2024 Awards

Catholic Media Awards | Church Press Awards

2024 Catholic Media Awards

The Catholic Media Association is an organization of publishers and media professionals united to serve the Church. National Catholic Reporter, Global Sisters Report and EarthBeat won 42 honors in 31 categories at the 2024 Catholic Media Awards. The awards were presented on June 21, 2024 and honor works published in 2023.

Writer of the Year (English)

Second Place
Chris Herlinger
Judges comments: Exceptional writing that takes the reader from the front lines of war to its aftermath decades later to the opera and beyond. Keen attention to detail sustains engagement, no matter the topic.
Honorable Mention
Rhina Guidos

Best Video – Explainer, Diocesan and National News Organizations

First Place
Why Pope Francis' Big Vatican Meeting Next Month is So Important
Chaz Muth
Judges comments: What distinguishes this entry is its simple yet compelling narrative. The production team adeptly introduces the complex idea of why Pope Francis's Vatican meeting is significant in just three minutes, effectively conveying its relevance to the audience. Supported by strong visuals and a clear, well-written script, the story has garnered over 5,000 views online.

Best Social Media Campaign, Liturgical Seasons

Honorable Mention
Creature Features
Stephanie Clary, John Grosso and Ryan McQuade National Catholic Reporter

Best Online Content Not Published in Print – Feature

First Place
Hope Amid Turmoil Coverage
Thomas Scaria, Doreen Ajiambo, Chris Herlinger, and Patrick Egwu
Judges comments: Exceptional. Each writer is an outstanding storyteller as well as a thorough reporter. Effective packaging of words and images provide compelling, in-depth reports that illuminate, as noted in the series title, hope amid turmoil.

Best Website – Spanish Publication

First Place
Global Sisters Report en español
Global Sisters Report Staff
Judges comments: This is a well-organized website with a wide range of images and articles, spanning current events, politics, pop culture, and history, with ties back to the Catholic faith. I appreciated that it not only had articles/headings in Spanish, but that it also had content specifically about and for Spanish-speaking Catholics. There was also a good mix of format style for the articles with some serving as news articles, others written as personal essays, and some combining the two by editorializing a current event, and discussing how it affected the Catholic community.

Best National Electronic Newsletter

First Place
EarthBeat Weekly
Stephanie Clary
Judges comments: This newsletter boasts a solid layout, effectively managing a substantial amount of material while maintaining organization and clarity. Its depth in nuances are impressive, yet it remains impeccably organized, complete with an archive—a nice touch. The layout is strong, with abundant, but not overwhelming links, complemented by good images, graphics, and icons presented in various sizes and colors. Additional elements such as ads, social links, and preferences add a professional touch while headlines are crisp and article summaries are concise and helpful. Most notably, the newsletter presents a cohesive narrative, with text and images, seamlessly connecting in multiple pieces, contributing to larger, emerging issues. Overall, everything is exceptionally well done.

Best Newspaper – National/ Wire Service

Second Place
National Catholic Reporter
Judges comments: Impactful reporting and strong writing that provides readers the context they need to understand complex issues.

Best Use of Graphics – Best Original Illustration

First Place
LGBTQ+ Catholics Express Cautious Hope for Change as Synod of Bishops Starts
Toni-Ann Ortiz
Judges comments: Excellent job illustrating key aspect of the story. Visually, appealing, clear, clean, draws the eye.

Best Regular Column – Spiritual Life

First Place
US Bishops’ Document against Transgender Health Care is a Disaster
Daniel P. Horan
Judges comments: This column is absolutely superb. Daniel uses hyperlinks and sourcing to add context to his topics. The writing is thorough and an absolute pleasure to read.

Best Regular Column – Political Issues

First Place
"Burke at Bedminster and Pence at Napa: The GOP at Prayer?"
Michael Sean Winters
Judges comments: The overall tone and style of this column made it stand out. Current issues with a bit of flair to the details and insights makes this piece a winner.

Best Coverage – Immigration

Second Place
Detained Immigrants Launch Hunger Strike at Two California Facilities
Aleja Hertzler-McCain
Judges comments: The cohesion of this series as it ties together background information with current details from multiple angles in an articulate way makes this piece stand out.

Best Coverage – Political Issues

First Place
Catholic Lawmaker Filibusters in Nebraska Legislature to Block Bill Targeting Trans Youth
Aleja Hertzler-McCain, Katie Collins Scott, and Brian Roewe
Judges comments: Select reporting. In-depth articles spotlight national issues and engage readers with exceptional writing and seamless flow.

Best Coverage – Disaster or Crises

Third Place
In Spite of a Year of War, Ukrainians Endure and Religious Ministry Continues
Chris Herlinger
Judges comments: Fantastic color, brought to life by amazing photos. The story on the work of sisters such as Lydia Timkova was particularly moving, and very enterprising. Videos helped bring all of this coverage to life. Outstanding work.

Best Coverage – Pro-life Issues

Honorable Mention
March for Life Comes Back to DC Amid Backlash to Abortion Ruling
Brian Fraga and Katie Collins Scott

Best Coverage – Racial Inequities

Second Place
Cardinal Gregory: Black Catholics Have 'kept the Faith' Despite Injustice
Aleja Hertzler-McCain and Katie Collins Scott
Judges comments: Excellent examination of obscured/ignored racial inequity inherent in clergy abuse scandals. Further, all three articles illuminate the valued role of ethnic diversity and the need to eradicate racial inequities.

Best Coverage on Catholic Education

Honorable Mention
As Catholic Dioceses Release New Gender Policies, Grassroots Groups Demand Input
Katie Collins Scott and Christopher White

Best Editorial on a National or International Issue – National newspaper or Wire Service

First Place
Editorial: Air Quality is a Justice Issue — and Not Just When It Hurts NYC
NCR Editorial Staff
Judges comments: The lead-in graphs are written with evocative language and imagery that capture the reader's attention. Statistics are sprinkled throughout to great effect in building the writer's argument.
Honorable Mention
NCR's Newsmaker of 2023: Jeannine Gramick, Tireless Advocate for LGBTQ Catholics
NCR Editorial Staff

Best Feature Writing – National Newspaper or Wire Service

First Place
Vatican's Venice Biennale Exhibit Serves as a Laboratory for Putting Laudato Si' in Action
Christopher White
Judges comments: Outstanding writing anchors this feature by skillfully weaving together detailed description of the Vatican exhibition at the Venice Bienniale and its theological grounding in Pope Francis' Laudato Si'. The piece manages to be both evocative and enlightening.

Best In-Depth News/Special Reporting – National Newspaper or Wire Service

Second Place
In Honduras' Dry Corridor, Climate Change Poses a Painful Dilemma: Adapt or Leave
Brian Roewe
Judges comments: This beautifully written feature, reported from Honduras, places individuals' choices about migration in the context of the global climate crisis, promoting understanding and empathy.
Third Place
A Year After Pope Francis' Canada Trip, Sisters Walk Long Road to Reconciliation Amid Boarding Schools' Bitter Legacy
Sandrine Rastello
Judges comments: This thoughtful, in-depth article, employees months of reporting and a dozen interviews to examine the complexities of reconciliation efforts within religious communities in Canada.

Best Investigative News Writing – National newspaper or Wire Service

First Place
Lingering Vatican Investigation of Tennessee Bishop Leaves Diocese Demoralized
Brian Fraga
Judges comments: This piece is deserving of all the recognition for its breath of research and interviews with those involved, particularly the bishop. The reporter does an excellent job of balancing the subject matter's responses with the various issues others detail.
Second Place
Catholic Clergy Abuse Survivors of Color Endure Compounded Trauma
Katie Collins Scott
Judges comments: This timely work fulfills its goal to draw a wide-ranging picture of specific clergy abuse in black and brown communities and the additional hardships endured. Particularly heart-wrenching are the many interviews with those abused.
Third Place
Group Promoting Author GK Chesterton Faces Turmoil Over Right-wing Connections
Brian Fraga
Judges comments: This is an in-depth, but more importantly, balanced look at some complaints with a G.K. Chesterton group. Every issue is a highly researched, often historically, anecdotally and in other manners.

Best Analysis/Background/Round-Up News Writing – The Gerard E. Sherry Award – National Newspaper or Wire Service

First Place
A Year After Pope Francis' Canada Trip, Sisters Walk Long Road to Reconciliation Amid Boarding Schools' Bitter Legacy
Sandrine Rastello
Judges comments: An outstanding examination of this heartbreaking subject, with vivid imagery and compelling detail. The writing is lucid and impossible to stop reading.
Second Place
Amid Record Chronic Homelessness, Advocates and Experts Say There is a Solution
Katie Collins Scott
Judges comments: Outstanding explanatory reporting on how some success has been found with this chronic problem that plagues so many cities. Nice to see this considered a "Catholic subject." Great journalism.
Honorable Mention
10 Years with Pope Francis
Christopher White

Best News Writing One Shot – National Event

First Place
Pope Francis Axes Firebrand Texas Bishop Strickland, Darling of Right-wing Twitter
Brian Fraga
Judges comments: Clear, authoritative reporting and writing. This could have been published anywhere, from the smallest Catholic paper in Texas to the New York Times. It is rich in context and framing.

Best News Writing One Shot – International Event

Second Place
"Confusion, Control and Abuse": Report Offers New Details About Jean Vanier's Secret Sect and Sexual Exploitation
Katie Collins Scott
Judges comments: Excellent, in-depth reporting and investigation.

Best News Writing Series – International Event

First Place
Nicaraguan Government Expels More Women Religious, Takes Over Another Order's Property
Rhina Guidos
Judges comments: This series features excellent reporting, sustained outrage over an overlooked topic, writing that focuses on displaced and vulnerable populations, and a clear connection and implication for the Catholic church and its parishioners worldwide.
Second Place
In Spite of a Year of War, Ukrainians Endure and Religious Ministry Continues
Chris Herlinger
Judges comments: Impressive continued coverage of one of the most critical news events in the world in the past year.
Honorable Mention
Coverage of COP28
Brian Roewe

Best Personality Profile – National newspaper or Wire Service

Second Place
Cardinal Mario Grech: Central Figure in Pope's Plan to Change Catholic Church
Christopher White
Judges comments: This is an interesting and well written article that brings to light an issue with which most readers probably would be unfamiliar. Through the presentation of this profile I learned a lot by reading it. The article provides a compelling story about the cardinal's journey and mission that is both educational and inspiring—a great topic and subject.

Best Reporting of Social Justice Issues – Call to Family, Community and Participation

First Place
Bishop-supported Leadership Training for Immigrants Transforms Parish Communities
Katie Collins Scott
Judges comments: This multifaceted story weaves together numerous voices and experiences, using excellent examples and pointed quotes, to show the impact of a program that helps to train immigrant leaders and foster relationships between immigrant and non-immigrant communities.

Best Reporting of Social Justice Issues – Care for God's Creation

First Place
At 10-year Mark, Pope Francis Seen as a Global Leader on the Environment
Brian Roewe
Judges comments: This comprehensive and well-constructed survey about Francis' role as an environmental leader ties together the influence of his encyclical Laudato Si', his consistent attention to climate issues and the actions his example has inspired among Catholics worldwide.
Second Place
Laudato Trees Planting Program Enlists Catholic Properties to Help Increase DC's Canopy
Brian Roewe
Judges comments: The vivid writing in this feature explores a collaboration among Washington, D.C. area organizations that have planted tens of thousands of trees. The story expertly provides context on the importance of trees in making urban environments more livable for all species.

Best Reporting of Social Justice Issues – Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

Honorable Mention
For Centuries, Sisters in the Deep South Have Worked to Alleviate Poverty. There's Still More to Do
Dan Stockman

Best Reporting of Social Justice Issues – Solidarity

First Place
"Mexico's Sisters Accompany Youth Gang Members: 'they Make Me Turn the Page'"
Nuri Vallbona and Luis Donaldo González
Judges comments: The Global Sisters Report shines a spotlight on the impactful work of the Compañía María de Nazareth sisters, vividly depicting their ministry's efforts and successes. A gang member's testimony highlights the inspiration and motivation provided by the missionaries and sisters, emphasizing the transformative power of God's word in their lives.
Honorable Mention
Sr. Consuelo Morales Accompanies Families of Those Killed or Missing in Mexico
Julieta Valdez

Best Story and Photo Package – By Two Individuals or More

First Place
In Spite of a Year of War, Ukrainians Endure and Religious Ministry Continues
Chris Herlinger and Gregg Brekke
Judges comments: Excellent coverage. Photos and stories are high-quality and complement one another well. Together this is a perfect piece. Very well done.

Best Photograph – Immigration/Migration

Second Place
Josephine Sr. María Soledad Morales Ríos plays ball with a child at the CAFEMIN Shelter in Mexico City
Rhina Guidos
Judges comments: A light-hearted and kind image, showing two subjects at opposite ends of their point in life. The shadows convey the subtle actions of the subjects against an urban backdrop.

Associated Church Press

The Associated Church Press is a professional organization "brought together by a common commitment to excellence in journalism as a means to describe, reflect, and support the life of faith and the Christian community." Three awards were given in each category: honorable mention, award of merit and award of excellence. The awards were presented on May 17, 2024 and honor works published in 2023.

National reporting (broader topic or trend) - Short Format