Recorder cited for excellence in 16 categories

In just its first year entering the New York Press Association Better Newspaper Contest, The Record garnered 16 awards for excellence in every category of journalism, including third place for Jim MacLean in the Photographer of the Year competition.

By THE RECORDER STAFF

The Recorder won 16  awards in the statewide 2025 Better Newspaper Contest, including honors for community leadership, news reporting, front page, overall digital platform, photography and advertising excellence. 

The awards were announced at the annual conference of the New York Press Association, the contest’s organizer, held April 23-24 in Saratoga Springs. 

This was the first year that The Recorder submitted entries to the contest, which evaluated work completed in 2025, The Recorder’s first full year of operation. 

“These awards recognize The Recorder’s commitment to covering news that’s important to the communities we serve and our incredibly talented team of journalists,” said Karen Sabath, publisher and board member of The Recorder News. 

The Better Newspaper Contest recognizes excellence in dozens of individual and group categories including  writing, reporting, photography, design, advertising and  promotion. This year’s edition drew entries from 150 newspapers across the state submitting 2,732 entries in 67 categories. 

Award-winners earned points in each category. Newspapers with the highest  total contest points earned recognition as “The Top Five.” The Recorder earned 175 total points in the category of “Single Flag Newspapers,” placing second only to The Rye Record, another Westchester weekly,  with 210 points. 

The Recorder also placed first in total advertising contest points, earning the John. J. Evans Award for Advertising Excellence, one of the contest’s most prestigious awards.  

The Recorder received two awards for its in-depth coverage of the youth mental health crisis and how local health care professionals and school district officials are responding to address those needs. The Sharon R. Fulmer Award for Community Leadership recognizes “local leadership initiatives which were launched, promoted and encouraged by the newspaper.” The Recorder’s reporting on youth mental health also earned recognition in the category of Health, Healthcare and Science Story. 

Other awards for editorial excellence recognized a feature news article examining the impact of the federal immigration crackdown on local businesses, and a news story on an unruly community town hall with Rep. Mike Lawler. 

Following is a complete list, in alphabetical order,  of The Recorder’s awards and individual winners:

•  Advertising Excellence, First Place, Ann Marie Rezen, Kathy Potter, Francesca Lunch and Paul Cardi.

•  Art Photo, First Place, Rob Cummings.

•  Art Photo, Second Place, Ed Kanze.

•  Feature Story: News, Second Place, Martin Wilbur and Daniela Rynott.

•  Front Page, Third Place, Thane Grauel and Ann Marie Rezen.

• Health, Healthcare and Science Story, Third Place, Melissa Whitworth.

•  House Ad/Ad Campaign, Ann Marie Rezen.

•  John J. Evans Award for Advertising Excellence, The Recorder News.

• News Story, Second Place, Jeff Morris.

• Overall Digital Platform, Second Place, Ann Marie Rezen.

• Photographer of The Year, Third Place, Jim MacLean.

• Sales Promotional Material, Third Place, Ann Marie Rezen, Helene Kopal.

•  Sharon B. Fulmer Award for Community Leadership, Third Place, Jeff Morris.

• Small Space Ad, Second Place, Kathy Potter, Francesca Lynch.

• Special Section: Advertising, Second Place, Ann Marie Rezen, Kathy Potter, Francesca Lynch, Paul Cardi.

• Special Section: Niche Publication, First Place, Ann Marie Rezen, John Turiano, Kathy Potter.

Also at the NYPA conference, senior reporter Jeff Morris participated in a panel of journalists and legal experts titled, “Fair Trial/Free Press.”  The program, co-produced with the Government Law Center at Albany Law School and the New York Fair Trial/Free Press Conference, aimed “to promote understanding between members of the press and the legal profession and to assure both the right to a fair trial and the protection of a free press, including access to court proceedings,” according to organizers.