The Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) has been honouring the best in community newspapers, and now websites, for 75 years. And they’ve been handing out student awards for much of that time, recognizing the most promising new talent joining the industry. Centennial College’s journalism programs enter their students’ best work each year, and they often take their places in the winners’ circle.
At the recently announced OCNA Better Newspapers Competition results celebrating the best in community news publishing in 2024, Centennial students did well with two second-place finishes and a third. In addition, and at the risk of burying the lead, Centennial’s Toronto Observer website was selected by judges as the best college or university newspaper website in Ontario.
“The Toronto Observer stands out as an exceptional example of student journalism, showcasing strong editorial standards, compelling storytelling and excellent multimedia integration,” wrote judge Mohsin Abbas in his assessment. “The site effectively balances local and broader news coverage, demonstrating professionalism and a deep understanding of audience engagement. It is a well-deserved winner and a testament to the talent and dedication of Centennial’s journalism students.”
“For nine years The Observer has been second or third, year after year after year. Last summer, our Phil Alves redesigned the website. After that, it was up to the students in our four programs, and their great instructors, to fill it with excellent work,” commented Journalism professor Malcolm Kelly. And fill it they did!
Haruka Ide was a student in Centennial’s Contemporary Journalism program last year when he penned his article about a Toronto storytelling group that has been spinning yarns since 1978, making it one of the oldest groups of its kind in North America. His story earned him a second-place finish in the Student Feature Writing category. Haruka’s heartfelt story prompted the judge to remark: “The individuality was nice and touched on interesting points like culture and accessibility.”
Zachary Phillips was in post-graduate Sports Journalism program in 2024 when he snapped a close-up photo (shown) of swimmer Jacob Hamlin churning up the water during practice ahead of the NCAA championships in Tampa, Florida. The action shot netted Zachary a second-place finish in the Student Photography category. The judge commented: “It is the right photo at the right time of the event and illustrates what the sport is and what’s happening.”
Christian Zdravko was in the University of Toronto/Centennial College Joint Journalism program last year when he wrote an insightful article about dangerous dogs in the wake of a local tragedy. His story earned him a third-place finish in the Student News Writing Category. Wrote the judge: “The opening at the dog park was a great way to add a little humanity – the dog owners gave a nice gateway for readers, but the article still offered plenty of researched facts and relevant interviews to give readers a few things to chew on.”
Congratulations to all of the Ontario college and university journalism student winners and nominees! You can read more about the OCNA Better Newspapers Competition by opening the Awards booklet.