The Hawaii Tribune-Herald won four awards for outstanding journalism during the 28th annual Pa‘i Awards held Thursday 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 during a luncheon at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
These are the four awards won by the newspaper for work published in 2012:
First Place, Spot News Photography — This award went to photographer Hollyn Johnson for her coverage of the Pahala wildfire that scorched Ka‘u in 2012. The judges said the photo made “the battle the firefighters were engaged in much more palpable.”
First Place, Feature Photography — Johnson captured an image of students sitting near lockers on the first day of school at the newly opened Laupahoehoe Public Charter School. “A great photograph that captures how school is school to kids, no matter how complicated adults try to make it. I love just about everything about this picture. It’s a unique shot, original, and is technically competent,” a judge commented.
Second Place, General Website Excellence — Judges commended the Tribune-Herald’s website in this category.”A good mix of news and information is presented in a clean and easy-to-navigate fashion.”
First Place, Excellence in Design (Newsprint) — This award went to Associate Editor Meg Scarbrough for her layout and design of “Celebrate Hula,” the 2012 preview of the Merrie Monarch Festival. The judges said the publication was “lively and inviting” as well as user-friendly.
Honorable mentions for the Tribune-herald were:
Editorial Enterprise Reporting — Reporter Tom Callis was recognized for exemplary reporting for his story “Oahu pact seeks influence.” The judges commended Callis for his election coverage: “Corruption is all around us. The job Callis performs is to help protect the voters.”
Editorial Series — Judges commended reporter Colin Stewart for his work “Zip line tower failed inspection.” The story emerged after a worker was killed while working on a zip line on the Big Island. Judges gave credit to Stewart for “staying on a story when public safety is at risk.”
