Blank Slate Media wins 4 state awards

Noah Manskar

Blank Slate Media left the New York Press Association’s annual conference last week with four statewide awards, recognition of its reputation for quality community journalism.

The group of six northwestern Nassau County newspapers won second place for its editorial page, third place for spot news coverage and honorable mentions for general newspaper excellence and special sections in the 2015 Better Newspaper Contest.

The awards honored Blank Slate Media in NYPA’s smallest circulation division in the annual contest, indicating its excellence compared to small-circulation weekly newspapers across New York.

“I am very pleased with the awards received by our staff for the quality journalism they are providing our readers in a wide range of areas — from spot news to special sections to our editorial page,” Blank Slate Media President and Publisher Steven Blank said.

This is the fourth straight year in which Blank Slate Media’s publications have won awards since its establishment in 2010. The company won three awards in 2014, including first place for Overall Design Excellence; six in 2013; and three in 2012.

The Williston Times’ honorable mention for the Past Presidents’ Award for General Excellence is the second time a Blank Slate paper has placed in that category. The New Hyde Park Herald Courier placed third in 2012.

“I am particularly pleased with the Past President’s Award for general excellence, a strong indication of the overall quality of our newspapers and the service they provide the communities we cover,” Blank said.

In the award citation, NYPA judges praised the Williston Times’ “solid” reporting — particularly its coverage of the 2015 local elections — as well as the paper’s layouts, ads, photos and editorial pages.

The Nov. 6 cover for “The Island Today” entertainment section featuring the Gold Coast Arts Center Gala was “the most innovative of all the entries,” the citation says.

In naming the Williston Times’ editorial pages the second-best among small-circulation weeklies, judges said they contain a “(g)ood cross section of views” on “attractive pages” with “clear presentation.”

The Great Neck News won third place in the spot news category for its coverage of a tree falling on Village of Great Neck resident Stephanie Epstein while she slept in July 2015.

“The subject matter alone deserves an award,” a NYPA judge wrote in the award citation.

The citation names Adam Lidgett as the winner, but Justine Schoenbart wrote the pair of stories last summer.

The Roslyn Times received an honorable mention in the special sections category for the 2015 Guide to Roslyn.

While the guide contained no traditional editorial content, the award citation calls it “excellent” and “helpful to residents.”

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