Criterion staff honored for excellence in journalism

Staff writer Sean Gallagher’s feature on Indianapolis Colts’ football player Daniel Adongo last September won an honorable mention in the best sports journalism, sports feature category in the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada’s (CPA) 2014 awards competition.

Criterion staff report

Two staff members of The Criterion were recently honored for excellence in journalism by the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada (CPA).

Staff writer Sean Gallagher and editor Mike Krokos each won individual awards during the Catholic Media Conference on June 24-26 in Buffalo, N.Y.

The CPA awards that staff members won include:
 

Honorable Mention—Best Sports Journalism, Sports Feature, for “God on the gridiron: Firm foundation of faith leads Daniel Adongo from Kenya to the NFL,” written by Gallagher.

The story, published in the Sept. 5, 2014, issue, highlighted the journey of Adongo, a former world-class rugby player from Kenya who lives his Catholic faith as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.

“Excellent story,” judges wrote, “one of the top five in a large field of entries. Paints a compelling picture of a great role model.”
 

Honorable Mention—Best Editorial, National/International Issue, for “James Foley: ‘It didn’t make sense, but faith did,’ ” written by Krokos.

The editorial, published in the Aug. 29, 2014, issue, touched on the life and death of Foley, a lifelong Catholic and American photojournalist killed by members of the Islamic State in Syria in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes on the militants’ strongholds in northern Iraq.

“Appealing to emotions and heart, this opinion piece uses powerful description and storytelling as well as effective quotes to tell the story of Jim Foley,” judges wrote. “The focus is less political, but more on the power of prayer as the sustaining force for life even amid death.”
 

“These awards exemplify the commitment that The Criterion staff brings to each week’s paper to share unique stories and commentaries about the power of the Catholic faith to inspire and transform lives,” said Greg Otolski, associate publisher of The Criterion. “We’re grateful to be able to serve the people of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.” †