TribLive recognized by Keystone Media with 37 awards, sweepstakes honor
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The TribLive staff was recognized with 37 awards as well as the Sweepstakes and Outstanding News Operation first place award at the Keystone Media Awards Luncheon on Thursday.
The event, which recognizes the best of Pennsylvania journalism by presenting the Keystone Media Awards and News Organization of the Year awards, was held at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel. The Pennsylvania Bar Association Media Awards and the Society of Professional Journalists Keystone Chapter’s Excellence in Journalism Awards were also presented at the luncheon.
“I’m incredibly proud that TribLive has been named Best in Show at the Keystone Press Awards,” said Jennifer Bertetto, president and CEO of Trib Total Media. “This recognition, along with our five Best Overall Newspaper awards from the Society of Professional Journalists in the last six years, is a testament to the exceptional work of our entire team. Our commitment to local news and our dedication to telling the stories that matter most to our community is at the heart of everything we do. We’re honored to be recognized for our contributions to journalism in Pennsylvania.”
The 15 first-place Keystone selections included an investigative story about Pennsylvania nursing homes by Julia Maruca and Brian C. Rittmeyer, with images from Director of Visuals Sean Stipp, and a breaking news story about four deaths in the Plum Rustic Ridge house explosion by Managing Editor Rob Amen. Stipp’s aerial photo from the aftermath of the explosion won first in the news event photo category.
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Staff writers Paula Reed Ward, Ryan Deto and Justin Vellucci took first place for ongoing news coverage for their reports on the Robert Bowers trial. Bowers, of Baldwin, was convicted of killing 11 Jewish congregants during his attack at the Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, in Squirrel Hill.
News Editor Jonathan D. Silver’s in-depth piece about the first anniversary of the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse received top honors in the news feature category. Community Engagement Editor Lori Falce’s columns about Marc Fogel placed first in the editorial category. Fogel, of Oakmont, has been detained in Russia since Aug. 14, 2021, when he returned to Moscow to begin his 10th year teaching at the Anglo-American School.
Pittsburgh Penguins beat reporter Seth Rorabaugh finished first in the sports beat reporting category and columnist Tim Benz won first place for sports/outdoor columns. Sports reporter Chuck Curti’s story on New Kensington’s Willie Thrower was first in the sports feature category. Sports reporter Jerry DiPaola teamed with education beat reporter Bill Schackner to win top honors in the sports enterprise category with stories about Pitt sports resurgence, which included a story about former athletic director Heather Lyke and another on Chancellor Joan Gabel.
Trib photographers won first place awards in the feature photo category with an image called “Pittsburgh Muffler man” taken by Kristina Serafini and a sports feature photo by Christopher Horner from a high school girls’ soccer match.
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Copy editor Brady Hunter won first place in sports page design. The TribLive staff placed first in the special section category for its high school football preview coverage. Sports writer Chris Harlan was at the top in the excellence in reporting on diversity, equity and inclusion category for a story about the PIAA relying on principals to identify transgender athletes.
Here is a list of all the TribLive winners:
2024 Keystone Media Award Contest Winners
Division II – Multi-day Publications (20,000-49,999 circulation)
Sweepstakes
First place
TribLive
Investigative Reporting
First Place
Pennsylvania nursing homes face care crisis — Julia Maruca, Brian C. Rittmeyer & Sean Stipp
Second Place
Black lung: Government, advocates eye new federal silica-dust standard to stem resurgence among coal miners — Justin Vellucci
Enterprise Reporting
Second Place
Tiny Lives at Risk: ‘Frightening rate’ of children dying due to parents’ drug abuse — Deb Erdley
News Beat Reporting
Second Place
Pittsburgh Allegheny County politics — Ryan Deto
Breaking News
First Place
Death toll rises to 4 in Plum house explosion, stuns bedroom community —— Rob Amen
Second Place
Fatal shooting stuns Indiana County community as police search for suspects — Renatta Signorini
Breaking News
Honorable Mention
Garfield gunman dead after 6-hour Standoff — Ryan Deto, Justin Vellucci & Paula Reed Ward
Ongoing News Coverage
First Place
Robert Bowers trial— Paula Reed Ward, Ryan Deto & Justin Vellucci
Second Place
Nurse Heather Pressdee linked to patient deaths — Tawnya Panizzi, Jonathan D. Silver & Ryan Deto
Honorable Mention
Brackenridge police chief killed in line of duty — Tawnya Panizzi & Maddie Aiken
News Feature Story
First Place
Forever changed: The lives of a group of strangers intersected on a snowy Pittsburgh morning when the Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed— Jonathan D. Silver
News Feature Story
Honorable Mention
Shell-shocked: East Palestine residents seek normalcy after train wreck — Julia Maruca & Justin Vellucci
Editorial
First Place
Marc Fogel — Lori Falce
Second Place
Death Penalty — Lori Falce
Column
Honorable Mention
Politics — Lori Falce
Sports Beat Reporting
First Place
Pittsburgh Penguins beat — Seth Rorabaugh
Sports/Outdoor Column
First Place
Steelers mediocrity; Kevin Stevens comeback; Penguins front office — Tim Benz
Sports Feature
First Place
New Kensington’s Willie Thrower cast the mold for the modern NFL quarterback 70 years ago — Chuck Curti
Honorable Mention
‘What we’ve been waiting for:’ Recalling Andrew McCutchen’s Pirates debut 14 years ago today — Justin Guerriero
Sports Enterprise
First Place
Pitt sports resurgence — Jerry DiPaola & Bill Schackner
Sports Breaking News/Event Coverage
Second Place
Pirates guest collapses on field during spring training workout — Kevin Gorman
Sports Breaking News/Event Coverage
Honorable Mention
Penguins acquire defenseman Erik Karlsson in 3-team trade — Seth Rorabaugh
Personality Profile
Second Place
‘I have to be that 2%’: Jeannette woman receives overwhelming’ support from community, high school football player — Quincey Reese
Honorable Mention
Indiana County fan preserves Steelers history, 1 news clipping at a time — Jeff Himler
News Event Photo
First Place
Rustic Ridge home explosion aftermath — Sean Stipp
Feature Photo
First Place
Pittsburgh Muffler man — Kristina Serafini
Second Place
A mile in her shoes — Shane Dunlap
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Feature Photo
Honorable Mention
McKeesport police chief — Kristina Serafini
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Sports Feature Photo
First Place
Goal celebration — Christopher Horner
Sports Action Photo
Second Place
Dive for a score — Christopher Horner
Feature Page Design
Honorable Mention
Winter in Ohiopyle; You can hurry love; Eggflation — Paul Varga
Sports Page Design
First Place
Easter break; Field day; Shutdown rising; Highsmith price — Brady Hunter
Second Place
No fear; Locally grown; Poll position — Jeff Vella
Headline Writing
Second Place TribLive, Pittsburgh Pining Prices; Sun’s Out; Up a River John Lehner
Special Section
First Place
Game plan: Westmoreland County high school football preview — TribLive Staff
Excellence in Reporting on Diversity-Equity and Inclusion
First Place
‘No one has a better answer:’ PIAA relying on principals to identify transgender athletes — Chris Harlan
Second Place
New Kensington’s Willie Thrower cast the mold for the modern NFL quarterback 70 years ago — Chuck Curti
Honorable Mention
Pittsburgh TV Talk — Rob Owen