The Reader is pleased to announce that we’ve won a number of awards over the past few months.
Three of our stories from 2022 won at the 2022 Peter Lisagor Awards, which recognize some of the best in journalism from Illinois and northwest Indiana. The awards are organized by Chicago Headline Club, the official Chicago chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Best Coverage by Subject (Small print/online): Best Feature Reporting Single Story/Episode
“Rescuing the legacy of Dancin’ Man” by contributor Jake Austen (edited by Philip Montoro, published March 2022)
Best Coverage by Subject (Small print/online): Best Arts and Entertainment Reporting
“Will lightning strike Podlasie Club twice?” by Reader listings coordinator Micco Caporale (edited by Philip Montoro, published October 2022)
Best Coverage by Subject: Audio – Best Feature Reporting Series
“Sounds of City Council: Audio and Analysis” by Dave Glowacz of Inside Chicago Government and Ben Joravsky of the Ben Joravsky Show (published November 2022)
Separate of the Lisagor Awards, the Chicago Headline Club also announced in May that the Reader Institute for Community Journalism was one of two recipients for a 2023 Intern Grant Award from CHC. This $5000 grant will go directly toward helping offset costs of our intern program through June of 2024.
On July 10, the national Society for Features Journalism announced winners of their 2023 Excellence-in-Features-Journalism Awards
In the Division 1 category (for newspapers with a circulation up to 90,000), the Reader won:
Second Place: Arts and Entertainment Feature
“How Chicago helped put the Queen of Grunge back on her throne” by Leor Galil (edited Philip Montoro, published February 2022)
Honorable Mention: Best Special Section
“The People Issue (Volume 52, Number 3)”
Past editor in chief Enrique Limón and production manager Kirk Williamson were mentioned by the Society for Features Journalism (published November 2022)
On July 21, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, which represents nearly 100 alternative newsmedia organizations throughout North America, announced the winners for their 2023 AAN Awards.
Third Place: Solutions Journalism
“Lukewarm welcome” by Katie Prout (edited by Jim Daley, published March 2022)
Third Place: The Billy Manes Award (a prize for column writing)
Deanna Isaacs for several of her “On Culture” columns
First Place: Special Section
The People Issue by Enrique Limón, Salem Collo-Julin, Kirk Williamson, Amber Huff, Sujay Kumar, Jim Daley, Kerry Reid, Philip Montoro, Taryn Allen, Kerry Cardoza, Jamie Ludwig, Leor Galil, Deanna Isaacs, Ben Joravsky, Mike Sula, Debbie-Marie Brown, Kelly Garcia, Katie Prout, Micco Caporale, John Dunlevy
First Place: Food Writing
Mike Sula (edited by Taryn Allen and former Reader co-EIC Karen Hawkins)
First Place: Arts Feature
“Will lightning strike Podlasie Club twice?” by Reader listings coordinator Micco Caporale (edited by Philip Montoro, published October 2022)
Honorable Mention: Innovation/Format Buster
The Secret History of Chicago Music by Steve Krakow (edited by Philip Montoro)
First Place: Innovation/Format Buster
Visual arts coverage by Coco Picard (edited by Salem Collo-Julin)