RoundTable wins 48 awards from Northern Illinois News Association

At a dinner Thursday night in DeKalb, the Evanston RoundTable won 48 awards from the Northern Illinois News Association, also known as NINA. 

The Journalism Program of Northern Illinois University’s Department of Communication conducts the awards contest in cooperation with NINA.

Each category has first-, second- and third-place awards, and the RoundTable’s nonprofit newsroom swept a few categories, garnered two awards in a number of others and took home 12 first places.

The first place awards were for best columnist, video, in-depth news story, in-depth news series, education reporting, watchdog reporting, coverage of social issues, informational graphic, coverage of government and public affairs, social issues, historical feature and personality profile.

Here’s a tally of the awards received by current and former RoundTable staffers and contributors:

• Best informational graphic: Larry Gavin, co-founder of the RoundTable, swept the category, winning first, second and third place.
• Best headline writing: Bob Seidenberg took second place and Nancy McLaughlin received third place.
• Best general feature: Nancy McLaughlin captured second place; Meg Evans and Debbie-Marie Brown tied for third place.
• Best personality profile: Debbie-Marie Brown won first place, Ned Schaub took second place and Sam Stroozas captured third place.
• Best religion story/Owen Phelps Award: Debbie-Marie Brown took second place.
• Best business/financial/consumer story: Duncan Agnew captured second place, Adina Keeling received third place.
• Best technology/medical story: Judy Chiss took second place, Adina Keeling captured third place.
• Best columnist: A sweep for the RoundTable, as Jean Cunningham won first place, Les Jacobson took second place and Nancy Anderson received third place.
• Best editorial: RoundTable co-founders Mary and Larry Gavin took second place.
• Best spot news photo: Richard Cahan received second place and Evan Girard captured third place.
• Best feature photo: Heidi Randhava won first place, Richard Cahan received third place.
• Best sports photo: George Pfoertner took second place.
• Best online photo gallery: Heidi Randhava received second place, Richard Cahan captured third place.
• Best video: Another RoundTable sweep, as Debbie-Marie Brown won first and second place, and Ellen Galland took third place.
• Best website: The RoundTable captured second place.
• Best in-depth news story: Sam Stroozas won first place, Duncan Agnew took third place.
• Best in-depth news story series: A RoundTable sweep again, with Adina Keeling in first place, Debbie-Marie Brown and Keeling in second place, and co-founder Mary Gavin in third place.
• Best education reporting: Duncan Agnew won first place, Bessie Mbadugha captured third place.
• Best watchdog reporting: Yet another RoundTable sweep, with Heidi Randhava and Adina Keeling in first place, and Duncan Agnew in second and third place.
• Best coverage of social issues: Debbie-Marie Brown won first place, Adina Keeling took third place.
• Best government/public affairs reporting: Duncan Agnew won first place, Bob Seidenberg captured third place.
• Best historical feature: Nancy McLaughlin won first place, Bessie Mbadugha took second place.
• Most impactful coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic: Nancy McLaughlin received second place, Duncan Agnew captured third place.

The haul of awards comes just ahead of the RoundTable’s fall fundraising drive.

As a kickoff for the campaign, at 7 p.m. Nov. 10 we are hosting an online conversation with Margaret Sullivan, former media critic of The Washington Post and public editor of The New York Times.

Sullivan, a recognized expert on the decline of local journalism and its dire consequences for citizenship and governance, will be in conversation with RoundTable Editor Susy Schultz, a journalist with more than 20 years of newsroom experience. Schultz also served as President of Public Narrative, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching journalists and community nonprofits the importance of engagement and better storytelling.

All webinar attendees will receive a copy of Sullivan’s book, Newsroom Confidential: Lessons (and Worries) from an Ink-Stained Life. A $30 fee will cover the cost of the book and attendees can add a contribution to the NewsMatch campaign during the registration process. The event is co-sponsored by Bookends & Beginnings, which will process book orders.