SAN DIEGO — The Southern Cross won 11 awards overall, including five first-places in the San Diego Press Club’s 51st annual Excellence in Journalism Awards.
The awards, which were presented Oct. 22, recognized work in various media, including online and daily newspapers; non-daily newspapers, like The Southern Cross; magazines; radio; and television.
The Southern Cross, the diocese’s newspaper, competed in two divisions – its writing and graphic design in the Non-daily Newspapers division, and its photography in the Photography-Still division.
Assistant Editor Denis Grasska won five awards, including:
— Education: first place, “‘Realistic’ Training Strengthens School Safety”
— Entertainment: first place, “New Mouse Tale Weaves Faith and Fun for Kids”
— History: first place, “‘Rebuilder’ of Mission San Luis Rey Comes Home”
— Feature-Light Subject: second place, “Young Adults Dive into Books & Snorkels”
— Education: third place, “‘We’re Grateful to Have a Place to Call Home’”
Graphic designer Shelly Pinomaki won first place in the Feature Layout Design category for her presentation of the “‘Rebuilder’ of Mission San Luis Rey Comes Home” article and photos.
Ricardo Márquez, a former associate director of the diocese’s Office for Family Life and Spirituality whose columns appear monthly in “The Southern Cross,” took second place in the Column-Serious Subject category for his work.
Two freelance photojournalists — John Gastaldo and David Maung — also were recognized for their work with The Southern Cross.
Gastaldo received first place in the Feature-Light Subject category for “Moving Feast,” a dynamic photo taken at this year’s Pentecost Mass for All Peoples.
In the Photo Essay category, Maung won both second place (for “Auxiliary Bishops’ Ordination”) and honorable mention (for “Academic Decathlon”). In the News category, he also won third place (for “Auxiliary Bishop’s Ordination”).
