HT-H recognized for journalism excellence

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald won five awards for outstanding journalism during the 27th annual Pa‘i Awards last month in Honolulu.

The awards, which were determined by mainland journalists to ensure impartiality, were handed out by the Hawaii Publishers Association.

The competition was open to news media outlets statewide, including newspapers, magazines and websites. The awards were announced May 16 during a luncheon at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Tribune-Herald Editor David Bock accepted the awards on behalf of the newspaper.

These are the five awards won by the newspaper for work published in 2011:

First Place, Editorial Series — This award went to reporter John Burnett’s five-part series examining how the murder of Dana Ireland 20 years ago continues to have an impact on the community. The judges said the story was “well written and researched” and “decades later, retelling the story remains compelling.”

First Place, Special Section Excellence — This award went to “Celebrate Hula,” the newspaper’s 2011 preview of the Merrie Monarch Festival. The section was written by reporter Peter Sur, designed by Associate Editor Meg Scarbrough and edited by Bock. The judges said they were impressed with the writing, photographs and page layouts.

First Place, Spot News Photography — Reporter Burnett was covering a story about a family’s papaya field that was destroyed by vandals when he snapped a dramatic photo of the victims as they stood amidst the destruction. “It is difficult for a reader to not sympathize or empathize with what the people in the photo are going through,” the judges said, adding “their faces manage to tell the story.”

Second Place, Spot News Reporting — Reporter Colin Stewart’s story about a fatal zip line accident caught the judges’ attention. “It begins as a story of an accident, well-chronicled,” they said. “But the sourcing that follows in the second half of the story is impressive indeed.”

Sports Reporting, Second Place — Copy editor Ryan McCrossin wrote “A king and his course,” a sports feature about golf instructor Kevin Hayashi. The judges called it a “nice story about a true pioneer.” They said the story “nicely blends the source’s rise in golf with how he hopes to pass the torch to youngsters in his current profession.”

Bock said he was honored to accept the awards on behalf of the Tribune-Herald.

“I’m really proud of our news team,” he said. “Our talented journalists produce quality work, day in and day out, and I’m happy to see them recognized by the industry.”