The Monitor continued its tradition of top quality journalism, bringing home three awards from the New England Newspaper and Press Association’s Better Newspaper Competition last week.
Reporter Leah Willingham received one of the top honors, winning the “Rookie of the Year” award.
“Thoughtful, caring stories on gut-wrenching stories of the day,” the judges wrote of Willingham’s portfolio of work. “Willingham is a talented storyteller whose quality of writing elevates her entries to the top of the category. Well done.”
Willingham, who graduated from Mount Holyoke College in May 2017, competed against first-year reporters at any daily newspaper in New England, regardless of circulation size.
Monitor features editor Sarah Pearson won first place for best arts and entertainment section for newspapers with less than 25,000 daily circulation.
“This arts and entertainment section is chockful of interesting local stories spanning everything from children’s theater to comedy shows to fine art,” the judges wrote. “The stories are tight, the calendar section is complete and the presentation is absolutely gorgeous! Excellent work!”
Reporter Caitlin Andrews took third place for a collection of stories and a digital timeline about a 2015 fatal car crash in Weare. Her front-page story, titled “Fatal Pursuit,” pieced together the events that led to the fatal crash that killed teenager Trevor Gonyer and the role of the police officer who pursued the vehicle across town lines.
“Without this dogged reporting, community members would likely be left in the dark about the decisions all parties made and why no one has been held accountable,” the judges wrote.
The awards were announced Feb. 16 at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel.
In nominating Willingham for the Rookie of the Year award, the Monitor was asked to submit six samples of her work, which included stories about youth suicide, a fatal car crash, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, poet Donald Hall, and a son accused of murdering his mother.
“Her work is at the core of what community-based, local journalism is all about,” the Monitor wrote. “Leah Willingham is a rare reporter who has the ability to reach out to people at a crucial time in their lives and tell their story accurately and with compassion. She takes difficult topics and humanizes them. Her personal approach to news gives faces to complex issues.”
In October, the Monitor was named the daily New England newspaper of the year in its circulation size and was awarded distinguished Sunday newspaper of the year honors.