West Hawaii Today was honored recently at the 27th annual Hawaii Publishers Association’s Pa’i Awards in Honolulu. West Hawaii Today was honored recently at the 27th annual Hawaii Publishers Association’s Pa‘i Awards in Honolulu. ADVERTISING Reporter Nancy Cook Lauer won
West Hawaii Today was honored recently at the 27th annual Hawaii Publishers Association’s Pa‘i Awards in Honolulu.
Reporter Nancy Cook Lauer won first place in the Spot News Reporting category for her reporting of a behind-the scenes lobbying move that caused a last-minute line shift benefiting a county councilman in “The Onishi curve.”
“Fascinating blend of spot news and in-depth reporting. Commendably, the reader is left to decide how to feel about this,” judges said of Cook Lauer’s story.
Reporter Chelsea Jensen won second place in the Spot News Photography category for her image capturing the ocean draining from the bay surrounding Kailua Pier during the March 11 tsunami.
“This is a powerful photo that works very well with the coinciding story,” judges said. “Because many parts of the affected area are dark, it is somewhat difficult to differentiate one damaged area from another. Also, there are no people involved, so the emotional level — although the damage is clear — is lessened a bit. Still, this is a great photo that clearly captured what the photographer set out to capture.”
Page designer Michael Gifford won second place in the Excellence in Design for newsprint category for his front page design of the 9/11 anniversary.
“In design, sometimes the best principle is ‘Keep it simple.’ In this case, the designer turned the page sideways and made use of a photo that was worth more than 1,000 words,” judges said. “The typography is clean and effective. The typography at the bottom is well-placed and effective.”
Page designer Randy Wrighthouse won first place in the Excellence Cover Design for newsprint category for his People and Places layout of an article and photos about a Scrabble group that meets weekly.
“The designer effectively combined different images and text into a beautiful cover. The individual Scrabble tiles provides interest and texture on the cover,” judges said. “It’s a unique, lively composition. The designer clearly is skilled at working with a grid and visually balancing many different elements. This cover is creative, inviting and fun.”
Page designer Brenda Jensen won second place in the Excellence Cover Design for newsprint category for her Home layout of an article and photos about turning hubcaps into works of art.
“The hubcap photos are vivid and engaging. I like that the designer chose to publish the photos at different sizes, creating a whimsical effect,” judges said. “Having the text wrap around the photos creates a balanced, unified design. This cover is a winner for its simplicity and playfulness.” — WHT
