A Visit From A Real Pro Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about over 20 Lancaster Newspaper reporters, photographers, artists and editors from LNP (Lancaster Newspapers) and the nearby Ephrata Review who have earned 30 Pennsylvania News media Associated Keystone Awards this year, including nine first-place honors.  Meanwhile, an LNP reporter earned a top national award for a portfolio of articles focusing on educating readers about topics tha affect their everyday lives.  The statewide awards recognized the news organization's enterprise reporting and editorial-writing, business reporting, features, sports coverage and photography.  "These statewide and national awards acknowledge the quality of journalism our reporters, photographers, editors and designers produce every day on LancasterOnline and in LNP," said Tom Murse, Vice President of journalism, WITF and executive editor, LNP/ LancasterOnline.  "I am incredibly grateful and proud that a panel of judges has, yet again, chosen to recognize their great work.  I have known Tom (actually Tom Jr.) and his father Tom for many years, since Tom Jr. went to the high school where I taught for 35 years.  I coached Tom Jrs. brother Jeff when he played baseball during middle and high school at Manheim Township.  Manheim Township School District has yielded many fine students over the years I taught there.  These statewide and national awards acknowledge the quality of journalism our reporters, photographers, editors and designers produce every day on LancaterOnline and in LNP," said Tom Jr. "I am incredibly grateful and proud that a panel of judges has, yet again, chosen to recognize their great work.  LNP picked up 15 awards in the Keystone Awards division that also includes Spotlight PA, The (Philadelphia) Inquirer, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Patriot-News.  The Ephrata Review picked up eight awards and Lititz Record. express picked up six in the weeklies categories.  I could fill the rest of this page with achievements from just about everyone whom works for LNP/LancasterOnline including the many fantastic photographers that work for the company.  While teaching high school at Manheim Township, I invited their photographers every year to visit my senior photography classes and talk about photo-journalism.  Several different photographer made trips to Manheim Township High School during the many years I asked if they could talk to my classes, and every single one did a fantastic job of presenting photo journalism to my classes.  Both male and female photographers always gave some of the best presentations to my classes anyone could expect.  And, I never have to remind my students to pay attention.  If only they were as quiet when I was talking to them during class time!  Just to show you the quality of photography that is exhibited in the local newspaper, I have included two of the photographs that were in the August 4 edition of the Sunday News.  I just love the work as well as the talks the photo journalists gave when they visited my classes years ago.  I couldn't have asked for a better presentation and I was always pleased with the behavior of my classes when the newspaper photographers arrived for their presentation. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

"Through the Viewfinder: Storm Clouds" by Chris Knight won first-place
Feature Photo in the 2024 Keystone Professional Media Awards 

"Meeting of the Minds" by Chris Knight won first-place 
Sports Action in the 2024 Keystone Professional Media Awards