking News Video, Division C

First Place: Tiffany Tompkins, Hundreds in Bradenton protest restrictive abortion laws, Bradenton Herald

▪ Features Video, Division A:

First Place: Reshma Kirpalani, Miami Herald, Inside the COVID Unit: Battling the Coronavirus Pandemic in Miami

Miami Herald wins two Suncoast Emmy Awards for ‘Inside the COVID Unit’

Second Place: Emily Michot and Carlos Frias, Surfside condo collapse: What we’ll remember, Miami Herald

▪ Multimedia, Division C:

First Place: James A. Jones Jr. and Tiffany Tompkins, Manatee’s mighty clam industry, Bradenton Herald

Manatee’s mighty clam industry points way to a more sustainable, cleaner world

▪ News Interactive

First Place: Miami Herald Staff, House of Cards.

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