Chronicle Media earns nine news awards

Chronicle Media

Staff Writer Kevin Beese (left) and Suburban Editor Jack McCarthy hold two of Chronicle Media’s nine awards earned in the Northern Illinois News Association’s 2024 competition.

Members of the Chronicle Media staff captured nine awards in the Northern Illinois News Association’s 2024 competition.

Chronicle writers earned five first-place awards, with Staff Writer Kevin Beese getting four of them. Free-lancer Lynne Conner also earned a first place in the competition aimed at honoring quality journalistic work in northern Illinois.

Conner won in the Business/Financial/Consumer category for non-dailies for her story on Tad More Tailoring and Alterations in Rockford holding a Fall Fashion-Forward Show with repurposed donated clothing.

Judges’ comments were: “This surprising story nicely weaves (pun intended) significant business, financial and consumer themes together.”

Beese won the combined personality feature category for both daily and non-daily publications for his two-part Cook County Chronicle story on Chicago’s Poet Laureate avery r. young.

Judges’ comments were: “The lead immediately grabs the reader’s attention and offers an easy read about the poet laureate.”

The avery r. young story begins with “There is so much more to Chicago’s poet laureate than putting a pen to paper with prose.

“avery r. young is also a singer, actor, artist, teacher, editor, director, composer, mentor and author.”

Beese also won the Sports Story category for non-dailies for his story in the Cook County Chronicle on race-based allegations leveled against the Northwestern University football program.

Judges’ comments were: “Complex story involving sensitive personal and legal issues written with detail and fairness.”

Another first-place award went to Beese in the News Story Series category for non-dailies for his work on the public funding of private sports stadiums.

Judges’ comments were: “Chock full of important details that Illinois taxpayers need to know for public funding of sports stadiums.”

Beese also took second in the News Story Series category for his stories in the Cook County Chronicle on drug-induced homicides.

Beese’s fourth first-place honor came in the combined Education Reporting category for daily and non-daily publications. He was lauded for his story on Chicago Vocational Career Academy students getting science, technology, engineering and mathematics lessons at a Oakbrook Terrace golf shop.

One judge’s comments were: “This entry for me was hands down the best. Variety of education subjects and angles, and the writer is exceptional at writing a compelling and brief lede that pulls the reader down in the story to read more. Very skillful.”

Beese’s STEM education story began with “Janiya Cowan plans to be a force in golf.

“Although picking up a golf club for the first time during a recent visit to PXG Chicago West in Oakbrook Terrace, the Chicago Vocational Career Academy student has her sights set high.”

Suburban Editor Jack McCarthy earned second-place recognition in the combined design category for both daily and non-daily publications for his design work on the Cook County Chronicle.

Beese also earned two third-place finishes.

Beese earned a third for his feature in the Winnebago Chronicle on Rockford natives Brad Novak and Phil Sklar, who created the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame in Milwaukee.

He also earned a third for his Cook County Chronicle story about the Cook County Circuit Court’s Rehabilitation Alternative Probation program that helps turn offenders’ lives around.

“While it’s an honor to be recognized for our work, I’m not surprised by the awards,” said Rick Hibbert, Chronicle Media publisher. “We are blessed to have top-notch journalists working for Chronicle Media.”