OP-ED: Thanks to this village
By ALAN SMASON, Editor
Last Saturday night, there was both personal and public vindication of my efforts as the editor of the Crescent City Jewish News. The judging of three articles I had written in my capacity as editor were not only deemed good enough to be in competition with those of my journalistic peers, but one, in particular, was deemed worthy to be selected as one of the top print articles of the year, entitling the CCJN to a Best of Show award at the 60th Annual Press Club of New Orleans’ Excellence in Journalism Awards Gala.
The CCJN’s “New Orleans Community Mobilizes for Houston as Harvey Bears Down on LA”(page 47, Best of the CCJN 2017 Yearbook) captured the Breaking News Reporting top slot over the entry submitted from WWL-TV. As a result of that win, the Bill Rainey Memorial Award, one of only two Best of Show awards for print, was also bestowed upon the CCJN.
Cited by judges from 12 other cities, two other articles also received recognition at the gala held at the Jung Hotel on July 21. The critical review “Timm, Fitzpatrick Play Leopold and Loeb in ‘Thrill Me'” received a second-place finish for Best Critical Review (page 71, Best of the CCJN 2017 Yearbook), while the lengthy feature article on Touro Infirmary, “Better Than Chicken Soup: Medicine and Charity in the Big Easy”(pages 38-42, SOURCE 5778), received a third-place ranking for Medical-Health reporting.
While it is always gratifying to receive the acknowledgment from one’s peers, this is not only a win for me as a writer and journalist. In a larger sense, it is a win for our Jewish community. It is a rare opportunity for us to be considered on the same footing as larger, more visible segments of our city.
These awards are, therefore, a symbol of our continued commitment to you. As Hilary Clinton’s book suggested, “It Takes a Village” to do a great number of necessary tasks. While the CCJN is a small part of what goes on in the New Orleans Jewish community, our ability to report on items of interest such as the rancorous City Council meeting in January, will maintain the important connection we have established with our readers, all houses of worship and with important Jewish institutions like the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, Jewish Family Service, the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana, AVODAH, the Jewish Community Center, the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Children’s Regional Service.
We depend on you to lend your support with your kind words and thoughts. For a few of you, there are additional opportunities to support us through advertising partnerships for which we are also grateful. But more than that, we want to thank you for allowing us to be an important part of this community and to continue to chart its progress, to recognize noteworthy individuals and leaders, to give insight and preparation to those who are observant at all levels and to record the passing of our loved ones with dignity.
As long as it is financially feasible, we pledge to continue to serve you with a renewed sense of vigor and purpose. As this is still a family-run enterprise, my mother thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you.
