Two associations of Christian communicators announced their annual awards in April, including several honors for Illinois Baptist media.
The Baptist Communicators Association (BCA) honored the Illinois Baptist newspaper with a first-place award for newspaper front page (designed by Kris Kell), as well as second place awards in newspaper design and the overall newspaper category. The Evangelical Press Association (EPA) recognized the Illinois Baptist with a second place in the newspaper category. And both professional organizations honored the IBSA communications team with multiple awards for writing, design, and multimedia.
Reporting and writing:
- First place, first-person (BCA): Leah Honnen, “Helping couples struggling through infertility”
- First place, feature writing (BCA): Eric Reed, “Why I need resurrection”. The piece also won second place in EPA’s biblical exposition category.
- Second place, news writing (BCA): Lisa Misner, “Making church a safer place: New IBSA training helps minsitry leaders prevent sexual abuse”
- Second place, feature writing (BCA): Meredith Flynn, “Green wave: The coming impact of legal marijuana use on Illinois churches”
- Second place, opinion/editorial (BCA): Eric Reed, “Pastors need safe spaces”
- Second place, devotional (EPA): Eric Reed, “A Christmas Essay”
- Third place, single-theme section or issue (EPA): Southern Baptist Convention coverage by the IBSA Team
- Fourth place for feature on biblical literacy (EPA): Find it on page 5 of the Jan. 1, 2019 issue
- Fifth place, reporting (EPA): Meredith Flynn, “Listen, lament, repent, repair: Baptists seek a way forward after sexual abuse revelations”
Multimedia:
- First place, website—event or promotion (BCA): MissionIllinois.org
- Second place, public relations or development campaign (BCA): 2019 Mission Illinois Offering
- Second place, scripts (BCA): Revitalization script written for 2019 Annual Meeting video
Design:
- First place, newspaper front page (BCA): Illinois Baptist, by Kris Kell
- Second place, newspaper design (BCA): Illinois Baptist, by Kris Kell
- Third place, magazine front page (BCA): Resource, by Kris Kell
- First place, cartoon (EPA): Find it on page 13 of the March 25 Illinois Baptist
Thank you for allowing us to share your stories. We’re honored to do so.
-The Editors