Blank Slate wins three ‘Better Newspaper’ awards at state convention

Bill San Antonio

Blank Slate Media newspapers won three awards last weekend the 2015 New York Press Association’s Better Newspaper contest in Saratoga Springs.

The company, which publishes five weekly community newspapers across Long Island’s Gold Coast, took home first place honors for overall design excellence of its Manhasset Times publication as well as two others – for digital advertising and special sections – from its Roslyn Times publication.

The Roslyn Times and Manhasset Times both opened in February 2013, joining the Great Neck News, New Hyde Park Herald Courier and Williston Times under Blank Slate Media, LLC. 

They are owned and published by East Hills resident Steven Blank, the former publisher of the TimesLedger newspapers in Queens.

Blank Slate publications won six press association awards in 2014 across various editorial categories, including feature writing, coverage of local government and education.

Of the Manhasset Times – for which the Oct. 10, 2014 edition was submitted – judges said the publication had “Nice clean layouts, good use of photos. Local ads are creative.” 

Judges said they also liked the “double play on words” of designer Jewell Davis’ small space ad, which included the phrase “heel, sole, dye.”

An annual community guide to Roslyn, which includes five villages among its municipalities, was submitted for the contest’s special sections category.

CHAMINADE WINS

The Chaminade High School newspaper, Tarmac, was named the contest’s Best High School Newspaper, receiving 115 points and first place honors for general excellence, best news story, best column and overall design excellence.

The Mineola Catholic school also won second place and honorable mention awards for Best Feature Story, third place and honorable mention for Best News Story, third place for Best Sports Story, honorable mention for Photography and sweeping Best Column.

“We really enjoyed how this school’s paper incorporated students’ illustrations and photography into the articles to keep your attention,” the judges said of Tarmac. “…Stories are strongly and well written, and the topics and coverage incorporate many school issues.”

Tarmac reporters Julian Mancini, Guy LaCognata, Andrew Bandini and Darius Iraj and faculty advisors Patrick Reichart and Sal Garofalo were on hand Friday to receive their awards.

“It is very gratifying to be in the office every day and see the hard work they put into this paper, day in and day out, year in and year out, pay off,” said Reichart, a Chaminade alumnus and former New York Post sports reporter.

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