Tribune-Review named Best Overall Daily Newspaper in Pennsylvania

For the fifth time in the last six years, Tribune-Review has been named Best Overall Daily Newspaper in Pennsylvania by the Keystone Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

The paper also received 19 additional awards in the 2024 SPJ Keystone Pro Excellence in Media Awards, which will be presented at the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association’s 2024 Keystone Media Awards Luncheon on Oct. 17 at the Sheraton Hershey Hotel in Harrisburg.

The SPJ Keystone Pro Chapter covers most of Pennsylvania and promotes open government, freedom of information and the practice of accurate, ethical, entertaining and informative journalism.

“This is truly a great honor for our team,” said executive editor Luis Fabregas. “Our journalists work hard every day to create powerful stories and they don’t do it for the recognition. They do it because they know how important it is to produce journalism that keeps citizens informed, holds power accountable and fosters transparency.”

Kristina Serafini |TribLive

Artist Raphael Pantalone of Crabtree places the new head on the giant lumberjack outside Lug Nutz Tire & Auto Service in Greensburg on July 26, 2023. The statue has been headless for about a decade after it was blown off during a storm. The image won first place in the Society of Professional Journalists contest in the Feature Photo category.

First-place winners include Kristina Serafini in the Feature Photo category for the image of “Muffler Man.” A photo by Chaz Palla, “Pickens Takes Plunge,” won first in the Sports Photography category.

Rob Owen and Tim Benz’s podcast “PittsburghPop” took top honors in the Daily Podcasts category.

In Feature Page Design, Paul Varga earned first place.

Lori Falce won first place in the Columns category for “Columns on Gun Violence.”

In the Sports News and Event Coverage category, Bill Beckner Jr. won first place for his story “Hempfield’s Bandieramonte honors memory of late father with WPIAL title-clinching homer.”

“We’re incredibly honored to have been named Best Overall Newspaper five times in the past six years by the Society of Professional Journalists Keystone Chapter,” said Trib Total Media president and CEO Jennifer Bertetto. “This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team.”

Bertetto said to be consistently recognized as the Best Overall Newspaper by peers is a humbling achievement. It’s a reminder of the importance of quality journalism and the impact we can have on our community, she said.

“It is a remarkable accomplishment,” Bertetto said. “We’re grateful for the support of our readers and the dedication of our staff. This award inspires us to continue striving for excellence in our work.“

Sean Stipp | TribLive

An aerial view of the Rustic Ridge neighborhood in Plum the day after a house explosion that killed six people. The image won second place in the News Photography category in the Society of Professional Journalists contest.

Here is the list of all Trib winners:

Best Overall Newspaper, Daily - First Place: Tribune-Review

Feature Photo Daily - First Place: “Muffler Man,” Kristina Serafini - Second Place: “Painting At Train Station,” Kristina Serafini

Sports Photography, Daily or Non-Daily - First Place: “Pickens Takes Plunge,” Chaz Palla - Third Place: “Williams Recovers Fumble,” Chaz Palla

Sports Page Design, Daily - Second Place: “Jeff Vella Pages,” Jeff Vella - Third Place: “Jeff Vella Pages,” Jeff Vella

Podcasts, Daily - First Place: “Pittsburgh Pop,” Rob Owen, Tim Benz - Second Place: “Rebel Yell,” Don Rebel

Health and Medical Reporting - Second Place: “Law Says Pa. Autopsy Reports Should Be Public. Why Aren’t They?,” Jonathan D. Silver

Spot News, Daily - Second Place: “I shot him: Police say gunman confessed to killing popular Mogie’s Irish Pub In Lower Burrell,” Joyce Hanz, Kellen Stepler

Environmental Reporting, Daily or Non-Daily - Second Place: “Shell-shocked East Palestine residents seek normalcy after train wreck,” Julia Maruca and Justin Vellucci

Business and Labor Reporting - Second Place: “Unsustainable Funding Model, Shrinking Workforce, Leave Ambulance Services In Critical Condition,” Tawnya Panizzi

Feature Page Design, Daily - First Place: “Paul Varga pages,” Paul Varga

News Photography, Daily - Second Place: “Rustic Ridge house explosion,” Sean Stipp

Column Writing, Daily or Non-Daily - First Place: “Columns on Gun Violence,” Lori Falce

Sports News/Event Coverage - First Place: “Hempfield’s Bandieramonte honors memory of late father with WPIAL title-clinching homer,” Bill Beckner Jr.

News Page Design, Daily - Third Place: “John Lehner pages,” John Lehner

Editorial Writing, Daily or Non-Daily - Third Place: “Transparency and Open Records,” Lori Falce

Sports/Outdoor Column, Daily or Non-Daily - Third Place: “Tim Benz Columns,” Tim Benz