Fordham’s two main student-run newspapers were honored with awards for both individual and group efforts this past academic year.
The Ram, which is based at Rose Hill, won three plaudits from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
Erin Shanahan won second place in the secondary news coverage category for her February 2016 story “Fordham Prep Copes with Student Deaths.” Erin Shanahan, Laura Sanicola, and Joe Vitale won second place in the planned newswriting category for their November 2015 story “Fordham Responds to Two More Bias Incidents.”
The editorial board won third place for its April 2016 editorial “What Administration Does Not Care If You Know” and a certificate of merit for its October 2016 editorial “Unfair Adjunct Wages Go Against Jesuit Values.”
The paper also received two awards from the American Scholastic Press Association: First place with special merit in the category of Colleges and Universities with an Enrollment of 2,501 and over, and Most Outstanding University Newspaper for 2016-2017.
Sanicola, who was the Ram’s editor in 2016, said the awards were validation of improvements the paper has made in the past years, in terms of the quality of its journalism and its dedication to printing the truth and breaking news.
She was also gratified for being recognized on an individual level.
“That piece [on bias incidents]took so many hours, and it was a sensitive subject so we were struggling to make sure that we got everything right, and make sure that everyone was presented in a fair light,” she said.
“I think we did that, while at the same time presenting the story quickly and accurately.”
At the Lincoln Center campus, the staff of The Observer was honored with three awards from the New York Press Association. In the associations’ Better College Newspaper contest, the paper was honored with second place in the category of general excellence, third place in editorial writing, and second place for best website.
Outgoing editor Ben Moore said the past year offered a lot of consequence to cover, from the presidential election to faculty/administration contract negotiations, and he was glad to see the group effort reflected in the awards the paper won.
“Everything from the website to the editorials, and just the paper in general, are awards that require everyone on staff to be on board and contributing to the paper at a fairly high level,” he said.
