Connecticut Public wins 21 SPJ Connecticut awards for journalism excellence and national honor for health care reporting
Connecticut Public is proud to announce the newsroom’s recent honors in journalism excellence, earning 21 awards from the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists and national recognition from the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism.
The SPJ contest is an annual event recognizing the best in Connecticut journalism. Journalists across the Connecticut Public newsroom were honored for a variety of stories, photographs and videos on various platforms, including radio, digital, social media and podcasts. The award-winning reporting includes stories about education, government, housing, religion, music and sports.
Additionally, Connecticut Public’s senior health reporter, Sujata Srinivasan, earned an honorable mention from the national Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, which drew hundreds of entries across the country. She placed in the audio reporting category for her coverage of the New Haven medical street team taking care of unhoused individuals.
“These honors are a testament to the power of public media and the dedication of our organization to serve the people of Connecticut with trusted, local journalism,” said Vanessa de la Torre, Chief Content Officer of Connecticut Public. “We are grateful for our journalists, whose reporting and storytelling continue to shine a light on issues that matter to our communities.”
“We want to congratulate everyone for these honors and this well-deserved recognition,” said Eric Aasen, Connecticut Public’s executive editor. “Our talented journalists produce strong work every day to serve and inform our listeners, readers and viewers. We also want to thank colleagues across the organization for their efforts to help support this essential service. And we want to thank our members, whose financial contributions make all of this happen.”
These honors are the latest in a series of awards for Connecticut Public over the past several months, including a Gracie Award, a Connecticut Broadcasters Association award, regional Emmy nominations, and honors from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ New England chapter.
Learn more about the winning stories
List of Connecticut Public SPJ Awards
Continuing Coverage or Series
Second Place: Unforgotten: Connecticut's Hidden History of Slavery, Diane Orson, Julianne Varacchi, Eric Aasen, Patrick Skahill, Cassandra Basler, Frank Mitchell
Diversity Coverage
First Place: Rediscovering Sawney Freeman's music; Diane Orson, Ayannah Brown, Ryan Caron King, Mark Mirko, Julianne Varacchi
Education
Second Place: Sandy Hook group navigates divisive politics to expand school gun violence prevention program, Sujata Srinivasan
Government
Second Place: How a CT law is tackling endometriosis, a common, painful disease that's hard to diagnose, Michayla Savitt
Third Place: Election Cake, Janae Spinato
In-Depth Local Reporting
First Place: Fighting for Home: Julianne Varacchi, Tyler Russell, Sabrina Buckwalter
Religion
Third Place: Passover amid Israel-Hamas war brings mixture of anguish and hope, CT rabbi says, John Henry Smith
Sports Feature
First Place: 'Give them hope': A pickleball program inside a CT prison helps incarcerated people find self-worth, Eddy Martinez
Broadcast Radio Spot
First Place: Trust as a bridge to care: How a New Haven street medical team is serving the city's unhoused, Sujata Srinivasan
Feature Photo
Second Place: Charlie Goes to Work, Tyler Russell
Third Place: Andre and Bonnie, Tyler Russell
News Photo
First Place: Southbury flooding, Tyler Russell
Second Place: Voting makes a difference, Mark Mirko
Photo Essay
Second Place: 7 New England musicians perform at Newport Jazz Festival, building community and keeping jazz alive, Ayannah Brown
Third Place: Thousands gather to honor CT trooper killed in hit-and-run, Mark Mirko
Video Storytelling
Third Place: Trail of Terror, Dave Wurtzel, Mark Mirko, Julianne Varacchi
Humorous Column/Commentary
Second Place: Where does the word 'weird' come from?, Janae Spinato
Headlines
First Place: Patrick Skahill (Portfolio included corpse flower, solar eclipse and bald eagles)
Innovative Digital Storytelling
First Place: Unforgotten: Connecticut's Hidden History of Slavery, Diane Orson, Julianne Varacchi, Eric Aasen, Patrick Skahill, Cassandra Basler, Frank Mitchell
Podcasting
First Place: Generation Barney: Love 2 Hate, Sabrina Herrera, Meg Dalton, Lily Tyson, Cassandra Basler
Second Place: In Absentia: Episode 1 (Wiretapped), Connecticut Public staff (Jim Haddadin, Bria Lloyd, Kate Seltzer, Meg Dalton, Cassandra Basler)
National Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism
Audio Reporting
Honorable Mention: Sujata Srinivasan, How a New Haven street medical team is serving the city’s unhoused
About Connecticut Public
Connecticut Public is home to Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) and Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR). Together, Connecticut Public serves more than one million people each week through Connecticut Public Radio and Connecticut Public Television, as well as through our many digital and online platforms, including ctpublic.org. Through our mission to inform, educate and inspire the people of Connecticut, we connect people of all ages to high-quality journalism, storytelling, education and experiences, and amplify the voices of our diverse communities. Connecticut Public’s main offices are located in Hartford, CT with studios at Gateway Community College in New Haven, CT as well as Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT. Connecticut Public is also sole owner of the for-profit MediaVision Creative agency in Norwalk, CT. Connecticut Public is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with a $22 million annual budget, funded primarily through community support from individuals, foundations and corporate sponsors.