The Daily Herald staff took home 28 first-, second- and third-place awards for journalism excellence at the Northern Illinois News Association’s annual banquet held Oct. 24, in collaboration with the Department of Communication at Northern Illinois University.
The event was held in the Sky Room on NIU’s DeKalb campus, honoring exceptional achievements in journalism across Northern Illinois.
The annual news competition celebrates excellence in print and digital journalism. Two of the most prestigious awards — first place for General Excellence (website) and first place for General Excellence (print) — were among those recognized during the event.
The Daily Herald earned first place for General Excellence (website), recognized for its superior content and design, local emphasis, interactivity, ease of navigation, and unique online features beyond what is available in print.
Daily Herald photographer Joe Lewnard won first place in the Northern Illinois News Association Best Feature Photo category for this capture: Tammie Byrd of Glendale Heights placing a yellow rose at the base of the Gold Star Memorial at Veterans Park in Naperville. Byrd’s brother was killed while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com
Other awards won by Daily Herald editors, staff writers and photographers are:
First place:
• Best Design — Staff
• Best Religion Story/Owen Phelps Award — “The Message of Easter is Life and Love Wins” by Madhu Krishnamurthy
• Best Editorial — “The Basic Tenets of Public Administration” by Jim Slusher
• Best In-Depth News Story — “Is There A Plan B?” by Christopher Placek
• Best Historical Feature — “The Lemak Case 25 Years Later” by Alicia Fabbre and Susan Sarkauskas
• Best General Feature — “The Song Is Over” by Christopher Placek
• Best Feature Photo — “Memorial” by Joe Lewnard
• Best Sports Photo — “Reflection” by John Starks
• Best Online Photo Gallery — “Drone Photos of the Year” by photo staff
Second place:
• Best Business/Financial/Consumer Story — “Declining Shopping Malls” by Alicia Fabbre and Katlyn Smith
• Best Technology/Medical Story — “It’s Been A Game Changer” by Steve Zalusky
• Best Columnist — “Letter to Readers” by Jim Slusher
• Best Editorial — “Where else to turn?” by Lisa Miner
• Best Spot News Story — “Buffalo Grove High School Students Die After Crash” by Russell Lissau
• Best Watchdog Reporting — “Tax Watchdog” by Jake Griffin
• Best Government/Public Affairs Reporting — “The Bears At Arlington Park” by Christopher Placek
• Best Coverage of the Solar Eclipse — Daily Herald News and Photo Staff
• Best General Feature — “If You Mail Them, They Will Come (Back)” by Russell Lissau
• Best Spot News Photo — “Consoled” by Paul Valade
• Best Feature Photo — “Quinceanera” by Rick West
• Best Sports Photo — “Runners” by Brian Hill
• Best Online Photo Gallery — “Sports Photos of the Year” by photo staff
Third place:
• Best Government/Public Affairs Reporting — “Driver’s License Procedures Frustrate Seniors” by Marni Pyke
• Best General Feature — “At Wit’s End” by Alicia Fabbre
• Best Spot News Photo — “Lightning Storm” by Paul Valade
• Best Feature Photo — “Umbrellas” by Paul Valade
• Best Sports Photo — “Bloody Player” by John Starks
To see the complete list of NINA winners, visit: https://ninaonlinedotorg.wordpress.com/contest/2024-nina-contest-winners/.
Daily Herald photographer John Starks won first place in the NINA Best Sports Photo category for this capture: Lake Zurich High School varsity football team and coaches reflected in a rain puddle behind the end zone as they line up in the mist for the national anthem before a game in Mundelein on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023.
John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
Daily Herald photographer Brian Hill earned second place in the NINA Best Sports Photo category for this capture: Cary-Grove’s Fifi Onafeko, Lake Zurich’s Riley Betz and Buffalo Grove’s Martyna Ostrega competing in the girls 100-meter run during a Buffalo Grove track invitational on April 6, 2024 in Buffalo Grove.
Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
