Focus

Eye Appeal

"Beautifully done" design earns the Jewish News a first placestatewide award.

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The three issues that won the Jewish News first place for best newspaper design: the Oct. 18, 2002, issue, "Rallying For Israel,"
the Feb. 7, 2003, issue, M Loss In The Family," and the Feb. 14, 2003, isuue, 'Activist Soul."

DAVID SACHS

Senior Copy Editor

L

ooks can be revealing.
And in the publishing field, a newspaper
that's a pleasure to look at will entice readers
to spend more and more time with it —
week after week.
In awarding this year's first-place award for newspa-
per design to the Detroit Jewish News, the Michigan
Press Association recognized the artistic talent and care
that the JN's creative design staff puts into every issue.
"This entire publication is beautifully done," con-
cluded the panel of Minnesota journalists who judged
the competition. "Design of editorial pages is pleasing,
artistic and reader friendly. It is an easy first place
award."
In all, the JNwon six awards from the MPA, based
on a competition of mostly secular weekly newspapers
of similar circulation size from throughout Michigan.
The awards were announced Sunday to help launch
National Newspaper Week.
"We're certainly proud of our creative design staff,"
said Jewish News Editor Robert A. Sklar. "And the
fruits of their hard work are reflected in the honors
and praise they receive year after year."
JNCreative Services Manager Michelle Sheridan
said, "It's inspiring to see such talented people come
together every week to create a product we are all
proud of."
And a picture, like an award, can be worth a thou-
sand words.
"Photography plays a very important part in our
presentation," said Sklar. "People relate to people

when they see faces in the newspaper."
Winning second-place honors in the Picture Story
competition was Krista Husa's photo essay on the
Lubavitch community in the Crown Heights area of
Brooklyn, N.Y. The series of photographs, "Strangers
— Like Everyone Else," appeared July 12, 2002.
"Krista really captured the spirit of Crown Heights,"
said Sklar. "You could look at the picture story and get
a sense of what the Lubavitch community there was all
about."
The MPA judges agreed. "Photographer did a won-
derful job of getting inside a community to tell a
story," they said. "Very well done."
Winning a third-place award for a News Picture was
JNStaff Photographer Angie Baan for her Oct. 18,
2002, cover photo of young Jews protesting the pro-
Palestinian Israel-divestment conference at the
University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
"Nice composition and great emotion conveyed
through image," said the contest judges.

Writing Honors

The Jewish News also won three awards for reporting.
Citing "well-written stories," the MPA awarded
third-place Lifestyle Section honors to the Aug. 23,
2002, cover package, "The Jewish Focus On
Education," which looked at Jewish life on Michigan's
college campuses.
Staff Writer Diana Lieberman anchored the package,
writing three stories. Additional stories were con-
tributed by Staff Writer Shelli Liebman Dorfman and
Special Writers Karen Schwartz, Esther Allweiss
Tschirhart and Richard Dorfman.

Baan

Said Sklar, "I think the education package provided
readers with a glimpse they may not have ever seen
before — how Jewish students interact Jewishly and
maintain their Jewish identity while living and learn-
ing on a secular campus."
Winning third place for Enterprise Reporting was
Shelli Liebman Dorfman's Dec. 13, 2002, cover story
"Sephardic Pride" which looked at Detroit's cohesive
community of "Eastern" Jews.
"This was a really nice story about a group of
Detroit Jews who have prayed together since 1917,"
said Editor Sklar. "It informed the entire Jewish com-
munity about this little-known part of Jewish
Detroit."
In praising the story, the MPA judges said, "We
learn history, present issues and distinction of this sub-
culture in storytelling that is both clear and thor-
ough."
The JNalso won an honorable mention for Spot
News reporting for its Feb. 7, 2003, cover story on the
local reaction to the Columbia space shuttle tragedy,
'A Loss In The Family."
"In a matter of 48 hours, we were able to put
together a notable package on how the tragic loss
played out in the Detroit Jewish community. Our staff
really came together on it and I think the package
reflected the breadth and depth of the grief in the
community," Sklar said.
In evaluating the JNs six MPA awards, Sklar said,
"The combination of gripping news stories and lively
artistic design makes for an award-winning paper.
"You can have the most compelling content, but
it has to be presented in an equally compelling
way."

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2003