Staff file photo / R. Michael Semple
Wayne Perry surrenders to Warren police in July 2023 after a standoff at the corner of Forest Street NE and Vine Avenue NE. This photograph won Chief Photographer R. Michael Semple the Best News Photo of 2023 Award in the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors competition.
The local journalists who produce the Tribune Chronicle and The Vindicator won 10 awards in this year’s statewide Associated Press Media Editors competition, including two first-place awards.
The annual contest recognizes excellence in journalism. Awards given this year reflect work done in 2023.
First-place winners were Chief Photographer R. Michael Semple in the Best News Photo category for an image he captured in July 2023 of a man being arrested after a police standoff in Warren (shown above), and former Editor Brenda J. Linert in the Best Editorial Writer category for her compilation of work.
Of Semple’s photo, judges said, “Right place, right time. Nice work so clearly showing the suspect’s emotions on his face.”
Semple also won third place in the Best Photo Story category for a series of pictures he took at a skeet shooting tournament.
Winning a second place award in the Best Editorial Writer category was copy editor Richard Logan.
Judges wrote of Logan’s work, “Holding feet to the fire asking for tough questions to be answered.”
Also winning a second place award was the sports department staff for the annual football preview special section in the Best Special Sports Section category.
The sports department staff also won third place in the Best Daily Sports Section category, and former sports Editor Joel Whetzel won third place in the Best Sports Enterprise category for his story on how Youngstown State University uses analytics to get an edge on opponents.
Winning third place awards were Business Editor Ron Selak in the Best Business Writer category for a compilation of his work, copy desk Chief Patrick E. Litowitz in the Best Headline Writer category, also for a compilation of work, and reporter Dan Pompili in the Best Public Service Category for his work covering the Youngstown City School District teachers strike.
Judge’s wrote of Selak’s work, “well written, important information, clear and clean,” while of Litowitz, the judges wrote, “Great job – captures attention, summarizes and brings some levity.”
Of Pompili’s coverage, judge’s wrote, “Good look at a key issue for the community. Well done.”
Said Ted Snyder, general manager of the Tribune Chronicle and The Vindicator, “We’re very pleased for these current and former members of our newsroom to be recognized for their hard work by the Associated Press. There is no higher honor than to be selected as one of the best in your profession.”
The awards were announced July 21 at a banquet in Columbus. The newspapers compete in Ohio APME’s Division IV, which represents daily newspapers with a general circulation size of 19,000 to 59,999. Other newspapers in Ohio in Division IV include the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, The Canton Repository and The Lima News.