This is one habit NY Parenting Media refuses to break.
Our family-friendly magazines have consistently racked up awards during the past several years in Parenting Media Association’s prestigious annual writing and design contests — and we’re proud to say that our showing this year was once again on point. We snagged three gold medals and made it to the finals in nine categories — out of 840 entries! — in the international organization’s 2011 Editorial and Design Awards Competition.
Brooklyn Family won the gold for Overall Writing, and took another glistening laurel home for the personal essay, “Ten Years Later — Teachers Talk 9/11,” by New York City school teachers Wanda Troy and Laura Varoscak. Their compelling story, which appeared in the September issue of Brooklyn Family magazine, describes the ordeal they faced in their Tribeca and Downtown schools on that fateful Tuesday. Their recollections of helping small children cope with the most major crisis of our time moved the panel of 22 judges to comment, “Rather than being sad testaments, they offer hope that any situation can be overcome.”
Our Staten Island publication — Staten Island Family — also won a gold medal for a series of columns by Monica Brown which highlighted fun family activities in the community with such clarity that the judges agreed: “Readers will find themselves right in the room with a chorus that has achieved national recognition.”
If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, then the layout of Brooklyn Family’s November issue spoke volumes with the judicious panel.
“Terrific use of a few simple elements capitalizes on a great image and appropriate color (and white) typography — the art director understands that effective communication need not require an overabundance of elements, color and the kitchen sink,” it stated.
Cheers go out to New York Parenting Media publisher Susan Weiss, editor Vince DiMiceli, art director Leah Mitch, copy editor Lisa J. Curtis, and their dedicated support staff whose hard work paid off in spades.
Weiss, who accepted the accolades last month along with sales manager Sharon Noble at the group’s Awards Banquet and Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas, credited her magazine’s success to her staff.
“We have been able to partner with much fine talent, and the reality of these awards is a testament to our good fortune,” Weiss said.
The competition, created in 1988, recognizes editorial excellence and outstanding visual presentation in parenting publication.
“The purpose of the P.M.A. awards competition is to encourage a high level of journalistic performance and service to communities,” said C. James Dowden, executive director of the trade publications outfit which represents more than 120 parenting magazines and newspapers in the United States, Canada and Australia.
We agree, wholeheartedly.
“We’re humbled by this honor because our team works extremely hard to put together the best magazine and website for families everywhere,” said DiMiceli.
Reach reporter Shavana Abruzzo at sabruzzo@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2529.
