The Berkshire Eagle wins General Excellence, 42 more awards for its journalism – Berkshire Eagle

A collage of some of The Eagle’s sections and pages that took home honors at the 2021 New England Newspaper & Press Association Better Newspaper Competition. 

A collage of some of The Eagle’s sections and pages that took home honors at the 2021 New England Newspaper & Press Association Better Newspaper Competition. 
BOSTON — The Berkshire Eagle won 43 awards — including General Excellence — in the 2021 New England Newspaper & Press Association’s Better Newspaper Competition.
The Eagle’s 17 first-place finishes were accompanied by 13 second- and 13 third-place finishes. The Newspaper & Press Association’s Better Newspaper Competition is New England’s largest and most comprehensive journalism contest.
The General Excellence award recognizes The Berkshire Eagle as New England’s best daily newspaper among those with paid daily circulations of more than 15,000. It’s The Eagle’s third General Excellence in four years.
The Eagle also took top honors for best front page, sports section, living section (for Berkshire Landscapes), and in overall design and presentation.
Francesca Paris won New England’s prestigious Reporter of the Year honor. Paris also earned four first-place finishes in the categories of health, presidential election coverage, social issues reporting and best infographic on a website. Page One Design Editor Evan Berkowitz and Paris together won first place for illustration/infographic.
Sports Editor Mike Walsh won the top awards for sports columnist, for his Powder Report skiing and snowboarding columns, and for sports feature story about a runner trekking the Appalachian Trail.
Weekend Editor and columnist Mitchell Chapman won first place for commentary with “Addressing America’s ugly duality.” Columnist Felix Carroll won the environmental reporting category for “Ice Glen’s famous old-growth hemlocks are dying.”
The top awards for contemporary issues photo went to Stephanie Zollshan for her photograph of a homeless encampment in Pittsfield and pictorial photo to Ben Garver for his photo of a lone, lighted tree at Windy Hill Farm.
The Berkshires in Brief, The Eagle’s daily newsletter by Lukas Southard, won for outstanding newsletter.
Awards were announced Saturday night at the New England Newspaper & Press Association Convention at the Renaissance Waterfront Hotel in Boston. The Eagle competed against news publications with paid daily circulations of more than 15,000.
The contest year included work published from August 2020 through July 2021.
Reporter of the Year: Francesca Paris
First place 
Commentary (Mitchell Chapman): Addressing America’s ugly duality
Environmental Reporting (Felix Carroll): Ice Glen’s famous old-growth hemlocks are dying
Front Page (staff)
General Excellence (staff)
Health Reporting (Francesca Paris): ‘My daughter was gone:’ A rare illness forced a Dalton mom to fight for answers
Illustration/Infographics (Francesca Paris and Evan Berkowitz): By Jove
Living Page or Section (Berkshire Landscapes)
Outstanding Newsletter (Lukas Southard): The Berkshires in Brief daily newsletter
Overall Design and Presentation (staff)
Presidential Election Coverage (Francesca Paris): Williams prof disavows own finding of mishandled GOP ballots
Social Issues Feature Story (Francesca Paris): For the disabled and homebound, and their caregivers, waiting for the vaccine takes a toll
Sports Columnist (Mike Walsh): Powder Report
Sports Feature Story (Mike Walsh): Mercury’s Appalachian Trail quest routes through Dalton
Sports Section (staff): Sports Plus
Best Infographic on a Website (Francesca Paris): The time we saved in the Berkshires (and are still saving) with remote work
Contemporary Issues Photo (Stephanie Zollshan): A wave of concern blankets homeless
Pictorial Photo (Ben Garver): Christmas at Windy Hill Farm
Second place
Arts & Entertainment Section (staff): Berkshire Landscapes
Business Page or Section (staff): Berkshire Business Insider and Careers 
Business/Economic Reporting (Tony Dobrowolski): Pandemic sends building material costs soaring, keeps contractors guessing
Education Reporting (Greta Jochem and Francesca Paris): Berkshire public schools lost hundreds of students during the pandemic. Will they come back?
Living Page or Section (staff): Berkshire Landscapes
Local Personality Profile (Heather Bellow): Khali Zabian works her way back into life with an unyielding resolve
Obituaries (Danny Jin): ‘She welcomed everybody into her chosen family’: Jahaira DeAlto Balenciaga
Overall Design and Presentation of a Special Section (staff): Introducing 46
Sports Section (staff): Sports Plus
Sports Story (Mike Walsh): Pandemic no match for Josh Billings RunAground community
Transportation Story (Francesca Paris): The time we saved in the Berkshires (and are still saving) with remote work
Best Overall Website (staff): berkshireeagle.com
General News Photo (Stephanie Zollshan): Saying goodbye to a local hero: William Evans
Third place
Coverage of the Coronavirus (Francesca Paris): Health care workers receive first vaccinations with fear, hope, relief
Climate Change or Weather Reporting (Felix Carroll and Greta Jochem): Farmers dealing with ’emergency’ as near-record totals keep fields drenched
Commentary (Felix Carroll): The day I met Donald Trump
Editorial Writing (staff)
General News Story (Francesca Paris): Sorrow of Billy Evans’ death hits home in Berkshires
Headline Writing (Tim Jamiolkowski)
History Reporting (Jennifer Huberdeau): The Anti-Susan B. Anthony also came from the Berkshires
Obituaries (Francesca Paris): Joe Manning, longtime North Adams historian and admirer, has died
Overall Design and Presentation (staff)
Racial, Ethnic or Gender Issue Coverage (Francesca Paris): Women make up just 20 percent of local city councils and select boards in Berkshire County
Sports Story (Mike Walsh): Warriors barnstorm throughout state to find competition for local high schoolers
News Video (Ben Garver): Sick of the rain? Get in line, say Berkshires farmers.
Pandemic Photo (Ben Garver): Boys and Girls Club visits senior center
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