Jim Cuozzo, the reporter for the Bethlehem and New Scotland edition of Spotlight Newspapers, grabbed top honors for his coverage of the trial of Christopher Porco, a 24-year-old Delmar resident convicted in August of murdering his father and attempting to murder his mother.
Cuozzo won first prize in the coverage of crime/police/courts category in the New York Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. Prizes were awarded during NYPA’s spring convention and trade show held at the Gideon Putnam in Saratoga Springs March 30 and 31.
Judges from the press associations of Oklahoma and New Jersey said Cuozzo’s coverage went well beyond on-the-record court proceeding to tell the behind-the-crime story.
Cuozzo spent the better part of July and August in Goshen, Orange County, covering the trial, filing 56 print stories and more than 100 pages of online coverage for Spotlight Newspapers.
`I was surprised at how much work and effort was involved in covering the story correctly,` Cuozzo said. `It’s a credit to the newspaper and staff more than the reporter, that it provided the time and resources necessary to cover the trial.`
Cuozzo said the trial itself was `fascinating.`
`It was at times mundane, believe it or not,` Cuozzo said. `There was a lot of waiting; for the lawyers, for the jurors. It was a lot of work and intensity, and a lot of waiting.`
The Porco trial had a profound impact on the way we cover news,` Spotlight’s Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John McIntyre said. `It was the first time we led with the Web for news and the first time we wrote so much on one particular topic. It was big news and a lot of hard work by Jim and the staff to keep our readers informed.`
President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Keene also acknowledged the combination of online and print reporting that made up the Porco coverage.
`Jim’s award is a perfect example of how our print product can be complemented by our online work and vice versa,` Keene said. `The Porco trial is an example of what we can accomplish when we put all our resources behind something.`
McIntyre praised Cuozzo’s reporting.
`Jim’s very involved in the community,` he said. `He’s active in gathering news, and it’s wonderful to see him recognized.`
Editorial paginator Brady Chapman upped his number of first-place wins over last year, when he took home one first-place prize. This year, his illustration of the front-page stories `Dangerous Gamble` and `Take a Hike` earned him two first prize spots in the graphic illustration category.
Of `Dangerous Gamble,` judges called Chapman’s work `great use of digitally manipulating a photograph of a spray can placed on a roulette wheel with danger symbols superimposed in slots.`
Judges said they felt like taking a hike when they looked at Chapman’s photo illustrations of the story about local hiking spots.
`I’m pleased,` Chapman said. `I was happy with the work I submitted to the contest.`
Chapman said the headline of a story usually dictates the artistic direction he takes.
`I like problem-solving and coming up with imagery,` he said. In an increasingly visual world, he said, good artwork assists in drawing the reader into a story.
`When we made the decision to go with front-page packages about two years ago, I wasn’t sure how it would go,` McIntyre said. `It’s great to put pictures with words, and Brady has made the pages come alive.`
Sports Editor Rob Jonas also won second place for his sports feature story about the Super Bowl ` told from the vantage point of the Tailgate Tavern in Guilderland.
`Rob does great work,` McIntyre said. `Whether it’s the championship game or previews of a modified game, he’s in tune with the event, and just as excited. Rob loves sports, and especially community sports. It shows in his writing and photos.`
McIntyre and Jonas also won third place, sports action photo, for shots of wrestlers. McIntyre also won second place, sports feature photo, for his shot of a young baseball player.
Spotlight’s promotional piece advertising its special supplement, Update, won third place in the best newspaper image promotion category.
`More and more, we’re becoming known for our design, be it promotional pieces or front pages packages,` McIntyre said. `Art Director Dave Abbott is part of all that.`
Bill DeVoe, Saratoga Spotlight reporter, won second place for spot news coverage and third place, news story, for stories he had written while working for The Greenville Press, his previous employer.
`It was great to see that Bill won awards from New York Press,` McIntyre said.
`Everybody’s doing a great job,` Keene said. `The Spotlight newsroom is doing such a fine job, I can think of many categories I thought Spotlight Newspapers should have won. We’re providing as good news coverage as any organization in the state.` “